tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25775037346322136102024-03-13T04:24:27.781+00:00The Life and Times of a HousehusbandThe trials and tribulations of a Dad who is just trying to do his best.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-74987086380424364522015-02-19T14:50:00.000+00:002015-02-19T14:50:51.925+00:00Our FA Cup Adventure
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
mso-themecolor:hyperlink;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:595.0pt 842.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:35.4pt;
mso-footer-margin:35.4pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so it starts again. Getting ready for the match, nerves
building, pre-match rituals established, planning the day and match ahead. Only
this time it’s different, this time it’s her first time, her first match. She’s
been looking forward to this day for weeks, maybe even since she first kicked a
ball in anger and today it’s finally arrived. Today’s the day she finally gets
to see my, and now her, beloved Arsenal. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And she’s got a great first match to go and see, not some
dreary mid-table clash against Bolton Wanderers like my first game. Nope she
gets to see Arsenal v Middlesbrough in the 5<sup>th</sup> round of the FA Cup
and it’s all thanks to the FA’s new scheme calling fans to celebrate the
adventure of the competition. They are encouraging fans to share photos of
their own FA Cup adventure on Twitter using the hashtag #FACupAdventure and who
was I to say no when they asked if Kaede and I would join in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t want to put words in her mouth about how she felt
that day, I’m not sure from an adult point of view I could do it justice, so
I’ll let her tell you in her own words about her own FA Cup adventure. I can
tell you from a Dads point of view that this is the second time I’ve taken one
of my kids to their first match and it truly is a special moment. I said to
Kaede just before we walked in “OK, this is your last chance to back out. Once
you walk into that stadium you are an Arsenal fan, a football fan, for life. It
will take over your life and give you more downs than ups, but that’s all part
it. So are we going in or not?’</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She practically run in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And here in her words (and photos) is her take on the day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“</span></b>It all started when my Dad received an
email about going to see the Arsenal v Middlesbrough match for the FA Cup 5<sup>th</sup>
round. It would be my first Arsenal match! I was filled with joy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I counted down the days until it was time for the football!
I got ready, had lunch and before I know it I was on my way to Arsenal Stadium.
The journey on the bus was long but the journey on the train was short. Maybe
because I knew I was getting closer?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QxM40BgcpYY/VOXywDfmZ2I/AAAAAAAAA04/s-QhVDc-gVk/s1600/IMG_2584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QxM40BgcpYY/VOXywDfmZ2I/AAAAAAAAA04/s-QhVDc-gVk/s1600/IMG_2584.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we got off the train we went down the pub for a drink.
Thank God I was an Arsenal fan because all the pubs said “HOME FANS ONLY”.
After one pub we went to another pub closer to the stadium. I could smell beer
and onions. There were stalls selling Arsenal scarves everywhere. I could hear
the noisy Middlesbrough fans chanting their songs down the street. Most of them
had swears.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YSHMPIslog0/VOXyxgUDvEI/AAAAAAAAA1E/zoXP5M9bV3A/s1600/IMG_2587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YSHMPIslog0/VOXyxgUDvEI/AAAAAAAAA1E/zoXP5M9bV3A/s1600/IMG_2587.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After all the noise we headed to the stadium. We bought two
match day programmes, one for me and one for Nate when we got home. When we
were in the stadium I felt like screaming with joy. We had to go up quite a few
stairs but we eventually found our seats.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P6EUpvYWlvQ/VOXzR2zTOmI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/CWcjqqnJAZA/s1600/IMG_2594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P6EUpvYWlvQ/VOXzR2zTOmI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/CWcjqqnJAZA/s1600/IMG_2594.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Soon the match begun. We were heading off to a good start.
After a while Giroud scored a goal, I was overwhelmed! A few minutes later
Giroud scored another fantastic goal. 2-0. I was so excited! I couldn’t believe
it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lsK9jGnyG3I/VOXzThRkndI/AAAAAAAAA1g/v8sPJ2ljQ-A/s1600/IMG_2602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lsK9jGnyG3I/VOXzThRkndI/AAAAAAAAA1g/v8sPJ2ljQ-A/s1600/IMG_2602.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Soon it was half time and we went to get some crisps. After
that I went back to my seat. The second half had begun. I swear I was so into
the game that I didn’t even blink. After a while the match was over. We had won
2-0. I was so happy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was the best day of my life. Soon I was heading home,
barely speaking. I knew this was definitely a FA Cup adventure.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">”</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xaVvILscWnE/VOXzOiWXTII/AAAAAAAAA1Q/hL4ajodArP4/s1600/IMG_2621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xaVvILscWnE/VOXzOiWXTII/AAAAAAAAA1Q/hL4ajodArP4/s1600/IMG_2621.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like I said, there was no way I could sum it up better than
she could. It truly was a great day (the win helped) and seeing it again
through the eyes of a child really did bring back the excitement of the FA Cup.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many thanks to Jen at the FA for the free tickets, we really
did have a FA Cup Adventure. If you want to join in the adventure and possibly
win yourself tickets, head on over to <a href="http://www.thefa.com/news/the-fa-cup/2014/dec/fa-cup-heads-to-the-south-pole">http://www.thefa.com/news/the-fa-cup/2014/dec/fa-cup-heads-to-the-south-pole</a>
for more details.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-9878054963662447062014-12-20T13:37:00.002+00:002014-12-20T13:37:32.479+00:00How the Grinch nearly stole Christmas<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Every Who <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Down in Who-ville<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Liked Christmas a lot... <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>But the Grinch,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Who lived just North of Who-ville,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Did NOT! <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>It could be that his head wasn't screwed on quite right.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>But I think that the most likely reason of all<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>May have been that his heart was two sizes too small. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>But,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Whatever the reason,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>His heart or his shoes,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>He stood there on Christmas Eve, hating the Whos,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Staring down from his cave with a sour, Grinchy frown<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>At the warm lighted windows below in their town.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>For he knew every Who down in Who-ville beneath<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Was busy now, hanging a mistleoe wreath. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>"And they're hanging their stockings!" he snarled
with a sneer.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>"Tomorrow is Christmas! It's practically here!"<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Then he growled, with his grinch fingers nervously drumming,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>"I MUST find a way to keep Christmas from coming!"</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first Who was Jamie, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not a bad kind of lad,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He gave him some back pain, the worst ever had.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Either sitting, or standing, they both would cause pain,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Only laying on the floor would make this Who normal again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He grinned and he bared it, he sat through the show,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Popping pill after pill, wishing the back pain to go<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He then spotted Tricia,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Mum of the bunch.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let’s try out some Kidney stones, that’ll give her a hunch.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But that wasn’t enough, let’s dish out more back pain,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That made her shout “Ouch” again and again…and again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He then saw her eyes, such the prettiest green,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And covered one over with an infected sheen.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not satisfied with this mischief,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His eyes wandered afar,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Where he stumbled upon the Chief Clumsy Czar.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She was living in Plymouth, her first name was Storm,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And without a shadow of doubt, the clumsiest Who ever born.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ice cream, the hot plate, the coffee pot steam,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An accident waiting to happen, she always had been.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Climbing stairs is so easy, walking down not so much,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A 5am crazy stumble and her gift was a crutch.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That left Kaede and Nate,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Who’s youngest two,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He plotted and planned to make their lives feel like poo.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He threw Lego and jigsaws, sore throats and trapped wind,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the more he threw at them, the more that they
grinned.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They were used to this family, like a duck takes to water,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So they easily avoided the Grinch’s Christmas slaughter.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Grinch got frustrated,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His ears filled with steam.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No matter what mischief he caused, not one frown could he gleam.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The others took heart from the youngest two’s laughter,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And became determined to have their own happy ever after<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With every new mishap, they laughed and they laughed,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And a Happy but painful Christmas they managed to craft.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So on the happiest of notes,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We finish our tale,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
About how the worst things can happen, so many things to
assail.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But if surrounded by family, you manage to grin,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then you can turn the Grinch’s losses into a win.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can joke at the tumbles, you can grin through the pain,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But whatever you do, don’t
let Storm dish up ice cream again.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Thanks to Dr Suess for the start.</i><br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-7184159145275007342014-08-19T11:24:00.000+00:002014-08-19T11:36:29.234+00:00Believe It or NotLike everyone else, I get a lot of emails every day. Some good, most bad. Some interesting, most spam. Then you get those ones that seem too good to be true, mostly from Nigerian bankers that want to deposit $400,000 into your account for reasons unclear to nobody. However on this occasion I got one of the good ones - would I like to come and visit Hamley’s before it opened, then lunch at Planet Hollywood followed by a guided tour around Ripley’s Believe It or Not! <br />
<br />
Would I ever.<br />
<br />
So last Sunday found myself and my son Nate off on our mini boys adventure whilst we left the girls to explore Westfield and try on shoes, or do their nails, or do whatever it is that girls do to pass the time in those places.<br />
<br />
We were undeterred by the torrential rain that greeted us at Oxford Circus station and failing to spot an empty taxi-canoe, waded down the River Regent Street to Hamley’s. For those that haven’t been, Hamley’s is one huge almighty toy shop, spread over seven floors and filled with every toy imaginable (and some you’ve never imagined). It’s a place of wonder at the best of times and we were getting a guided tour when the place was completely empty. A bunch of over-excited kids, left to roam free playing with the toys, albeit with the occasional glance at our own children to make sure they were behaving.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pbdt3AOR_WI/U_MwKbrTU2I/AAAAAAAAAuo/s12xO-oXhl0/s1600/IMG_1739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pbdt3AOR_WI/U_MwKbrTU2I/AAAAAAAAAuo/s12xO-oXhl0/s1600/IMG_1739.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> Nate having a ball</i></div>
<br />
Our tour finished just as they were about to open the doors to the public and I’m just glad I had a huge big bear to hide behind as it was pandemonium once those doors opened.<br />
<br />
From there it was off to Planet Hollywood and a spot of lunch. It’s a great place for any film buff to eat as it is wall-to-wall film memorabilia and I reckon you could visit every week and still stumble across some un-seen titbit from favourite film you haven’t seen in ages. It’s one of those places where you don’t mind waiting for your food (not that we had to) as you spend the whole time looking around trying to name the films.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dl--b2nGN2w/U_MwIupEDBI/AAAAAAAAAuc/HgRm6x_7wOo/s1600/IMG_1751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dl--b2nGN2w/U_MwIupEDBI/AAAAAAAAAuc/HgRm6x_7wOo/s1600/IMG_1751.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Han Solo in carbonite </i></div>
<br />
After that it was off to the main event – Ripley’s Believe It or Not! <br />
<br />
Ripley’s plays host to over 700 jaw-dropping exhibits, galleries and interactive experiences across 6 floors and it was now showing off its latest exhibit – a Swarovski crystal covered Mini Cooper worth over £500,000. The crystals are in 50 shades to represent the 50 states of America and it apparently took over 6 months to put together. It was quite a sight to behold but, boys being boys, we wanted to get straight in and see all the freaky stuff – the shrunken heads, the world’s fattest person and an asteroid from Mars – blokes stuff.<br />
<br />
There really was something for everyone here. Crazy art including a portrait of Kate Middleton made from lipstick kisses, Brad Pitt made form Cigarette ash and Amy Winehouse made from broken CD’s. Historical busts of infamous people from the past – the worlds ugliest woman and the man with longest ever nose were some of the funnier ones. Even as you walk between the exhibits the walls are covered with strange facts that will raise either a smile or an eyebrow.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RWEQD8w4Ja8/U_MwIMMGh9I/AAAAAAAAAuY/uiVSpU9PCPo/s1600/IMG_1755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RWEQD8w4Ja8/U_MwIMMGh9I/AAAAAAAAAuY/uiVSpU9PCPo/s1600/IMG_1755.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-abILLqxlZPM/U_MwR52XlPI/AAAAAAAAAuw/qykryAVcJJA/s1600/IMG_1758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-abILLqxlZPM/U_MwR52XlPI/AAAAAAAAAuw/qykryAVcJJA/s1600/IMG_1758.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>They make a lovely couple</i></div>
<br />
I could spent the whole day listing the incredible things you will see in there, but to be honest I don’t want to spoil it for any of you that are thinking of going, and I thoroughly recommend that you do. I also think I may need to visit again as I probably only saw half of it. I will say though, that two of Nate’s favourite parts were the mirror maze (which he insisted we go through twice) and the LaseRace game where you have to get through a darkened room all burglar style with laser alarms everywhere.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xVeHoll6PrY/U_MwS99OPzI/AAAAAAAAAu4/lKxoNC8vjJA/s1600/IMG_1763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xVeHoll6PrY/U_MwS99OPzI/AAAAAAAAAu4/lKxoNC8vjJA/s1600/IMG_1763.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GWr9Yo-QCvg/U_MwZOYypVI/AAAAAAAAAvI/OqK2yTNi0Uk/s1600/IMG_1772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GWr9Yo-QCvg/U_MwZOYypVI/AAAAAAAAAvI/OqK2yTNi0Uk/s1600/IMG_1772.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>From the tallest head to the shrunken head</i></div>
<br />
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is open 365 days a year from 10am until midnight and at £79.95 for a family ticket (two adults and 2 kids) is quite a bargain, especially for something right smack in the middle of London. If you book online in advance ( www.ripleyslondon.com ) you get 15% off, so a bit of planning can save you a few bob towards your lunch.<br />
<br />
<b>But if you want to save yourself even more money a snag yourself a FREE family ticket*, all you have to do is the following:</b><br />
<br />
Leave a comment below fessing up to your own ‘Believe It or Not’ moment. Anything from “Believe it or not I accidentally reversed over the Mother in Law’s foot”, or “Believe it or not I hold the world record for long distance marshmallow blowing from a nostril’. Anything you’re brave enough to admit is good enough for me.<br />
<br />
The winner will be whichever one that I and my distinguished panel of judges (aka my grotty kids) find the most amazing/funny. Oh and here’s a little tip, my kids love funny. Oh and retweets and sharing on Facebook would also go down well with the judges (though not a requirement). The judge's decision is final and the winner will be announced on 2nd September 2014.<br />
<br />
I’d like to thank Naomi Finn and her team at Ripley’s for a most excellent day out and will point out, for the sake of clarity, that it was a free event.<br />
<br />
*The family ticket will be for 2 x adults and 2 x kids OR 1 x adult 3 x kids, whichever you prefer and is valid for 1 year. This is for the London site only.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-34329931909928221042014-07-24T16:29:00.001+00:002014-07-24T16:29:51.171+00:00Pitch your #First<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EN9P1aqu-bs/U9EzNFATZgI/AAAAAAAAAno/kacBBQbNYC8/s1600/IMG_1422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EN9P1aqu-bs/U9EzNFATZgI/AAAAAAAAAno/kacBBQbNYC8/s1600/IMG_1422.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowRevisions/>
<w:DoNotPrintRevisions/>
<w:DoNotShowMarkup/>
<w:DoNotShowComments/>
<w:DoNotShowInsertionsAndDeletions/>
<w:DoNotShowPropertyChanges/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last week I was invited by Vodafone to attend the launch of
their #First campaign. In layman’s terms they want to throw a shed load of
money at someone to create their ‘first’ something, something life-changing,
something that keeps the world interesting. In celebration of this we were to
watch a short film about how they flew a young football team from Ghana, a team
that hadn’t even played on grass before, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to the UK to compete in their first international
football tournament.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When they told me that the screening was going to take place
at the Emirates Stadium, home of my beloved Arsenal, I figured I would have to
bring my daughter Kaede along for her first visit to the stadium. It was
probably a bad move to tell her about the trip a full two weeks before it
actually happened, as by the time the day actually arrived she was beside
herself with excitement. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The look on her face when she first walked into the stadium
and took it all in was beyond joy. She had entered her new church and it was
obvious that this would be a place she would worship for the rest of her life.
I felt a pang of guilt for inflicting this football madness on her, but
reconciled myself with the fact that if I hadn’t done it then her Mum, a
Tottenham fan, would of and that would be a fate worse than…well worse than
anything I could imagine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The film itself was very poignant and very funny (especially
the tour of London film) and I would recommend everyone to go and give the film
a watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tJgz_bSp7A&list=PL8yVRA00grjON1bhK_hxLSZ6a6KR5QI9m">here</a>
and the London tour <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-tJ4TpS8z0&index=4&list=PL8yVRA00grjON1bhK_hxLSZ6a6KR5QI9m">here</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would also very much recommend that you get yourselves
over to the website <a href="http://www.firsts.com/">www.firsts.com</a> and make
your pitch for your very own #First. And despite the fact that I never win
competitions, I’m going to enter myself. After all, there’s a first time for
everything.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks to Vodafone for the invite and to Leah and Mel at
Tribal Media for the invite, although Kaede thanks you more.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-28YHgpRGX2E/U9E0II044vI/AAAAAAAAAnw/ohca5fuSAig/s1600/me_K_vodafone2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-28YHgpRGX2E/U9E0II044vI/AAAAAAAAAnw/ohca5fuSAig/s1600/me_K_vodafone2.jpg" height="320" width="285" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-29795476106113296422014-07-05T10:35:00.001+00:002014-07-05T17:02:00.463+00:00One Year OnThere’s been a first birthday, a first Christmas, a first Fathers Day and a first ‘how the hell do you prepare that surface?’ moment.<br />
<br />
It’s not until someone has gone do you realise how big a shadow they cast and by Christ he was a big man. We said at the time that your boots were too big to fill, that me and Daniel would have to have one boot each, but I don’t think I’m even managing that.<br />
<br />
You’ve missed so much this year, or maybe you haven’t. Maybe they do let you look down on us via some sort of celestial Skype and you’ve seen all the nonsense we’ve been up to. I would like to think so, but either way I’ve certainly missed telling you about it. <br />
<br />
And it’s not just all the family stuff I’ve missed sharing with you. I’ve missed playing you the new Gregory Porter CD, you would have loved him, a voice so deep it screams big bands and smoky nightclubs. We also got to see Frank Sinatra Jnr at Ronnie Scott’s and I swear to God when he walked on it was like his Dads ghost had walked on with him. I wanted to tell you about that so much that it physically hurt, it still does.<br />
<br />
They say a black hole sucks in all matter, well it feels like your death has done the same and left a whole bunch of ‘it doesn’t matter’. Nothing seems as important, as significant, as worthwhile anymore. All milestones are being judged and measured in relation to you and your bearing on them.<br />
<br />
What’s worrying me more is that now this year has passed so will my memory of you. I’m not sure I want it to hurt less. If I can still cling on to my pain then you will continue to feel real, to be with me. Whilst it hurts this much I can still see you every time I blink the tears away. <br />
<br />
The passing of time hasn’t been all bad though. It’s taken a year for my first thoughts of you not to be lying in that hospital bed, slowly saying goodbye to us all without even knowing it. Some days my first thought is of you in the pub, or in the garden feeding the fish. More often than not I remember you through a child’s eyes. Could you really have been that big, that safe, that there? <br />
<br />
I don’t know, the mind plays some cruel tricks on you sometimes but at least it’s now stopping me from ringing you up for advice. Three times this year I’ve rung you to ask you something, something innocuous, only for Mum to answer leaving me to scramble some sort of excuse for ringing.<br />
<br />
It seems crazy that today will hurt more than any other. After all, in the great scheme of things, it’s just another day without you, just like the other 364 have been. But it does hurt more, as today is the day where all I can remember is saying goodbye. Kissing your forehead one last time, telling you I loved you one last time, squeezing your hand and telling you it’s OK to leave now, to stop hurting and leave it all behind.<br />
<br />
I’ve spent a year being angry that your ‘ghost’ hasn’t come to talk to me whenever I take a shower, just like your Dad’s did for you. I couldn’t understand where you were, did I not love you enough to deserve a visit, but that can’t be right? My heart is so full of you it feels fit to burst and I don’t know how to manage that feeling, how to keep those emotions in check. <br />
<br />
More often than not I just sit on the back step gazing into the garden, watching the bees, the occasional dragonfly and listening to the birds. That’s when I think I’m at my closest to you. I can almost feel you putting your arm around your tiny sons shoulder and telling him it will be alright, everything is good. So maybe that’s better then. This way I can still see you with every yellow rose bud that’s starting to bloom, every bird looking for food and every blade of grass that will never look as green as yours did.<br />
<br />
So today I’m going to go down the pub and have a pint, well two actually – a Light and Lager me and a Guinness for you, and then maybe I can start to say goodbye properly. Start to think of you without blubbing, start to remember only the good times and not those shitty hospital times. Maybe I needed this past year of hurt to toughen me up to continue without your ever-guiding presence. I hope I don’t let you down. Like any kid, I’ve only ever wanted you to be proud of me.<br />
<br />
Love you Pops.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-8906209313094207652013-07-31T15:50:00.000+00:002013-07-31T15:51:55.873+00:00Dear Tottenham Hotspur PRI just recieved this email from a Totenham Hotspur PR<br />
<br />
<i><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4347">Hi<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4348" style="color: #1f497d;">,</span></span></i><br />
<i><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4347"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4348" style="color: #1f497d;"> </span></span></i>
<br />
<div class="yiv3788491702MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4346">
<i><span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span></i></div>
<div class="yiv3788491702MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4340">
<i><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4339">Tottenham
Hotspur cordially invites you to the unveiling of the world’s first
fully-interactive digital experience for children to be created and
developed by a football club. </span></i></div>
<div class="yiv3788491702MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4341">
<i> </i></div>
<div class="yiv3788491702MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4343">
<i><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4342">Please register your interest in interview time with Club Ambassador Ledley King when replying.</span></i></div>
<div class="yiv3788491702MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4344">
<i> </i></div>
<i><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4349"> </span><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4349"> </span></i><br />
<i><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4349">Date: Wednesday x<sup>th</sup> August</span></i><br />
<div class="yiv3788491702MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4351">
<i><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4350">Time: 9am – 10.30am</span></i></div>
<div class="yiv3788491702MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4353">
<i><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4352">Location: Hangar Seven, 230 City road, EC1V 2QY (Old Street overground and tube)</span></i></div>
<div class="yiv3788491702MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4354">
<i><span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span></i></div>
<div class="yiv3788491702MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4356">
<i><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4355">I hope you can join us for this event Jason.</span></i></div>
<div class="yiv3788491702MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4357">
<i><span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span></i></div>
<div class="yiv3788491702MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4358">
<i>Best wishes,</i></div>
<div class="yiv3788491702MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4358">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv3788491702MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4358">
<b>This is my response </b></div>
<div class="yiv3788491702MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4358">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv3788491702MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375284900637_4358">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dear Tottenham Hotspur PR bod,<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I thank you for your email inviting me to the unveiling of
your digital experience for children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately
I feel that I am not a member of your target audience, me being an Arsenal fan
and all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a hint of my allegiance
to Arsenal in the email address you sent your kind invitation to – <a href="mailto:GoonerJamie@sky.com">GoonerJamie@sky.com</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could understand your mistake if my email
was <a href="mailto:WeAreABigTeamHonest@sky.com">WeAreABigTeamHonest@sky.com</a>,
or <a href="mailto:MindTheGap@sky.com">MindTheGap@sky.com</a>, or even <a href="mailto:GlenHoddleWasPeleInAPreviousLife@sky.com">GlenHoddleWasPeleInAPreviousLife@sky.com</a>,
but I am indeed a Gooner and one called Jamie (not Jason).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With regard to the actual content of your email, asking my
child to participate in ‘Tottenham’s fully-interactive digital experience’
would be akin to asking her to eat a piece of dog poop that has been laying in
the sun in the gutter for so long it’s turned white – you don’t want my child
to eat poop do you? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why on earth would I encourage a child to interact with a
team that last won the top flight league before the rocket that took Neil
Armstrong to the moon had even made it off the drawing board?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact I know more people that believe in
the moon landing than the conspiracy theory that is a winning Tottenham
team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course I’ve seen the pictures
of Danny Blanchflower holding the trophy and yes, I presume they weren’t photoshopped
as that’s almost impossible to do in sepia tone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As to meeting Ledley King, I do worry that he would drop my
child, unused as he is to picking something up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I also worry he may injure himself in the process and therefore be
forced to sit with Darren Anderton for all eternity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So to surmise, Thank you for your kind but misguided offer,
if I am ever feeling suicidal and worthless I shall pop by and visit (much akin
to visiting Asda when I’m feeling ugly).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy St Totteringham’s Day</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
GoonerJamie</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-2406095437278908482013-06-16T07:52:00.002+00:002013-06-16T07:52:28.624+00:00I rememberRiding home from school on your crossbars<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You teaching me to ride the bike you made for me
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sacks of ice cream stolen by your best mate</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How your moustache tickled</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How you looked without that moustache for just one month of
my entire life</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your stories, my god, so many funny stories</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Feeling small when I looked up and feeling tall when you
looked proud</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Introducing you to your 1<sup>st</sup>, 2<sup>nd</sup>, 4<sup>th</sup>
and 6<sup>th</sup> grandchild</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Being able to tell you anything (well, except for that one
thing, that one time, in band camp)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You letting me make my mistakes and boy, there were a lot of
them</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Although I wish you had stopped me from making a couple of
the worse ones)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The smell of your cigars (until I guilt tripped you into
giving up)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tea and biscuits every morning in your bed, all five of us</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hunting for horseradish over Matchstick Island and you
cutting your foot</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Singing ‘Let’s do it tonight because the moon is smiling
bright’ after a drunken meal in Barking</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On more than one occasion</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My driving scaring the bejesus out of you and me liking that
fact</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lemonade and a pack of crisps in the Captain Cook</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or the Barge Aground</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You letting me win, making me lose and settling for a draw</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Introducing you to Jack and Coke and then necking the whole
bottle</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hiding in your shed and watching the thunderstorms</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your hideous green garden jumper</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your somewhat eclectic taste in music and hoping I’ve stolen
the best and left the worst behind</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All those long walks along longer beaches and tall cliff
tops</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having to be quiet all morning when you were on nights until
finally, at 11am, being able to go wake you up</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Watching you finally learn to drive and then unveiling that
first car, a yellow Ford Cortina</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Long trips down to Devon and sensing your delight driving
down those sweeping hills</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Something I’ve inherited, although I may go a bit faster)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Cadburys flake every Friday night</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Swimming in Belhus Park pool every Saturday and making you
throw us as high as you could over and over</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saturday night being yours and Mums night, even if you did
only have a bottle of R Whites and a packet of peanuts</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And boy did we hear that line ad infinitum</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Teaching me the Dutch Oven trick, brought tears to my eyes
in more ways than one</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sitting in the corner of the Tiger waiting for you to finish
work, whilst the regulars made a fuss of me</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Watching you work at your bench in the loft, that place had
everything a young boy ever needed to get in trouble</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just watching you anything to be honest - paint, saw,
wallpaper and collecting tips along the way</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mum being ill and you attempting to boil an egg, Gordon
Ramsey you ain’t </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well maybe the swearing part</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You teaching us about scrumping and then vaguely getting the
hump when we stole the neighbours cherries</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally getting to work with you
proper when we had the pub, some of my best working mornings ever</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Love, family and feeling safe</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy Fathers Day Pops </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-54867061494403823242013-04-03T13:02:00.004+00:002013-04-03T13:02:35.323+00:00A real bowel movement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qc_Ap4zKmyg/UVwn5VuWeHI/AAAAAAAAAcw/t2HGCw6lDls/s1600/beatingbowelcancer.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qc_Ap4zKmyg/UVwn5VuWeHI/AAAAAAAAAcw/t2HGCw6lDls/s200/beatingbowelcancer.png" width="200" /></a></div>
April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and Beating Bowel
Cancer are asking us all to get involved in a bowel movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know what you’re thinking, easy right, I
mean jeez, I can even fake a bowel movement when the kids are bugging me enough
and I want to hide from them for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately that’s not the kind of movement they’re talking about,
they want us to get involved in the fight to beat Bowel Cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One in four lives are touched by bowel cancer
somehow and unfortunately my family’s lives have been hit more than that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
Seven years ago, after a long and courageous fight, my
brother in law Stephen died from Bowel Cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was 46 at the time of his death and left behind a Wife and three young
children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not satisfied with that, it
then decided to have a pop at my other Brother in law, John.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily cancer lost that battle, in no short
measure to the Doctors and the endless Tottenham songs that John insists on
singing at the drop of the hat (even cancer can only put up with so much drivel
about ‘If you know your history’).<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So with all that in mind the Mrs has decided to run the Marathon
again in aid of Beating Bowel Cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
tough task you may think, after all it’s been 10 years since she run her last
marathon, she’d had two kids and an uncountable amount of vino since then, but
do you know what’s tougher?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Being married to a marathon runner.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Seriously.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know how Paula Radcliffe’s old man puts up with it
to be honest, I have to suffer it every decade and that’s bad enough, but every
year?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sod that for a game of
soldiers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t understand, well let me
explain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Marathon will take over their
life and when something takes over their life, it takes over yours, make no
mistake about that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First of all it’s the applying for the ballot to get into
the marathon in the first place, the constant ‘Has the post arrived yet?’ phone
calls whilst she awaits the verdict of the long-legged lottery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then the day when the big package
arrives, the big package that means a consolation prize of a Virgin running top
and a letter saying you haven’t got in and you knowing you then have to break
that news to her whilst she’s at work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then the postman wait again, hoping that Beating Bowel Cancer are going
to give you one of their ‘Golden Tickets’ so you can run for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then a brief burst of happiness when they say
yes, that’s it, they’re in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then it
starts…the training.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh, did I miss a step?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course, that’s right, I forgot the buying of the equipment and by
equipment I mean the running shoes and not just any running shoes, these have
to be the Marks and Spencers of running shoes (just not bought at M&S
because that would be just plain silly).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But apparently buying running shoes isn’t as simple as one would think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We bought a brand new car in January and when
you throw in all the options, the finance, the extras, the incompetent staff,
the colour choices and all the razzmatazz that goes into buying a new school-run
machine, we were still in the showroom less time than we were in the running
shoe shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kid you not.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then there’s the training, the pre-training, the stretching,
the after-stretching, the pre-food, the after-food, the meal planner, the new
meal planner, the this is the final meal planner, the oh no it wasn’t meal
planner, the corn-flakes at the right time, the injuries at the wrong time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh my god the injuries.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyone that knows Trish will acknowledge that the things we
fondly call ‘Trissues’ seem to happen to her a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who do you know that gets cramp in the jaw
with every other yawn?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who moisturises
before they put their contact lenses in, then spends the rest of the day half
blind?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who walks into a closed door
after triumphantly throwing a drunk out of the pub?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who else could rip off a toenail bending over
to pick up some rubbish (I know, I was shocked by that one as well, she never
picks up rubbish)?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well the training for this marathon has constantly topped
that lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It breaks my heart but it’s
been one inauspicious injury after another throughout this whole regime (I call
it a regime as ‘Training Trish’ reminds me a bit of Idi Amin).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her ankle has gone, her knee, her ankle
again, flu, knee again, stomach bug and finally the old favourite…the ankle.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And as painful it’s been for her, it’s even more painful to
listen to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trish will be the first to
admit that she’s not the best patient and I’d also admit that I’m not the best
nurse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I genuinely would take her pain
away if I could, not out of any sense of chivalry you understand, it’s just
easier that way as Trish is an excellent nurse and I’m a fairly good patient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just give me the remote, leave me alone and
you won’t hear a moan out of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trish,
however, can talk about an injury until her mouth heals over.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then there’s the constant marathon talk, the tides going
in and out are inconsistent in comparison with the talk that is all things
marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously, give me a snickers
every now and again as there is not a subject she cannot turn into a
marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A train ride gets her nervous
because as she points out (every time), she can see Tower Hill on the map and
she’ll be running past it on marathon day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At the weekend we were strolling through Kew Gardens admiring the
world’s tallest glasshouse plane, a Chilean wine palm, when out of the blue she
announced that if this was marathon day she would still be running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we see a runner then she says it should be
her, if she’s just been running and we then see a runner then it should be her
tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The marathon is never far away
and it’s getting closer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s less than three weeks away now, the training is
tapering off and I’m trying to keep her away from anything that may injure her
- like rubbish, or cobwebs, or a discarded tea-towel, or who knows what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our house is a veritable minefield of
potential Trissues.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All kidding aside, it is close now and I’m getting nervous
for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has put so much pressure on
her shoulders (and calves) just so she can say to Cancer ‘Fuck you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You took my brother, tried to take another
one and I’m not standing for it’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
will not believe how tough it is to juggle training, injuries, a job, two young
kids who guilt trip her every time she has to go training instead of reading a
bedtime story and a wise-arse Husband that takes pictures of you when you’re
stuck in an ice cold bath.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So that’s what she’s doing, all you have to do is sponsor
her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t have to be much,
everything helps but every pound note she gets will hopefully get us one step
closer to maybe saving somebody you know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe they will pick up one of the 400,000 symptom awareness leaflets
that Beating Bowel Cancer distributes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe they won’t become one of the 40,000 people that are diagnosed with
bowel cancer each year, I truly hope so.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can donate at <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/patriciarunning2013/">http://www.justgiving.com/patriciarunning2013/</a><br />
Read her blog at <a href="http://rundownandrunning.blogspot.co.uk/">http://rundownandrunning.blogspot.co.uk/</a><br />
or contact Beating Bowel Cancer at <a href="http://www.beatingbowelcancer.org/">http://www.beatingbowelcancer.org/</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-73615593968290377862013-03-20T10:41:00.000+00:002013-03-20T10:41:31.290+00:00An OXO Mothers DayRecently those good people at OXO contacted me to ask if I
wanted any help making Mothers Day a fun and special day by sending me one of
their ‘Mother’s Day Magic’ Meal kits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was looking for a bit of inspiration anyway, the kids had been nagging me about
wanting to cook a meal for her anyway, so I accepted.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Later that week the package
turned up, games and stuff to keep the kids occupied, some memorabilia<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to keep all my knick-knacks and recipes tidy,
a food voucher, and more OXO cubes than you can poke a stirring spoon at.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, and some scoring cards, apparently our
cooking was to be judged, no pressure then.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FvKfkR0QQls/UUmPI8pBF_I/AAAAAAAAAcQ/_wgtdfJ7c9E/s1600/IMG_0283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FvKfkR0QQls/UUmPI8pBF_I/AAAAAAAAAcQ/_wgtdfJ7c9E/s320/IMG_0283.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
So the day of Mothers Day Eve
(as my lot refer to that Saturday) arrived and with a vague plan of action and
a list of ingredients written on the back of takeaway menu, off we went to the
shops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ingredients were chosen, flowers
were picked and booze was stockpiled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
were ready.</div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
The morning came around, gifts
were given, homemade cards were cooed and ahhed over and full English was
cooked and consumed as I explained to the Mrs the plan of action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After I had done my own dutiful son duties
and after we had been to the restaurant for the already booked (although not by
me to my shame) Mothers Day lunch, we would drop her to her own Mum so she
could have a few drinks with her and we could make our meal par excellence.</div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
For starters we had plumped for
homemade tomato and basil soup which was always going to be a messy affair with
a six and eight year old helping out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Much to Kaedes disgust I wouldn’t let them do any of the chopping but I
did make them chief throwers-in and stirrers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After sautéing the onions, carrots, garlic and celery we added our toms,
salt and pepper, basil, two of our OXO vegetable stock cubes and 1.5 litres of
boiling water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We then let that bubble
away to be dealt with later on.</div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
For the main course we were
having venison in red wine pie with roast potatoes and tender stem
broccoli.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A bit of a gamble on my part
as I had no idea how the kids would react to eating Bambi, but fortune favours
the brave and all that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After chopping
up all the ingredients, including two beef OXO cubes and the best part of a
bottle of wine, the kids took it in turns to throw everything into the
HomeCooker (thank you Jamie Oliver) and all seemed to be going swimmingly until
disaster struck.</div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o5Th-e9mmk8/UUmPKR70YWI/AAAAAAAAAcc/888jqRb6k34/s1600/IMG_0285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o5Th-e9mmk8/UUmPKR70YWI/AAAAAAAAAcc/888jqRb6k34/s320/IMG_0285.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
In her haste to put the carrots
in before her brother, Kaede had knocked over a bottle of olive oil and before
you know it we had our very own Deepwater Horizon situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Five tea-towels and a large glass of wine
later and the oil spill had been dealt with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whilst the pie mixture was bubbling away the Mrs returned and luckily
for us, was none the worse for wear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
decided it was about time she spent some quality time with her offspring and
gave them the finger puppets to make, leaving me in relative peace to sort out
the rest of the dinner.</div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4o7ac4BhWCE/UUmPF6cDlyI/AAAAAAAAAcM/MFIu8zC8NGo/s1600/IMG_0288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4o7ac4BhWCE/UUmPF6cDlyI/AAAAAAAAAcM/MFIu8zC8NGo/s320/IMG_0288.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
I part boiled the roast
potatoes and before I put them in the roasting tin I gave them a liberal
sprinkling of some crushed up chicken OXO cubes, just to give them an extra
special tang.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then blitzed the soup
and much to the kids disappointment, I remembered to keep the lid on every
time, they were hoping for a tomato volcano eruption.</div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
The kids seated the guest of
honour attended to her every needs (topped her glass up) and starters were
served.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The soup was a hit and we were
rewarded with a score of 9 but you’ll have to take my word for that as I was so
busy rushing around I forgot to take any pics of our triumphant scores.</div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
Next up was the mains and I
started to do the pie, pots, veg juggle – all whilst slurping away at a
moderately large glass of wine, multitasking at its best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I personally thought the pie looked the
business, initials added at behest of Nate, but the truth would be in
the tasting.</div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kiz2luc0kyI/UUmPMAMKhZI/AAAAAAAAAck/V3oZUX0bCS8/s1600/IMG_0293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kiz2luc0kyI/UUmPMAMKhZI/AAAAAAAAAck/V3oZUX0bCS8/s320/IMG_0293.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
Another huge success (even if I
may say so myself), the kids devoured theirs like food was being outlawed
tomorrow, but I fear that next time they watch Bambi they will be on the side
of the hunter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The potatoes were some of
the best I had ever served and I will definitely be repeated the stock cube
trick in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We scored another
9, with an addendum that it would have been a 10 but there was no ‘0’ supplied
with the scoring cards, ironically something I was grateful for when I first
opened the pack.</div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
Empty plates were returned to
the kitchen and whilst the kids entertained Mum with some magic tricks, me and
my trusty Gaggia started making dessert…home-made Minstrel ice cream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously I didn’t home make the Minstrels, I
just battered the hell out of them and added them to the ice cream
mid-way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was tempted to somehow add a
stock cube but I feel it’s a cardinal sin to muck with ice cream too much - I
love Heston but if he serves me up beef ice cream I’m not going to be happy.</div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
Although it was never in doubt,
I can report that the ice cream was a hit and received the more than obligatory
score of 9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
I decided to leave the clearing
away and washing up for the next day as quite frankly, I was feeling so full
and had put on so much weight during the day that my face had gone from looking
sarcastic to jolly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The triumphant chefs
stood up and received a one woman round of applause and we finished the night
off with a game of Frustration.</div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
Many thanks to OXO for all the
free goodies and Charlotte at Ketchum for putting it all together for me.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-34605583610786385422013-02-01T14:10:00.000+00:002013-02-01T14:10:34.031+00:00A match made in heaven<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I recently received an invite from Neil McGuigan, chief
winemaker at McGuigan Wines, and John Torode, MasterChef host and chef, to
launch their new recipe collection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
had collaborated to produce the perfect food and wine matching service and
wondered if I would like to come along to watch John cook and Neil whet my
appetite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought long and hard about
it but to be honest, they had me at ‘hello’.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So off I trotted to a swankier part of London than I
normally frequent, all ready for a taste bud explosion, or at least some free
grog and nosh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon arrival a rather
large, and rather delicious, glass of Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay was thrust
into my hand and the tone was set from there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When the host himself popped over for a quick chat whilst refilling my
glass, I had to admire him for not only his winemaking skills but his ‘fill the
glass to the top’ approach to pouring.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As all the Entrees were being passed out there was no end of
people making sure you had a choice of wine perfect for the dish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the Thai Pork Lettuce Cups a Black Label
Shiraz, with the hummus with spiced mince lamb I was offered the Classic
Cabernet Sauvignon and for the Arancini I ended up drinking a Black Label
Sparkling Shiraz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the first
time I’d drunk a sparkling red and I became an instant fan, it mucks with your
head at first but believe me, you get used to it very quickly and it will
certainly be added to my wine cellar; and by wine cellar I mean fridge.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dragging himself away from waiter duties, Neil McGuigan gave
us a quick speech outlining their objectives for the collaboration and what it
was all about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew the traditional
rules about when to drink wine; red wine for red meat, white wine for white
meat and fish, and bubbles for whenever the kids go to bed, but I was keen to
hear Neil’s position on this.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To paraphrase, with more and more people now drinking wine
and willing to stray away from the traditional rules, they decided it was fine
time to make our lives easier and created food and wine matching service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the back of every bottle of McGuigans wine
there is a QR code, scan that with your smartphone and you’ll be taken to a
website ( <a href="http://www.mcguiganwines.co.uk/">www.mcguiganwines.co.uk</a>
) where you can answer some questions about your food and drink
preferences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you’ve done that you’ll
be emailed a free PDF full of recipes specially designed by John Torode and
with each recipe Neil has suggested a perfect match plus 2 other suggestions
that would also fit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were then treated to a quick masterclass by John who
demonstrated one of the recipes, a beef fillet wrapped in mustard dough, which
tasted gorgeous with the Reserve Shiraz that had miraculously appeared in my
hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things started getting a bit messy
from thereon in, I tasted a lovely Classic Semillon Blanc, two rosé wines, one
sparkling and one classic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Sparkling
Shiraz was revisited a few times as was the Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay, I’m a
sucker for those bubbles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually a little voice inside my head started reminding
me that I had two parent-teacher meetings in the morning and that maybe it was
time to call it a night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With great
reluctance I bade them all farewell and summoning as much grace as I could,
carefully walked down the fairly long staircase miraculously without mishap.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I woke up the next morning knowing I had had a good night
and mercifully I was hangover free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were a few blank spots from the night, one of which was who on
earth were the people with me in this picture?<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iTfS_t_c_p4/UQvHptQXAOI/AAAAAAAAAb0/NFKK2mZ0NK0/s1600/IMG_0219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iTfS_t_c_p4/UQvHptQXAOI/AAAAAAAAAb0/NFKK2mZ0NK0/s320/IMG_0219.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When mum asked me how the night went and I shamed-faced
admitted that I got slightly drunk she replied, and I swear this is the truth,
“I hope you didn’t embarrass yourself, we drink McGuigan wines all the time.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Later that day I tried the matching service out myself and
found it very user-friendly and easy to navigate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My PDF was duly emailed to me and I have to
be honest, there are a load of really good, but relatively simple recipes in
there including Vietnamese Beef Salad, Spanish Fish Stew and Green Curry BBQ
Chicken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are also some really good
wine suggestions to go with them, some of them are what you would expect, but a
lot will give you a cheeky surprise. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many thanks to Neil McGuigan and John Torode for feeding and
watering me, thanks to Sabah from Lightbrigade for the invite and a special
thanks to all the McGuigan girls for keeping my glass well and truly topped up
all night.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-38445541908874615772013-01-09T13:07:00.000+00:002013-01-09T13:07:58.140+00:00Jamie Oliver HomeCooker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hfQ9dJD9dck/UO1gjRKSXaI/AAAAAAAAAbU/rB5k13HdeGc/s1600/Medium+HR1040+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hfQ9dJD9dck/UO1gjRKSXaI/AAAAAAAAAbU/rB5k13HdeGc/s200/Medium+HR1040+-+3.jpg" width="175" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A couple of months back I was invited to Jamie Oliver’s
‘Fifteen’ restaurant for the launch of the HomeCooker, a new kitchen appliance
co-created by Jamie and Philips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HomeCooker
is a multi-functional device designed to make your life easier when cooking
homemade meals. It can stir, steam, sauté, melt, simmer, stew, boil, and even
fry whilst cooking unattended - giving you some quality time back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was the blurb anyway, so I was intrigued
to see it in action.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The HomeCooker comes with a book of 25 recipes created by
Jamie Oliver and the two they demonstrated were Classic pan-cooked breakfast
and the homemade toasted granola.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Watching them cook bacon, sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes and a fried egg
all together in the one machine was unreal and tasted gorgeous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not the world’s biggest granola fan but I
do appreciate that it must be a pain to homemake, especially when you’re trying
to toast the nuts, seeds and oats in honey, but the HomeCooker made short work
of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were also demonstrating the cutting
tower that is part of the range, it has 5 cutting tools that can slice, shred
or julienne straight into the cooker and it was making short work of everything
they were putting in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I came away
impressed with what I had seen and began scheming a way of making the Mrs buy
me one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A month or so later I got a call asking if I would like to
try out the HomeCooker myself and I gladly accepted, especially as I hadn’t yet
convinced the Mrs to treat me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had
already figured out how it would fit into my life to make things easier and now
I got to put that to the test.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love to
cook stews, goulashes and the like, most often standing out in the kitchen
alternating my time between stirring the pot and slurping the wine and hopefully
this would free up some time for something else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t have the chopping tower to test, but
to be honest <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m quite proud of my knife
skills and I’ve got it down to only once a month where I cut myself deeply
enough to require a superglue repair, so I wasn’t that worried.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first recipe I picked from the book was the slow cooked
Hungarian beef goulash, with a cooking time of 230 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The instructions were easy to follow and with
the timer and temperature control sorted with a quick touch of a button we were
on our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found it hard to resist
the temptation to stir, distrustfully watching the stirring arm slowly whir
around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I genuinely spent so much time
watching the process, keeping an eye on various ingredients to check if it was
all being stirred randomly, that the Mrs started to mock me “You get given a
machine that does all the work for you and you just stand there staring at it.
Div”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tartly responded that the recipe
called for sour cream and we only had normal so could she just stare at that
for a while?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I soon had the kitchen to
myself again.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The machine was cooking the food at a much higher temperature
than I would normally have used myself, with everything at a constant high
bubble, but due to the constant stirring nothing was burning or getting stuck
to the bottom of the pan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This resulted
in a lot of the ingredients melting away into the goulash and creating a beautiful
thick sauce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can only again apologise
for my photos (I think I need Philips to invent me a cooking camera), that do
not do the food justice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The goulash was
gorgeous, wolfed down by all and has become a firm favourite.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Wyr16S6RQU/UO1cbkecTEI/AAAAAAAAAZs/AF4Bg7ceUII/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Wyr16S6RQU/UO1cbkecTEI/AAAAAAAAAZs/AF4Bg7ceUII/s200/006.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P5y8lXbJYyg/UO1chVr2cpI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/i4gQ-O23kx8/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P5y8lXbJYyg/UO1chVr2cpI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/i4gQ-O23kx8/s200/020.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KNsyCb1SCww/UO1cn3NrVJI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/6IBv343qCbs/s1600/079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KNsyCb1SCww/UO1cn3NrVJI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/6IBv343qCbs/s200/079.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xh7H7soDAUI/UO1co3n0F3I/AAAAAAAAAaE/hgEbFXdeSJI/s1600/087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xh7H7soDAUI/UO1co3n0F3I/AAAAAAAAAaE/hgEbFXdeSJI/s200/087.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I decided to try it out with a few of my own recipes and
vowed to not stand and stare at it, instead spending the time saved doing
something more constructive like playing the Xbox, watching the TV or when
things got desperate, playing with the kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The timer gives off a fairly loud beep once it’s counted down and auto
shuts-off so nothing gets burnt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First
up was Spicy Meat Gumbo, a recipe that normally requires you to stand over the
pot as you turn onions, celery and peppers into the roux that forms the base of
the dish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HomeCooker handled itself
well, I kept myself away from the kitchen and the resulting dish was beautiful
(if not badly pictured and presented).<br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iwzWO8R7uLQ/UO1dmh2uL2I/AAAAAAAAAaQ/sZAh2tCuAyU/s1600/IMG_0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iwzWO8R7uLQ/UO1dmh2uL2I/AAAAAAAAAaQ/sZAh2tCuAyU/s200/IMG_0055.JPG" width="149" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PIN0TcSOatA/UO1dpTR80LI/AAAAAAAAAaY/zTMVaP54p30/s1600/IMG_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PIN0TcSOatA/UO1dpTR80LI/AAAAAAAAAaY/zTMVaP54p30/s200/IMG_0064.JPG" width="149" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Next up was Ox cheek stew, I love cooking with this meat,
especially when cooked for 3 hours or so, making it the perfect recipe for the
device.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again the HomeCooker didn’t let
me down, the onions melted away and created a really rich and thick sauce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in cooking heaven.<br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cfv7XFnB25Y/UO1d5ofq0SI/AAAAAAAAAag/THGBRhum_1E/s1600/125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cfv7XFnB25Y/UO1d5ofq0SI/AAAAAAAAAag/THGBRhum_1E/s200/125.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vvzX9zmLlf4/UO1d62f6r9I/AAAAAAAAAao/P0UW8v2xW-U/s1600/131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vvzX9zmLlf4/UO1d62f6r9I/AAAAAAAAAao/P0UW8v2xW-U/s200/131.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My next choice was something that cooks quickly but demands a
lot of stirring, Chorizo and tomato pasta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A fairly simple meal that just requires you to fry up the chorizo and
onion, then add the dry pasta and tomatoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately this is a meal that always leaves a sticky mess at the
bottom of my pot as it requires almost constant stirring at a fairly high heat
and well, I’m easily distracted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
HomeCooker handled this with ease and due the simple temperature controls I
could easily switch from 250 to fry the chorizo to 175 to get things boiling,
to 130 to finish things off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Job done,
sorted.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MnXp4jiiNiY/UO1eN7LlwUI/AAAAAAAAAa4/hNxrKbl8064/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MnXp4jiiNiY/UO1eN7LlwUI/AAAAAAAAAa4/hNxrKbl8064/s200/005.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LUz47OgSEMk/UO1eP6FAu7I/AAAAAAAAAbA/kTgN-NGxW5Y/s1600/IMG_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LUz47OgSEMk/UO1eP6FAu7I/AAAAAAAAAbA/kTgN-NGxW5Y/s200/IMG_0046.JPG" width="149" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since the initial experimenting phase I’ve now integrated
the HomeCooker into my normal cooking routine and it gets used at least twice a
week, sometimes more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also comes with
a pasta insert and steaming trays and I’m looking forward to using them to make
my life even easier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to be fair,
I do enjoy cooking and I don’t really consider myself to be a lazy cook and my
initial worry was that this device would turn me into one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My fears were unfounded as on those days
where traditionally I would find myself without enough time to prepare a proper
dinner resulting in me just reaching into the freezer for a ready meal, were
replaced with me throwing the ingredients for bolognaise or chilli into the
HomeCooker and letting it do it’s stuff and that can only be a good thing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the technically minded amongst you, the 3 litre stainless
steel bowl is dishwasher friendly and more than large enough for family size
cooking, the temperature range is from 40-250 degrees and the 99 minute timer
can run up or down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More information
about the product, including recipes can be found at </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.philips.co.uk/homecooker">www.philips.co.uk/homecooker</a></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Philips HomeCooker is the first product
in the Philips Jamie Oliver kitchen range and is exclusively available at John
Lewis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks to Philips and Samantha
from Ketchum Pleon for the event invitation and the use of the HomeCooker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as usual I am going to have to move home before
they send the courier round to pick it back up again, I’ll leave it with a
neighbour, honest.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-8589406803321143622012-12-20T11:38:00.000+00:002012-12-20T11:38:10.059+00:00A Warner Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6xKVhuhWdL4/UNL4WvTLiyI/AAAAAAAAAZU/v0X3o851LMY/s1600/Dark+knight+rises.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6xKVhuhWdL4/UNL4WvTLiyI/AAAAAAAAAZU/v0X3o851LMY/s200/Dark+knight+rises.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This week a Christmas goodie bag arrived from Warner
Brothers for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I waited until everyone
else had left the house as my lot are like hyenas sniffing around an
entertainment carcass whenever boxes like this arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Safely on my own I opened Santa’s sack and
out popped 3 DVD’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Dark Knight
Rises, New Year’s Eve and Polar Express, something for each one of us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Obviously I snagged <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Knight-Rises-DVD-Copy/dp/B004Q9SZGC/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1355240765&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Dark Knight Rises</a>, the final instalment
of Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nolan’s Batman is a dark and moody version and steers clear of the
cheesiness of previous incarnations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
special effects are breathtaking especially the overhead shots of Gotham City
as it turns into a warzone. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won’t give
anything else away, but it’s a must see film and had me gripped from start to
finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watch out for a star turn by Tom
Hardy as Bane, with Michael Caine and Gary Oldman returning to their rolls of
Alfred and Commissioner Gordon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I got a bit sneaky with ‘<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Years-Blu-ray-Copy-Region-Free/dp/B0058N2SIG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355240744&sr=8-2" target="_blank">New Year’s Eve</a>’, I’m not a massive
fan of ensemble rom-coms (I obviously need to get more in touch with my
feminine side) so I suggested to the Mrs that she spend a nice evening on her
own with a glass of wine, some chocolate and a DVD whilst I go out and do some
last minute shopping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She readily agreed
and having already finished my Christmas shopping anyway, I popped down the pub
for a few hours.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Mrs thoroughly enjoyed the film which basically I host
of stars in intertwining stories all based in New York on New Year’s Eve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may even give it a sneaky watch myself, but
obviously when nobody else is about, I have to keep up appearances.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finally there’s <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Polar-Express-Blu-ray-Region-Free/dp/B000XNLQHU/ref=sr_1_2?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1355240780&sr=1-2" target="_blank">Polar Express</a>, a motion capture computer-animated
fantasy film that had become a Christmas Classic since its release 8 years
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It features Tom Hanks in a variety
of rolls and the kids had been hassling me since it arrived to put it on for
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t really intend to watch it,
I had decided to use the time to tackle their bedrooms, or at least read the
paper, but I found myself drawn in to the film and ended up sitting with them
and watching it through to the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
a great feel good movie and one I won’t mind watching more than once, which is
a good thing as the kids want to watch it again already.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So there you go, 3 films to cater for everyone in the household
and all would make great gifts for Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many thanks to Warner Brothers for the freebies and have a Happy Movie
Watching Christmas.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-89298718826474374632012-10-19T08:44:00.000+00:002012-10-19T08:44:18.404+00:00The Absence<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few weeks ago we kept Kaede off school because she had
been up all night coughing and looked generally unwell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We still had to take Nate to school, so as she
walked past Kaede’s classroom The Mrs spoke to her teacher, told her the
situation and that was that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or so we
thought.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A week later we received a letter from her school, Our Lady
of Perpetual Motion, which said the following:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“We do not appear to
have received a letter concerning Kaede’s absence on the Wed 3/10/12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WE would be grateful if you could complete
the tear-off slip below, stating the reason for absence, and return it to
school as soon as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If no
absence slip is received by the school then, unfortunately, the absence will be
registered as unauthorised.”<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well they wanted a letter and a letter they got:<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Further to your letter dated 10 October 2012 querying
Kaede’s absence from school on 3 October 2012 and further absence of a letter
explaining said absence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the day in question my Wife made the heinous error of
actually informing Miss ****** in a verbal face to face type fashion that Kaede
would indeed be absent on that day and the reasons for that absence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately I was not at the morning drop-off
as I had stayed behind to look after Kaede.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If I had of been present I would have patiently explained to my wife
that she should have stood outside the school office and rung the school phone
number to report Kaede’s absence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course, it now seems that that also would have been erroneous as a letter is
now required for a single days absence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Firstly I apologise for the lack of a hand written letter
but unfortunately my calligraphy skills leave a lot to be desired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact they have oft been likened to the
trail a diarrheatic spider leaves as he crawls towards a toilet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The reasons for Kaede’s absence from school on 3 October
2012 can be simply explained but I feel that, due to my previously mentioned
administrative error, you deserve a full explanation for said absence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope the following will be indeed that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kaede was born on 23 February 2005, it was rather a cold and
wet day, and in fact at one point we actually had snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This prompted, a rather rash one as it turned
out, a suggestion by myself that we should give her the middle name of Yukionna
– which means ‘snow fairy’ in Japanese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Despite the copious amounts of gas and air, pethidine and adrenaline
running through my Wife’s system, she still had the good sense to verbally slap
me down for the idiot I was obviously being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To this day Kaede remains middle name free.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Five days later we brought Kaede home for the first time, it
was a joyous day for all of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well I
say all of us, Kaede cried a lot and when she did smile I actually think it was
wind, although I didn’t tell her mother that, sometimes it’s best not to
shatter illusions too early.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first six months were hectic, of course they were, but
we struggled on through with the dangled promise of a night of uninterrupted
sleep on the horizon – that day never came.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>From aged six months Kaede would cough throughout the night, waking
first herself and then us up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As is the
want of anxious parents, we took Kaede to our local GP and we were prescribed
the first of many liquid paracetamol prescriptions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a further six months I was actually
convinced that she drank more paracetamol than milk, although I’m sure that’s
an exaggeration on my part.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From aged 12 to 24 months we saw a plethora of Doctors (I
once read that the collective for a bunch of Doctors was a Quack of Doctors but
I remain unconvinced as to the veracity of that), all of whom had a different
explanation as to her ill-health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Six
different explanations with only one thing in common – the problem was not of
their speciality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kaede became the
equivalent of a human pass-the-parcel with your reward being a hacking two year
old.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was at aged two that fate and the NHS finally shone on
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon witnessing my Wife’s near-on
physical breakdown in the surgery reception, a kindly old Doctor finally
recommended a specialist in chest and lungs and arranged an appointment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We attended this appointment with not much
hope in our hearts, after all we had had the health carrot dangled in front of
us before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like doubting-Thomas’s we
trudged into the room only to find the light at the end of the tunnel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kaede had a form of acid reflux that began
with G and had too many vowels in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The acid had been creeping up from her stomach as she slept and like an
unwelcome traveller in a disused car park, started to camp out in Kaede’s
lungs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the help of one pill, taken
thrice daily for two weeks, she was all but cured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had to remain on antibiotics for a solid
two years, but eventually all was good and she started to sleep through the
night.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">All this leads to the night of 2 October 2012, an evening
that started as normal but soon went to hell in a hand-cart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At approximately 20.17 I heard a slight cough
emanating from Kaede’s bedroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
only a slight cough and your average parent probably would not have heard
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are not average parents however
and despite the slightly high volume of the TV (we were watching Boardwalk
Empire and it can be a little loud in places) we sat up like a pair of
hyperactive meerkats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I placed my hand
on my Wife’s arm to calm her, reduced the volume on the TV and cocked an ear
towards the front room door.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There it was again, definitely a cough and definitely Kaede.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I trudged up the stairs with some reluctance it must be
said, fearing the worst but trying to remain optimistic, it may have been a
dust-bunny or something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sat outside
Kaede’s door playing Angry Birds on my iPhone to pass the time (with the volume
off of course) and waited to see how bad it would get.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cough persisted and started to get louder
and chestier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started to fear that her
old illness was back, although the chances were that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it was because she had been running around
the garden without a coat on despite being told to put one on four times.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We administered the standard duo of cough mixture and paracetamol
suspension and crossed our fingers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By
22.00 the coughing still hadn’t stopped, it wasn’t at an alarming level but
just enough to keep her awake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She slept
with my wife in the family bed that night, with myself decamping to the sofa
bed we have downstairs (a sofa bed that was bought with exactly these
situations in mind).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Both my Wife and Kaede had a sleepless night that night
(which may explain my Wife’s mistake in actually telling the teacher face to
face what the problem was with Kaede) and we decided that Kaede should stay at
home that day and try to catch up on some sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her cough seemed to have improved and we felt
that a day of rest and maybe some educational television, such as the Discovery
or History Channel, would do her the world of good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was indeed the case and she steadily
improved throughout the day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My Wife and I had a rather frank discussion that night and
we decided that unless we had a repeat of the previous night, Kaede could
return to school the following day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
quick perusal of your attendance records will show you that Kaede did, in fact,
attend school the next day as we did not have a repeat performance of the
previous nights coughing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I hope this letter is sufficient for your records, in fact
it may be a good idea to carefully glue it to the front of her file, thereby
saving me the trouble of explaining what we call ‘The Sleepless Coughing Years’
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have any further questions
or if there is anything else you need explained regarding this unfortunate
situation, please, please, do not hesitate to write to me and ask.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have also decided to carry a pad of Post-it
notes with me at all times, this way I can write the reasons for any future
absences on them and hand the note straight to you.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jamie Harding,<br />
Parent of Kaede Harding.<br />
Well one of them, she has two.<br />
The other being my wife Patricia Harding.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-26622303620028856442012-10-15T08:38:00.002+00:002012-10-15T08:39:56.847+00:00As funny as a heart attack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7F4AjcU5Lco/UHvKzyTsDmI/AAAAAAAAAY8/NUE8yKEuGSs/s1600/EKG%2520Green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7F4AjcU5Lco/UHvKzyTsDmI/AAAAAAAAAY8/NUE8yKEuGSs/s200/EKG%2520Green.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I’m running, I can’t hear them coming but I know they
are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stupidly turn around and they’re
even nearer now, a row of snarling stone teeth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The weeping angels are catching me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thankfully I wake up, cursing my daughter for making me watch Doctor Who
again.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />But my god, the pain in my chest, it feels like one of the
kids are sitting on me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sit up and
check, it’s not unheard of for one of them to jump on me as a loving wake up
call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nope, no kids, just an incredible
heavy pain across my upper chest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now
I’m worried.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Could the dream really have given me a heart attack, however
mild?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A more likely alternative was
surely the ox-cheek curry I made last night, not crazy hot but nice and
spicy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided to sleep it off.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Having nodded off I then dreamt I was sharing a pint with a
somewhat pissed David Cameron, a captive audience as he lectured me on the
necessity of economic prudence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be
honest I would rather have the weeping angels back.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Again I wake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I take
a deep breath, hold it and hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nope,
still in pain and now a healthy dose of panic has been thrown into the
mix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course it was heartburn, it had
to be, but I started to wonder about how many people ignored the first signs of
a heart attack purely because they had eaten a curry the night before?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe the curry was giving a false negative,
as it were?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, having a curry can’t
be a cure or preventative to having a heart attack can it?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But still, my irrational overriding worry was that if I did
go to the hospital and it did turn out to be heartburn, well, then I would
forever be known as a Sean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sean is a
close friend of mine who called an ambulance when he had a heart attack only to
be given a Rennie at A&E.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And of
course we let him forget about it, not.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I didn’t really want to tell the Mrs, she’s not exactly
known to be a calming influence in these situations and when she caught me
clutching my chest as I was getting dressed, she reacted with a predictable but
vaguely acceptable level of drama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
suggested that she should Google the symptoms and on the basis I wanted some
peace and quiet whilst I got ready, I acquiesced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I went downstairs 15 minutes later all
she had found out was that Jo had posted yet another cute picture of
Tallhulabelle McLilly and Phil the Postboy’s piles were playing up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God bless Facebook, the medical almanac of
the brain-dead.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">She then quietly reminded me that we were due at church this
morning and for once I didn’t complain, I figured I would need all the help I
could get.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Upon arrival we sat ourselves down in a fairly empty pew,
all the better for me to nod off in, with the only witness to my upcoming
blasphemy being Michelle and her daughter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Looking around the church I noticed how many stone angels there actually
were in the church and I felt the pain in my chest starting to increase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started to think that coming to church was
a bad idea, then <a href="http://goonerjamie.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/satan-claus.html" target="_blank">Josie and the J’s</a> turn up like a pack of cartoon cats
fighting, and I knew it was.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The priest walked in and the place began to sound like a
Hendrix concert, well the feedback did anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His radio mike clearly clashing with his hearing aid and I watched a
hundred pensioners rock out and adjust their own earpieces.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was during the first reading, Marks gospel to Leviticus –
“May he with the most pious face cast the first stare” – that I had my own epiphany.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would consume a load of things that could
potentially make heartburn worse, if the pain increased then the problem was
heartburn, if it didn’t then it was obviously time for a trip to A&E.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a quick search of Binggle I had my list of consumables
and, with the help of a trip to TFI Thursdays, I started on my painful voyage
of discovery.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I started with a large vodka and bitter lemon with a pint of
Budweiser to wash it down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ordering a
large plate of JD Buffalo wings, French fries and onion rings, I felt guilt
free, safe in the knowledge that I was conducting a medical experiment that
could save my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Washing all that lot
down with a Bloody Mary I ordered dessert, the Chocolate Mountain of Dairy
Surprise (the surprise being the amount they charged for it).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I contentedly patted my now distended stomach
(OK, even more distended) and awaited the results of my experiment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I lay here now, it’s 2am and thankfully I’m in my own bed
rather than the hospitals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pain got
worse, of course it did, so now I’ve settled for the old fashioned remedy for
heartburn – Pepto Bismol and JD, over ice of course.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">*AFTERWORD*</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just in case I was wrong, thanks for reading me over all
these years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please leave loads of
really complimentary comments about how my writing changed your life and put a
never-ending smile on that cute old face of yours, my grieving family would no
doubt appreciate it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cheers.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-31030349118200573642012-10-11T09:58:00.001+00:002012-10-11T09:58:24.453+00:00Gaggia Gelatiera
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A couple of weeks ago those lovely people at Phillips asked
me if I wanted to try out an ice cream maker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Being the dutiful husband that I am, I checked with the wife first,
although unfortunately I did so within earshot of the mini-monsters.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">ME: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we want an ice
cream maker?<br />
THE MRS: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What kind of ice cream maker?<br />
KIDS: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;">Ice cream?</span><br />
ME: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kind that makes ice cream of
course.<br />
THE MRS: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean what make is it?<br />
KIDS: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ice Cream?<br />
ME: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does it matter?<br />
THE MRS: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course it does.<br />
KIDS: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Ice Cream?</span><br />
ME: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aren’t they all the same?<br />
THE MRS: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nope. So again, what make is
it?<br />
KIDS: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%;">Ice Cream?</span><br />
ME: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gaggia<br />
THE MRS: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get it. Now.<br />
KIDS: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: 28pt; line-height: 115%;">ICE CREAM</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I kindly took them up on their offer as I feared my life
would be in danger if I didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few
days later my Gaggia Gelatiera ice cream maker turned up and, like a kid at
Christmas, I hastily ripped it out of its box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It has its own refrigeration unit which is good news if you want your
ice cream nice and quick and want to dispense with all that ‘freeze
ingredients, mix together and freeze again’ type nonsense you get with other
machines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As long as your ingredients
are cool when you put them in, then you get ready to eat ice cream in 30
minutes, perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bad news was that
that meant I couldn’t instantly start using the machine for a sneaky ice cream session
whilst the kids where at school as, with all fridges, you have to let them
settle first.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Later that evening, after the kids had gone to bed, I
decided to get going with a basic vanilla ice cream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve posted the recipe at the bottom of the
blog (as I will with all the ones I mention) but it’s pretty simple stuff to be
honest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only prep that took any time
at all was letting the milk cool down after you had placed the seeds from a
vanilla pod in it and brought it to a boil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fiveteen minutes later I was pouring the contents into the Gaggia (after
letting the unit pre-freeze itself for a whopping 5 minutes) and 30 minutes
after that I was eating some of the best vanilla ice cream I had ever tasted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Mrs thought it was better than
‘restaurant’ ice cream and really rich (something she never says about me).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next night after an afternoon of very loud coercion from
the kids, I decided to make them some.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One problem, I had forgotten to buy any eggs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No worries, the instruction manual had a
quite simple ‘no egg ice cream’ recipe, so simple that the only difference was
not adding the eggs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is at this stage
that I must admit my ice cream ignorance, up until the day before I didn’t even
realise that you put eggs in ice cream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But now that I did know, well, I was slightly worried about how the
egg-free version was going to turn out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well I needed have worried, it turns out like the ice cream you get from
the ice cream vans, just with more substance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The kids were mad for it and I was duly christened ‘The best Dad in the
world - ever – again’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Music to my ears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tasted some myself and preferred it to the
egg version if I’m quite honest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
never really been an egg person anyway, I always thought that Humpty Dumpty had
got what he deserved.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next thing on the to-make list was sorbet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a massive lover of the stuff and will
always pick it ahead of ice cream, nothing better than a tangy lemon
sorbet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3 lemons, some sugar, some water
and 30 minutes later – Ta da – lemon sorbet tangy enough to make you pull the ‘Priest
hearing a dirty joke’ face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Days later as I was planning my next ice cream, I realised
that I hadn’t taken any pictures of my creations to adorn this piece and when
you see the pictures I did end up taking you will see why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our camera is great for underwater and action
shots, not so good for arty beautiful food ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So please forgive, I tried my best and then I
gave up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A firm favourite of The Mrs is raspberry ripple and I felt
sufficiently confident to give it a whirl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I used the eggless ice cream recipe, throw out the vanilla, halved the
sugar and added some blitzed up raspberries that I kept in a separate pot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the ice cream started to solidify I slowly
poured the raspberries in and hoped for the best.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yXGeWjhNRog/UHaXmgLK6LI/AAAAAAAAAYc/m40eHcAwU18/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yXGeWjhNRog/UHaXmgLK6LI/AAAAAAAAAYc/m40eHcAwU18/s320/020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well as you can see, it didn’t exactly look like the
traditional raspberry ripple, but by god it tasted awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After further research, (I asked one of the
Mums in the playground) I realised my mistake – I should have taken the ice
cream out earlier, swirled the juice in and then left it to set in the freezer,
better luck next time and all that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In my quest to find some new and slightly unusual flavours I
picked the brains of Kate (the aforementioned raspberry ripple expert whose
food blog is at </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://foodcentric.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://foodcentric.blogspot.co.uk/</a>
.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amongst other things, she suggested
strawberry and basil ice cream which definitely fit in the strange but yummy
category that I was looking for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tore
a big bunch of basil leaves up and threw them into the heated milk and let it
all cool down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then whizzed up a load
of strawberries (I know, you’re astounded by my high levels of accuracy) and
threw them into the cream, halved the sugar and that was that.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c7RTctfvVN8/UHaX5RRrteI/AAAAAAAAAYo/DhuBCUBePKw/s1600/034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c7RTctfvVN8/UHaX5RRrteI/AAAAAAAAAYo/DhuBCUBePKw/s320/034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What a taste-bud surprise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I knew what was coming my way yet still my tongue did a little dance of
confusion with the first mouthful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
wife however found it was not exactly to her taste, a ‘little bit too adult’
don’t you know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Personally I feel this
is the fault of her taste buds, she has what doctors call ‘Lucozade-tongue’ and
therefore has the palette of a Chilean miner.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I now seem to have become an ice cream monster, I spend
hours daydreaming about new recipes and concoctions and it’s all Gaggia’s
fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This machine is an absolute dream
to work with, no mucking around pre-freezing stuff, or waiting around for a
mixture to freeze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m yet to find a
lump of ice or frozen milk in anything yet, it’s delivered a perfect smooth mix
every time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s fast, it comes with a
separate removable bowl for when you want to make larger batches of ice cream
and it’s easy to clean (especially if you bribe one of the kids to do it with
the promise of more ice cream.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
started this trial wondering if an ice cream maker was really necessary and I’m
now fully convinced, especially when it comes to the kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can control the amount of sugar going in it
(I normally halve it), I know the eggs used are free-range and as long as I
have some milk and cream in the house I can shut them up within delicious ice
cream that takes 30 minutes to make – perfect.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have to thank Phillips, Gaggia and Sam from Ketchum Pleon
for providing me with the Gaggia Gelatiera but I do have an apology to make - I
can’t return the machine because a magpie swooped through an open kitchen
window and flew away with it, honest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, who’s for Pimms sorbet?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Vanilla Ice Cream</span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">200g milk<br />
half a vanilla pod<br />
4 egg yolks (skip these for the eggless version)<br />
150g sugar<br />
200g double cream<br />
small pinch of salt</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and add to the milk in
a small saucepan, almost bring to the boil, remove from the heat and allow to
cool for 15 mins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mix the yolks with the
sugar and salt, beating until well blended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then add the milk and cream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour
into the pre-cooled ice cream maker and set the timer for 30 minutes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lemon Sorbet</span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">3 large lemons<br />
180g sugar<br />
250g of water</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Grate the peel of half a lemon and then juice all three
lemons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mix all the ingredients
together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pour into the pre-cooled ice
cream maker and set the timer for 30 minutes.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-41759488853089506252012-09-20T11:30:00.000+00:002012-09-20T11:30:54.372+00:00Missing Who?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So my eldest daughter started University this week, which is
surprising really as she is only seven years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well in my head she is anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can still see her in her bridesmaid dress
when me and the Mrs got married, she really was seven then and in a part of my
brain she’s kind of stuck there - forever innocent, immune to the charms of
alcohol and late nights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a
picture of that moment that sits facing me every time I sit at the breakfast
bar in the kitchen, which is every day, but in the 10 years odd that it’s been
on the wall I don’t think I’ve looked at it until this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure I’ve seen it before, smiled at it, ahh
isn’t she cute at it, but I never really looked at it until she left.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have to be honest, I didn’t really think her starting Uni
would impact on me too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure I knew
I would worry about her, anyone that can slice through a tendon in their finger
getting ice cream out of a tub needs to be worried about (she was using a carving
knife…I know), but I wasn’t prepared for the feeling of helplessness that would
accompany the worry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is 280 miles away,
I can’t just run upstairs and make things right for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t make sure she’s getting enough sleep,
enough food, enough anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">She’s her own woman now and I have to let go.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But it’s more than just letting go, it’s about changing my
whole mindset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do you bring up a
child who’s an adult?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a toddler is
starting to walk you child-proof the house – you make sure all sharp corners
are rounded, you make sure there is nothing they can pull down on themselves,
you make sure the electrical sockets are covered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But how do you child-proof a University?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t make sure she’s doing her
course-work, I can’t vet the tattooed half-wit she met in the Student Union, I
can’t even make sure that she drinks JD instead of Vodka so people know she’s
drunk and not stupid.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve prepared her the best that I can, I’ve taught her to
cook (kind of), I’ve taught her to do her washing (but not how to hang it up so
you don’t have to iron it) and I’ve taught her how to take verbal abuse (then
dish it back in spades).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to
teach her how to keep a bedroom tidy, but failed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to teach her that all men are bad
news, another failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to teach
her to look after her money but who am I kidding, I failed that one myself and
still do.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m missing her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know, it’s crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
can you miss someone that gets up at the crack of noon on a regular basis?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can you miss someone who steals all your
bandwidth with the constant downloading of Christ knows what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can you miss constantly answering the
door to the postman who has another five packages from eBay, all addressed to
her?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But I do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every time I drive home from the morning school run I wonder
if I’m going to be greeted by the blaring music that indicates she’s up as I
open the door – and every time I open the door to silence I’m surprised and
then I remember, she’s not here anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Every time I go to have a shower and there’s still hot water left, I’m
puzzled - and then I remember, she’s not here to use it all anymore.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I miss her rants about something being ‘un-realistic’ in an
episode of Futurama and her missing the irony of that statement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss watching her and Kaede watching Doctor
Who.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just miss.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am happy for her, I really am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was us that insisted that she would get a
better University experience if she wasn’t living at home and it wasn’t just
because a small part of me was looking forward to getting the big bathroom
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I genuinely believe that this will
be the making of her, this will shape her future, mould her into the awesome
woman that I know she is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m just not
ready to share her with the world yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It doesn’t help when I read Facebook entries like ‘Going to Wet &
Wild UV Foam Party, 21.00 to 03.00’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then again it’s my fault for reading it, I may have to un-friend her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m having to learn a new way of communicating with her
(mostly by text of course), a non-judgemental, you’re a big girl now type
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find that if I ignore my first reaction,
pause for a 10-count and then reply, it seems to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I’m writing this she’s just text me to say
that she’s going surfing today in Newquay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Naturally, it being mid-September an’ all, I felt obliged to tell her to
not run around with wet hair or she’ll catch her death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can just imagine the face she pulled when
she read that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m slowly getting used it though, my heart seems to be
mending though there’s still a hole there that will only be filled when she
comes back at Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’m sure
that when she does, dragging a suitcase of washing to be done, all will be well
again and I can go back to moaning about the lack of bandwidth, water and
silence.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-55056779853530798442012-09-12T13:10:00.004+00:002012-09-12T13:15:22.453+00:00Philips Avance Grill<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is a sponsored post brought to you, in part, by those
clever people at Philips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have
recently launched a product perfect for our English Summers… an indoor
Barbeque.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So when they asked me if I
would like to try one out the Avance Grill, I took one look at my rain-filled,
rusty BBQ, sitting forlornly in the garden and jumped at the chance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I come from a family that frequently BBQ’s
standing under an umbrella, in fact my Dad cooks T-bone steaks on the BBQ every
New Years Eve, desperately trying to ignore the cold and wet – so I’ll be one
up on them from the start.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have to admit that I was quite intrigued at the idea of
BBQing indoors and I reconciled myself with the fact that the kitchen needed
decorating anyway, so any smoke related accident would be fine.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once the unit turned up I soon realised I would have nothing
to worry about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In essence the Indoor
BBQ is part griddle, part hotplate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
has a small pot built into it that you can fill with woodchips (that come
supplied), so as you cook your meat the woodchips slowly burn and release
hickory scented smoke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has a
removable glass lid so you can see what’s going on, whilst trapping in the
smoke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They recommend that you place the
BBQ on a board underneath your cooker hood and I had switched on my extractor
to full whack in anticipation of bilious amounts of smoke, but again it proved
an unnecessary worry as the small amount of smoke that did escape was easily
dispersed on the lowest setting.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4LVhMFdfzF4/UFCFkZnfkuI/AAAAAAAAAW8/8sOd1u2eKjE/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4LVhMFdfzF4/UFCFkZnfkuI/AAAAAAAAAW8/8sOd1u2eKjE/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the back on the grill there is also a reservoir which can
be filled with water or wine and herbs which then creates a hot steam that not
only adds flavour, but keeps the meat you’re cooking nice and tender.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They also supply an easy-to-follow recipe book with fish,
poultry, meat, veggie and fruit sections and I picked myself out a couple to
try out:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Smoke-grilled rib eye with a black pepper rub grilled red
and green peppers.<br />
Smokey maple syrup glazed duck breast, grilled crostini.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a committed carnivore I started with the rib eye steak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loaded up the pot with woodchips, filled
the reservoir with water and thyme then turned the grill on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a3G5GvMJK8g/UFCGP3ifebI/AAAAAAAAAXE/fOEVMCZEBhk/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a3G5GvMJK8g/UFCGP3ifebI/AAAAAAAAAXE/fOEVMCZEBhk/s200/015.JPG" width="200" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lHxDh1phqGo/UFCGt9iu_PI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/JennCzd3qpM/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lHxDh1phqGo/UFCGt9iu_PI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/JennCzd3qpM/s200/016.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Every time I opened the lid to turn the steak
I got a lovely whiff of smoke and herbs and the steaks seemed to be cooking nice
and evenly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The recipe said to cook the
meat for 18 minutes in total, but I cooked it for a little bit less as I prefer
it a bit rarer (and to be honest the smell was making me hungry).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hastily made up a salad as I let the meat
rest and then tucked in.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gQRUbYnGIuo/UFCHD3jIafI/AAAAAAAAAXY/5vLIg42EAr4/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gQRUbYnGIuo/UFCHD3jIafI/AAAAAAAAAXY/5vLIg42EAr4/s320/019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Man the steaks tasted honest-to-god good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The smoke and the thyme had mixed well
together and the steak had stayed nice and juicy, not the easiest thing to
achieve when cooking them outdoors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Recipe one was a winner.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The following night was duck night, not a meat I had cooked
before as I had always been worried about over/under cooking – I wasn’t holding
out much hope and the Mrs had the Chinese delivery menu handy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Again I filled the pot with woodchips, but this time I
filled the reservoir with red wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
menu called for the duck to be cooked for 16 minutes and again, every time I
opened the lid to turn the duck I got hit with an aroma bomb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then glazed the duck and kept turning it
for a couple of minutes before taking it off the grill and letting it rest.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tfo12o1kbcY/UFCHdrZM1_I/AAAAAAAAAXg/Yp-9pwOJBgw/s1600/024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tfo12o1kbcY/UFCHdrZM1_I/AAAAAAAAAXg/Yp-9pwOJBgw/s200/024.JPG" width="200" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8xCDXyKeo-A/UFCHrMYcQsI/AAAAAAAAAXo/bIXhhQ8p5zY/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8xCDXyKeo-A/UFCHrMYcQsI/AAAAAAAAAXo/bIXhhQ8p5zY/s200/026.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another hit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The duck
was the right side of pink, full of flavour and something I would definitely
cook again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately due to a glass
or three of wine being consumed, I forgot to take any finished photos so you’ll
just have to take my word for it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So far I had cooked two semi-expensive cuts of meat, so I
decided to test the grill with some ropey old pork chops to see if it was the
quality of meat I was impressed with, or the grill itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I filled the pot with some whole Szechuan
peppers, and the reservoir with water and some sliced ginger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NFs4thHnz08/UFCH5CGneGI/AAAAAAAAAX0/OnVjaCRQWHI/s1600/027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NFs4thHnz08/UFCH5CGneGI/AAAAAAAAAX0/OnVjaCRQWHI/s200/027.JPG" width="200" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YQylK2o0Jek/UFCIH4o7WJI/AAAAAAAAAX8/CEyd2Nxz9FI/s1600/032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YQylK2o0Jek/UFCIH4o7WJI/AAAAAAAAAX8/CEyd2Nxz9FI/s200/032.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I cooked the chops for about 8 minutes and at
the end of that time they were cooked through, succulent and the hint of ginger
and Szechuan really added to the taste.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3FzcU66Edjg/UFCIULTos2I/AAAAAAAAAYE/QZFopy7Z8Rk/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3FzcU66Edjg/UFCIULTos2I/AAAAAAAAAYE/QZFopy7Z8Rk/s320/033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the front of the grill there is a removable drip tray
that catches all the unwanted grease and the grill is non-stick and comes apart
easily, which all adds up to an easy cleaning experience (something I was
dreading to be honest).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">All in all I have been very happy with the Avance Grill and
I can see myself using it on a regular basis, including taking it with us to
Center Parcs this October.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s easy to
use, easy to clean, cooks beautifully and really adds a smokey flavour to your
food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will definitely not be going
into the gadget graveyard that is my cupboard under the stairs.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Many thanks to Philips and Samantha at Ketchum
Pleon for supplying me with the Avance Grill for testing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Homebase and Argos are stocking the Avance
Grill and it’s priced at £120 (RRP).</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-92093311618325856262012-07-17T15:47:00.004+00:002012-07-17T15:47:58.659+00:00EdUKaid<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LNF-m61uNZo/UAWGv5LoCUI/AAAAAAAAAV0/_nk63-694Rw/s1600/final-logo-composition1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LNF-m61uNZo/UAWGv5LoCUI/AAAAAAAAAV0/_nk63-694Rw/s200/final-logo-composition1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here’s a question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is
my cousin’s wife my cousin-in-law, my cousin-out-law or just someone my cousin
married?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its questions like these that,
despite having access to the internet, I wonder about for days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the sake of this blog I shall call her
Gemma, for that is her name and she is indeed married to my cousin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well Gemma thinks it’s about time I wrote about something
serious rather than prattling on about <a href="http://goonerjamie.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/sporting-chance.html" target="_blank">scanning children through tills</a>, <a href="http://goonerjamie.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/satan-claus.html" target="_blank">SatanClaus</a>, <a href="http://goonerjamie.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/24.html" target="_blank">dubious medical procedures</a> and <a href="http://goonerjamie.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/anyone-but-alonso-hungary.html" target="_blank">Fernando Alonso</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also happened to mention that if I didn’t
then she would get her Husband’s Mum, my Aunt, to stop giving me free beer in
the pub she owns whenever I pop down to Devon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now as I’m visiting on my hols next month, I thought it would be the
wise thing to go along with her Machiavellian scheme.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Gemma works for a small grassroots charity called EdUKaid
that helps African children get a better quality education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They work with communities in rural Tanzania
to improve the teaching and learning environment through building and upgrading
schools, and providing vital educational services, resources and support. They
also support individual children to go to school through a child sponsorship
programme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gemma and my Aunt Joan
recently visited Tanzania and the schools are in a terrible state of disrepair.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Ar4E9douBQ/UAWG-5wWvNI/AAAAAAAAAV8/sloMyZpcvEY/s1600/Tanzania+Photos+228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Ar4E9douBQ/UAWG-5wWvNI/AAAAAAAAAV8/sloMyZpcvEY/s200/Tanzania+Photos+228.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wQzEC4s7CRY/UAWHKQ5xVXI/AAAAAAAAAWI/rRiIYy-Y0vI/s1600/Tanzania+Photos+287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wQzEC4s7CRY/UAWHKQ5xVXI/AAAAAAAAAWI/rRiIYy-Y0vI/s200/Tanzania+Photos+287.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">EdUKaid try to help out in the following ways:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They upgrade schools with basic resources and
facilities. (Blackboards, desks &chairs, teacher’s desks and chairs,
cupboards, replastering, flooring, walkways, internal and external painting.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They provide/upgrade toilet facilities.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They upgrade teacher’s housing (to increase
motivation).</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They introduce and deliver pre primary classes
(4-6 years).</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They provide support and sponsorship
opportunities to the most vulnerable children in southern Tanzania.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They support local/provide local jobs and
training.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p_ha3r8EjCk/UAWHZrFHTzI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/-J26oGQwIUY/s1600/Tanzania+Photos+282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p_ha3r8EjCk/UAWHZrFHTzI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/-J26oGQwIUY/s200/Tanzania+Photos+282.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VIOZnmW2GCs/UAWHkHYYlkI/AAAAAAAAAWY/D8FX-ytJN5I/s1600/row+of+children+5+to+a+desk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VIOZnmW2GCs/UAWHkHYYlkI/AAAAAAAAAWY/D8FX-ytJN5I/s200/row+of+children+5+to+a+desk.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The things that they really need at the moment are child
sponsors – for £15 a month (50p a day) they can cover the costs for <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">uniforms, books, pens etc, exam fees and a bicycle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not going to start getting all
condescending and point out how little you can buy nowadays for 50p, I mean the
Daily Mail costs 55p for god’s sake and how much of a waste of money is
that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m just going to paraphrase
Arrested Development and say “50p means a snack for me, but it means a big deal
to you.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not
trying to make you feel guilty, that’s your priest’s job, but here’s a profile
of a typical student to hopefully inspire you to help.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mwanahamisi Isa Tabu is a typical sponsored student
currently in secondary school.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A5zLTWY_g7o/UAWHvVyBbWI/AAAAAAAAAWg/B2uaxknD9Mg/s1600/Mwanahamisi+Issa+Tabu+of+Mikindani+secondary.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A5zLTWY_g7o/UAWHvVyBbWI/AAAAAAAAAWg/B2uaxknD9Mg/s320/Mwanahamisi+Issa+Tabu+of+Mikindani+secondary.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Born in 1996, Mwanahamisi Isa used to live with her parents
in a small village 20km away from the village of Lwelu. Her mother and father
were unemployed and had 6 other children. As they could no longer take care of
them all, Mwanahamisi Isa was brought to her aunt (Asha Natime) and uncle
(Mohamedi Abdallah Naukola), in Lwelu soon after her 1st birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have been her guardians ever since.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In Lwelu, Mwanahamisi Isa lives in a small mudhut together
with her aunt, uncle and 6 other relatives. Because there are only 4 beds in
the house, Mwanahamisi Isa shares a bed with her youngest cousin Amina Isa. Her
aunt and uncle are peasants. They grow cassava and maize, and own a coconut
palm. During the weekends, Mwanahamisi Isa and her aunt often walk 20 km to
collect shellfish from the seaside. Afterwards, they sell them at the local
market.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mwanahamisi Isa is currently attending Mikindani Secondary
School as she successfully passed her standard 7 exams last year. When she
grows up, she hopes to become a nurse and help her family.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“I feel very happy to
get support from EdUKaid and I promise to EdUKaid that I will never let you
down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because we are very poor, I will
make sure that I study hard and my hope is to be a nurse in the future and help
my family especially my Grandmother who I live with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people they ask for the help when they
are not so poor but I ask for the support because I am very poor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore I would like to express my thanks
to EdUKaid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Grandmother did not
expect that I would be in Secondary education.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you fancy sponsoring a child you can contact EdUKaid at </span><a href="mailto:admin@edukaid.com"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">admin@edukaid.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> or you could visit their
website at <a href="http://www.edukaid.com/">http://www.edukaid.com</a> for more information (It’s ok, I wouldn’t
take my word for it either).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have a
facebook page at </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/EdUKaidCharity" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">http://www.facebook.com/EdUKaidCharity</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
and of course are all twittered up at <a href="https://twitter.com/EdUKaid" target="_blank">@edukaid</a></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You hear all these stories about charities wasting their
money on champagne for the staff and all that nonsense, but I can assure you
that Gemma is a Pint of Bitter and a packet of crisps type of lass (my cousin
married up) so there will be none of that going on.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">If truth be known, it was my intention to write
this piece as a favour for my cousin-in-out-whatever-law and then leave it at
that, I’ve done my bit, I’ve helped spread the word haven’t I?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I will be putting my money where my ever
so large mouth is and sponsoring a child myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will also be insisting that Gemma buys me a
pint when I see her, it’s only fair right?</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-50017972433284854292012-07-04T15:41:00.000+00:002012-07-04T15:48:26.510+00:00Lego Batman 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qfffOuAMOXY/T_RimhEJuxI/AAAAAAAAAVI/6zH_kWXDJwM/s1600/LB2+KeyArt_scaled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qfffOuAMOXY/T_RimhEJuxI/AAAAAAAAAVI/6zH_kWXDJwM/s200/LB2+KeyArt_scaled.jpg" width="169" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyone that knows me would readily testify that I’m quite a
keen gamer, maybe a bit too keen at times (those times being housework time,
going to bed time and doing some DIY time).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So when I was asked if I would like a free copy of Lego Batman 2: DC Super
Heroes to review, there was only going to be one possible answer – Yes siree
bob.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I patiently waited for it to arrive and I promise I didn’t
bug the postman too much (although he may tell you differently) and last Friday
my patience was rewarded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I reverently
opened the mysterious black box with the batman emblem on it and the goodies
were revealed in all their glory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I let
the kids argue over the other stuff and then informed the wife that I would
have to play on the Xbox all day, purely in the name of research.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4RtED-jGgs/T_Rlo9K6DfI/AAAAAAAAAVo/s8ilo40L0FY/s1600/056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4RtED-jGgs/T_Rlo9K6DfI/AAAAAAAAAVo/s8ilo40L0FY/s320/056.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I hadn’t played any of the Lego games before, but what they
basically do is take a famous film of comic series and then, for want of a
better made up word, lego-fy it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
background, the cars and the people - everything made from Lego and all
breakable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to admit they have
done a great job of recreating Gotham City; it still looks broody and dark but
with the fun twist of it being in the Lego world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s really hard to put into words how much
fun can be had in randomly smashing things up and then collecting all the Lego
pieces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The game is story led in which you take on The Joker and Lex
Luthor, but you also have the added bonus of it also being a sandbox game (to
the uninitiated this means you have a huge city to roam about and pretty much
do what you want).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To start with you
have control of Batman and Robin who each have their own strengths and
characteristics that have to be used together to get through each level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you get further through the game you get
to play more of the characters, the best one being Superman with his ability to
fly, freeze and cut through things with his heat vision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j0zngDJcKsY/T_RjCVXktUI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/11wHgPFUMNk/s1600/LB2_X360_Screen006_Wave2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j0zngDJcKsY/T_RjCVXktUI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/11wHgPFUMNk/s320/LB2_X360_Screen006_Wave2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I played through the game on my own, easily switching
between the 2 heroes by a quick press of the Y button, but where it really
comes into its own is when it’s played by two players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no way my lot were going to let me
hog the game, so I soon had to let Kaede (7) and Nate (5) start their own
adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nate isn’t much of a gamer
yet and I think he may be a tad too young to really get into the game but I
have to admit they both surprised me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are not really known for their ability to cooperate and yet this
seemed to bring out the best in them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When Nate got stuck somewhere not only did Kaede patiently talk him
through what he should be doing, but if that didn’t work he would quite happily
release his controller and let her get him past the obstacle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kaede would cope with most of the problem solving, certain
suits do certain things to get you through the levels, but I would normally
remain in ear-shot to help them out when needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The game has a dynamic split screen, so you
can both be in completely different parts of the level without any issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also has an easy drop in/drop out option
so when Nate did have enough, he could just leave Kaede playing the game
without her having to start again in the traditional manner.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rTP4cHKhUXo/T_RjWWqaIII/AAAAAAAAAVY/xVxbYRRRWSw/s1600/LB2_X360_Screen008_Wave2.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rTP4cHKhUXo/T_RjWWqaIII/AAAAAAAAAVY/xVxbYRRRWSw/s320/LB2_X360_Screen008_Wave2.5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Needless to say the kids love it, I would say they are a
quarter of the way through the storyline and they have shown no signs of
boredom as of yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as an added
bonus, when they are not playing (because it’s my turn obviously), they have
renewed their love of building with real Lego.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As for me, I’ve been equally impressed; the sheer scale of
the game is immense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whilst I’ve
completed the main storyline, I don’t think I’m even a third of the way through
everything you can do in Gotham City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t want to spoil the surprise, but you are most definitely rewarded once
you’ve beaten the final boss and instead of putting the game down and moving on
to the next one, I’m quite happily exploring and getting into mischief.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7W6jNwyx7U0/T_Rj2acU3aI/AAAAAAAAAVg/y967JPRHfwY/s1600/Supergirl+Ace+1_scaled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7W6jNwyx7U0/T_Rj2acU3aI/AAAAAAAAAVg/y967JPRHfwY/s320/Supergirl+Ace+1_scaled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The world of Batman is normally quite a gloomy and violent
one, but Lego have somehow made it a inherently charming place (I found myself
playing with a smile on my face more often than not and some of the banter
between Batman and Robin is priceless), whilst still retaining the ominous feel
of a Gotham City overrun by bad guys.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<a href="http://www.game.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HubArticleView?hubId=170457&articleId=170458&catalogId=10201&langId=44&storeId=10151"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Lego
Batman 2</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> is out now on most platforms and in my opinion well worth the
purchase whether you have kids or not.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many thanks to Kayley at Feref for providing me with my free
copy of Batman and on that note I’m off to the Batcave to take on The Penguin.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-3994202300765155932012-05-28T11:38:00.001+00:002012-05-28T11:38:17.976+00:00Drifting and Doughnuts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a9J_7KZYLrw/T8NgGjSLaHI/AAAAAAAAAUw/0WQpod8hBnI/s1600/drifting-caterham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a9J_7KZYLrw/T8NgGjSLaHI/AAAAAAAAAUw/0WQpod8hBnI/s200/drifting-caterham.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a blogger of ill-repute, I am occasionally invited to
attend sponsored PR events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes I
come back from these events wondering what on earth I was going to write
about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other times I would come back
needing a hot shower and a cold drink to erase the memories of the limp canapés
and warm wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But sometimes, not often
mind, I come back with the<br />‘OhMyGodThatWasSoFrickingAwesomeIthinkMyHeadMayExplode’ feeling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Fastest Blogger event organised by
buyagift.com that I attended last week was one of those events.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Their invite was quite simple, come down to Silverstone and
spend a day driving a Caterham 7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
not beyond introspection and there is a reason that I only drive a Ford Fiesta
– It’s because I’m an idiot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put me in a
car and I want to drive it fast, hence only trusting myself with a Fiesta on
the roads – anything faster would be a disaster (with a ghetto blaster, and a
headmaster).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So there was no way I was
going to turn down the opportunity to drive one of those beasts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Upon arrival I met the Caterham team and my fellow bloggers
and we were given a safety briefing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
instructor tended to look at me a lot whilst giving his warnings, I think he
could smell the speed-freak in me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
then explained that they were going to teach us how to drift a car and do
doughnuts (you know, the ones policemen don’t like, the tyre smoking ones not
the glazed ones).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drifting a car
involves careful manipulation of brake, accelerator and wheel coupled with lots
of screeching, smoke and adrenaline soaked fun. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There were three cars and 17 bloggers so in between turns we
would sit down and have a bit of a natter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had sat myself down with Miss Daisy and her daughter Megan (sorry
Wendy, I did warn you) and soaked up the sun in-between bouts of
boy-racing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was banter, there was
laughs and occasionally there was clapping when one of us achieved a
spectacular doughnut.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Believe me, there is no better feeling in the world than
screeching sideways around a corner with your heart threatening to jump out of
chest and not getting nicked for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
were a mixed bunch in the driving talent department (the best line I heard was
“This is the first car I’ve ever been insured on”) but by the end of the day
all of us had improved beyond our wildest expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had started the day thinking that everyone
would get all testosteroney and über-competitive, but there was a real sense of
camaraderie as we all cheered each other around the final drifting course. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_e25MqKzkJg/T8NgXy2UraI/AAAAAAAAAU4/dSvhP8KS6Ig/s1600/jamie-drifting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_e25MqKzkJg/T8NgXy2UraI/AAAAAAAAAU4/dSvhP8KS6Ig/s320/jamie-drifting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you ever find yourself going to one of these events (and
I strongly suggest you do), I can’t guarantee you the same weather – scorchio,
or the same great laughs with fellow bloggers, but I can guarantee you will
have a day you will remember for a very long time.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I want to thank the team at buyagift.com, the perfect place
to find <a href="http://www.buyagift.co.uk/Father-s-Day-BN-s7.aspx" target="_blank">fathers day gifts</a> (especially if my kids are reading this).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d also like to thank the Caterham 7 team
for letting me thrash the nuts out of their cars, even after I thought I had
broken one after a spectacular spin off the track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only negative thing about the whole day
was having to drive my front wheel drive Fiesta home, all in the knowledge that
it couldn’t recreate the day in my local Tesco’s car park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Damn.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-25463288559011996102012-05-16T09:02:00.002+00:002012-05-16T09:02:25.412+00:00Our Greatest Team Rises<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UYX9UbH0-Hk/T7NsnBlq-hI/AAAAAAAAAUg/jMU5w_kItPI/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UYX9UbH0-Hk/T7NsnBlq-hI/AAAAAAAAAUg/jMU5w_kItPI/s200/002.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">BP have recently launched a set of new medallions called the
BP Legends Collection – a series of 12 medallions depicting <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">ten British Olympic and two British Paralympic
winning moments from past Games</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To help launch this they kindly invited me and the Mrs to the ‘Our
Greatest Team Rises’ event at the Royal Albert Hall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A star spangled event where the Hoi Polloi
could mix it up with the bold and the beautiful (well from a distance anyway).</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The situation demanded a Tux, something I wasn’t looking
forward to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most days I can barely be
bothered to put on jeans and I even have a special pair of them for ‘formal’
occasions, but several frowns and scowls convinced me to toe the line and tux
up.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before the event we got to meet and have a chat with Sir
Steve Redgrave, without doubt our finest ever Olympian and whose face adorns
the first medallion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He happily posed
for pics with us all and answered all things Olympic, including a story about
all the traffic problems he encountered during the Atlanta Olympics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As someone living right on top of the Olympic
Park, it’s something I hoping isn’t repeated in a few months time.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There was an impressive list of performers at the event:
Gary Barlow, Mel C, Will Young, Alfie Boe, The Feeling, Kimberly Walsh, Charlie
Siem, The Noisettes and Spellbound (who hilariously sat in front of us after
they had performed and instantly started tweeting en masse). We also had the
pleasure of Davina McCall, John Bishop and Dermot O’Leary (who when we saw him
outside my wife pushed me in the road in her haste to get to him) hosting the
evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, gasp, William and Cate,
yep the real ones, also put in an appearance. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A great night was had by all and was topped off with a dash
through Holborn station when the Station Announcer informed us as we got off
the Piccadilly line train that “The last central line train will be leaving in
two minutes.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cue a mad dash of Tux’s,
evening gowns and various other late night drunks running through the station
in fits of infectious, mad, breathless laughter.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The BP Legends Collection Medallions <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">can be purchased from BP’s forecourts across the
country. The first medallion is available for £1 together with an official
presentation pack and the remaining 11 medallions will cost £2 each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All profits from the sale of the Our Greatest
Team Legends Collection will directly support Team GB and ParalympicsGB to help
aspiring athletes deliver their best performance at London 2012 and beyond. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For more information about the Our Greatest Team
Legends Collection and how you can start collecting the limited edition
medallions, visit </span></span><a href="http://www.bp.com/medallions" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">www.bp.com/medallions</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> .</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><br /></span>So as not to
fall foul of the Blogging Police, this is a sponsored post (if you hadn’t
guessed by now).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We attended the event
as guests of BP and they even bought me a beer, but just one mind, they didn’t
get me drunk and write this for me ok.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-30507797673481143662012-04-19T13:21:00.000+00:002012-04-19T13:21:37.310+00:00A Sporting Chance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yITGJ0QcrKI/T5AQ4i_igDI/AAAAAAAAAUU/e6sCWPN8HXA/s1600/online-shopping-cartoon-300x262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yITGJ0QcrKI/T5AQ4i_igDI/AAAAAAAAAUU/e6sCWPN8HXA/s200/online-shopping-cartoon-300x262.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The notice on the door read “The children will be taking part in a sporting event so can you please ensure they are wearing sports clothing on Thursday…”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An innocent enough request, in fact it was quite polite of them to actually tell us rather than rely on the memory of a five year old, especially a five year old that can switch subjects faster than I can change TV channels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To be honest, it was by pure chance that I even saw the damned sign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m normally so busy juggling book bags, lunch boxes and children that it’s as much as I can do to push the right child through the right classroom door, all in my haste to return the temporary peace and quiet of home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I did, so score one for me, Mr Responsible Dad for a change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This new me may even start reading the school newsletters in future, it would be quite refreshing to be one step ahead of the game rather than standing outside locked school gates on an inset day.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can then only presume that it was my new smug self confidence that made me forget about the notice until 9pm on the Wednesday night, shit buggery bollocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I have to decide whether to tell the Mrs now, or try to blag it in the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before deciding, I pop out to the kitchen to see if I have enough vodka left to help withstand the disdainful looks and tongue-lashing that I am about to receive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Half a bottle, that’ll do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact she would be coming with us to drop the kids off in the morning settled the matter, time to face the music.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">She took the news as well as could be expected to be fair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can only presume that she was relieved that I had remembered 12 hours before the event, rather than the usual 12 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nate’s not the kind of kid that wears sports gear, apparently he looks so cute that he only ever gets bought ‘nice’ clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It hadn’t really occurred to me until I needed it that we he didn’t have any of his own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided I would put him in his sisters Arsenal kit, I knew it would fit him and it had been sunny all week so the emergency was over.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Over that was until we woke up on Thursday to clouds and ground frost, bugger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No tracksuit in the house fit him, so I wrangled everyone together überfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I dressed him in the top and shorts for now and we would have to zip into Tesco’s on the way there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had an extra 15 minutes to play with so it was going to be tight, tight but doable. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve always believed in reincarnation, it just makes sense to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trouble is that on mornings like this it becomes glaring obvious that I was either a Spanish Inquisitor, a Hun’s henchman, or a Traffic Warden in a previous life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got stuck behind a dustcart and then two Learners on the way there, the 15 minutes I thought we would get in Tesco’s had become six.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The clothing section was in the far corner of the store and I can only imagine what we looked like running through the shop dragging two bewildered children behind us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking back on it now, I would have loved to have seen the Security Camera footage of those mad five minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mirth we must have caused as we bounced from camera to camera.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would they have been able to see the panic in my eyes, the beads of sweat forming on my forehead as we belted up and down the unending aisles of tat?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like to think so. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We eventually arrived at the right aisle and started pulling clothes of the rails, desperately looking for the right size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Size 7, size 7, size 4, size 6, size 3, size 8 – it was a numerical dyslexic’s nightmare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortune eventually started to smile on us as we found a hoody (dark blue) and some jogging bottoms (grey) in a size 5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bottoms looked a bit long so despite the time ticking away, I got him to try them on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A perfect fit (ish), but we had no time to lose so we left them on him and leaving the clothes section looking like opening day of the Next Christmas Sales, rushed back to the tills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The only ones open were the self service tills, so I picked Nate up and scanned his arse over the scanner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was then prompted to “Please place item in bagging area”, bugger, there was nothing else to do but drop Nate in the said area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The till started to throw a paddy with a series of commands - “Unexpected item in bagging area” then “Are you using your own bags?” and finally “Please wait for assistance”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can’t really explain the look on the shop assistants face but ‘Rottweiler licking piss off a thistle’ comes the closest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She didn’t say a word, she didn’t really need to in all fairness, but after I had paid and started doing the walk of shame out of the store, I could feel her contemptuous stare boring into the back of my scull.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One only matched in intensity by the walking iceberg next to me, an iceberg oft referred to as the Mrs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lady Luck finally stated to take pity on me and the ride to school was free of traffic and red lights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With three minutes to spare I triumphantly ushered the children through the school gates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Wife’s perma-scowl was starting to soften and I felt the tension start to ease out of my shoulders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I honestly tried to suppress the smug grin that begun to form on my face when I saw the other stay at home dad in the playground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A dad who was holding the hand of a full uniformed son, poor kid, how could you forget, pah?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The smile started to wobble when I saw the offspring of both Yummy and Slummy mummy, who were both in school uniforms of varying tidiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I turned to the Mrs and her perma-scowl was back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pointed to the sign on the door, Look, see, it quite clearly says “The children will be taking part in a sporting event so can you please ensure they are wearing sports clothing on Thursday 26<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> April.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bugger.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At least I’m ready for next week then.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-75807316012815075852012-03-07T10:52:00.000+00:002012-03-07T10:52:02.409+00:00It's the little things<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I recently asked myself the question ‘Am I depressed or do depressing things keep happening to me?’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sat and thought about this for about a month before I actually uttered it out loud – and in that month I started mentally listing all the things that depressed me, which in itself was depressing, a double-bummer.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So inspired by a Bob Crampon article, I decided to list the stuff I like – a piece of positive thinking therapy if you will.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bees, watching them, hearing them, clinging on to the quasi-Buddhist belief that I may come back as one.<br />
Beating my daughters mates achievement scores on the Xbox (sorry Lucy, currently beating you by 130 on Skyrim, ha ha).<br />
A new shaped pasta – grain pasta is this month’s fad.<br />
Smoking, even though I haven’t in 5 years.<br />
The postman holding an Amazon box.<br />
Finding one of my special blue writing pens in the kids bedroom…with the lid still on.<br />
Growing basil on my kitchen window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My new bird feeder.<br />
My latest phenomenon of waking up with a song I haven’t heard in years, stuck in my head (this was also on my depressed list as a sign of a possible brain tumour).<br />
Smoked paprika, juniper berries, flaked rock salt, bread, frying Szechuan peppers for the pepper mill and adding Vermouth to pasta sauces.<br />
Coltrane when I’m sad.<br />
Coltrane when I’m happy.<br />
Remembering something the wife forgot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The year’s first daffodil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pennies that our house is full of.<br />
The smell of a new bottle of washing up liquid and finding an awesome new recipe in a cookbook. <br />
Having a garage for the first time in my life and filling it with man stuff.<br />
The rest of the family considering the said garage as off-limits in deference to my masculinity.<br />
Budleigh Salterton.<br />
Cold pillows and warm towels.<br />
Hearing the kids laugh every time I wake up and let one rip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Letting one rip in general.<br />
Looking back at a now clean room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New taste buds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adidas trainers (black) ((always)).<br />
Moleskine notebooks, stationary and new batteries.<br />
Vinyl records on display.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Double glazing and thick walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Saturday mornings spent watching a kids movie, followed by Saturday Kitchen, whilst still in my PJ’s.<br />
Taking my shoes and socks off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Big wine glasses, half full.<br />
Ice cubes, vodka, limes and Russchian.<br />
The first pint of a Saturday lunchtime.<br />
BOGOF deals on something I actually need.<br />
My harmonica not judging me for my awful attempts at learning to play it.<br />
Wry smiles, a curious raised eyebrow and a barely suppressed laugh.<br />
Lem Motlow, Gary Larson and Nelson Mandela.<br />
Pointless websites and downloading new fonts.<br />
Locks on toilet doors, autographs and autumn.<br />
Trivial amounts of trivia.<br />
Miso paste, thumb rings and a fresh razor blade (not together).<br />
Planet Dork and their parachuting metal mice.<br />
Wild expectations but never mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crap magic by young children.<br />
Eclecticness.<br />
Red and White, fiddling with corks and Wild Wood.<br />
Beeping strangers and then waving madly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finding short cuts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Singing in the car…alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Doing keepy ups and kicking footballs.<br />
QT in HD with JD.<br />
Being able to forward through adverts.</span></div><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Writing this list.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-34698710853312038192012-03-01T13:08:00.000+00:002012-03-01T13:08:10.902+00:00Not on the High Street<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When you name your kids Storm, Kaede and Nate you are often hard pushed to find anything with their names on in the High Street shops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not something you consider when you are playing the naming game, why would you, but it can be a proper pain in the butt later on down the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So when <a href="http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/" target="_blank">NotontheHighStreet.com</a> asked me to pick and review one of their products, my answer was an obvious “Yes”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a site my wife had often used for personalised door signs, piggy banks and the like.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before I went onto the site I had to decide who was going to be the lucky recipient of whatever I picked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Storm has just celebrated her 18<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> so she was off the list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kaede has just turned 7 so ditto her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nate is 5 in a few weeks but the Mrs has been über-organised and had already got all his pressies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is Mothers day soon but I always get my Mum daffodils (as a bump they named me dilly, I don’t know, it was the 70’s?) and the kids insist on picking their own presses so Mum’s were also off the list.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So that leaves little old me, it’s not my birthday for months so I decided that I deserved the free treat.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I went onto the site and went straight to the ‘for him’ section and to say I was spoilt for choice would be an understatement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The site has the tag line ‘one basket, hundreds of unique shops’ and they’re not kidding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I saw a <a href="http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/nutmeg/product/london-skyline-wall-art-sticker-decal" target="_blank">Skyline Wall Art sticker</a>, a print of the London skyline that would fit perfectly on the big blank wall we have in one of the rooms, but then I realised that would only prompt the Mrs into demanding that I redecorate first, so I clicked away.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Next was a <a href="http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/savilerogue/product/red_and_white_cashmere_football_scarf" target="_blank">cashmere football scarf</a> that comes in your teams colours (obviously).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Supporting footy in style was sounding good until I remembered that Kaede was becoming quite the footy fan and had taken to nicking my current scarf and wearing it to school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wouldn’t last a day in her grubby paws, so again I clicked away.</span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I then saw a <a href="http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/rosierobins/product/she-likes-personalised-poster-print" target="_blank">personalised ‘…likes’ poster print</a>, the idea being that you name 10 things you like and it would be turned into a ‘Goonerjamie likes…’ blah blah blah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started to list my ten things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I had finished four of them were alcoholic beverages, three were ex-Arsenal players, one was Arsenal, one was unmentionable and one was a Hollywood actress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided that my list may not go down too well with the Mrs, so I carried on a clicking.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I then happened upon a <a href="http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/clairegerrarddesign/product/personalised-silver-scroll-bracelet" target="_blank">silver scroll bracelet</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three solid silver scrolls, threaded onto double leather black cords.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scrolls could then be personalised with two initials, with a heart in-between for the romantic at heart, or with three initials for everyone else i.e. me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I quite like a funky looking bracelet so I had found my gift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided to get it personalised with the kids initials S, K and N and that was me set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ironically, before I placed the order I googled the letters SKN to make sure it wasn’t some sort of dubious acronym.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It turns out that it’s internet slang for ‘OK, cool, whatever’ which pretty must describes the kids anyway (in no particular order kids, in case they’re reading).</span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Five days later my bracelet turned up in a muslin drawstring sack, complete with care instructions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every bracelet is handmade and mine had a real rustic look and feel to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like myself, it looked classic and understated and I’ve been happily wearing it ever since.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The <a href="http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/clairegerrarddesign/product/personalised-silver-scroll-bracelet" target="_blank">love heart silver scrolled bracelet costs</a> £49 and for a unique personalised item, that is exclusive to the site, feels like quite good value for money. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thanks to Harriet French from <a href="http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/">www.notonthehighstreet.com</a> for inviting me to do the review and I must point out that this is a sponsored post and I did not pay for the bracelet that I ordered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must also point out that if they think they are getting it back, they’ve got another thing coming bwahahaha.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tW7jtRv4l00/T09o4aDI0nI/AAAAAAAAAUI/UDb3xj-UHYo/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tW7jtRv4l00/T09o4aDI0nI/AAAAAAAAAUI/UDb3xj-UHYo/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2577503734632213610.post-51801035688096796802012-01-16T13:43:00.000+00:002012-01-16T13:43:38.674+00:00Tell them about the honey, Daddy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6YeHl5-CNoo/TxQpUXOx2PI/AAAAAAAAATk/Px-d9O1_PU8/s1600/honeypot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6YeHl5-CNoo/TxQpUXOx2PI/AAAAAAAAATk/Px-d9O1_PU8/s200/honeypot.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just before Christmas, the good people over at the </span><a href="http://www.newzealandhoneyco.co.nz/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">New Zealand Honey Co</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> asked me if I would like to take part in their ‘natural remedy challenge’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The idea being that they send me a box of natural goodies and I would use them instead of all the normal pharmaceutical nonsense I normally chuck down my gullet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being a fan of both New Zealand (that did just beat France on the World Cup after all) and honey (the Bee is mine and Kaede’s favourite animal), I decided to accept their offer and let the chips (poker, not potato) fall where they may.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When it arrived, my box of natural goodness contained the following:</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Manuka Honey 15+</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Beech Forest Honeydew Honey 20+</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thyme Honey 20+</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Garlic</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ginger</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dried Blueberries</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Peppermint Tea</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lavender oil</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lemon juice</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 1.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The garlic and ginger would be no problem, I practically put garlic in everything I cook anyway and quite often use ginger in my stir fry’s, so all I had to do was figure out how to use the rest.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 1.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I decided to start my two week challenge on the 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> January, new year, new regime and all that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except I had a bit of a hangover on New Year’s Day and well, the 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> was a bank holiday so ditto that day as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So on the 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> I finally got started.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 1.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dried blueberries are packed full of vitamin C and are great for your immune and muscle systems, so a handful of them went into my bowl of muesli every morning (and let’s be honest – anything you add to muesli is only going to improve it) and with that I would have a cup of hot water with lemon juice and Manuka Honey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Manuka honey is a great antiseptic and should hopefully combat any coughs or colds that were heading my way, as is lemon juice, double immunity for me.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 1.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For my elevenses (I know, so very English) I decided I would have a slice of toast with Thyme Honey, accompanied by a cup of peppermint tea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thyme honey is a great antioxidant and is great at fighting the free radicals in our bodies (take that you hippy trespassers).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The peppermint tea aids digestion and can help sooth upset stomachs, so maybe I should have tried it with my hangover after all.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 1.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For my ‘mid-afternoon give me strength for the school run’ snack, I would have some Beech Forest Honeydew honey either on some toast, or on one of those ‘God aren’t I healthy’ cracker thingies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The honey is a pre-biotic with a rating of 20+, so I guess it starts fighting all the nasty stuff in your digestive system before the bugs have time to put on their armour and start getting all aggy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 1.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lavender oil can help induce and aid a restful sleep, so a few drops of the lavender oil went on my pillow every night, although the Mrs tartly suggested that ear plugs would probably be a better aid for her to get a good nights kip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that quip I decided to test the theory that lavender also helps relieve stress and depression, so I put some in her tea – which resulted in the only failure of the two weeks testing – she got the right hump.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 1.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two weeks have now passed and I have to say that I’m quite impressed with the results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can honestly say that in those two weeks I haven’t had a single cold, not a single bout of ‘Delhi belly’, or any other malady come to think of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know two weeks isn’t enough time for all conclusive proof, but it’s working so far and I intend to stick to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As another plus, not only is the honey making me healthier, it actually tastes great as well, the thyme honey being my favourite of the bunch.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 1.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a curious (well curious to me anyway) by-product, it’s made me think more about my health and being healthy in general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have cut down on the booze a bit and have mostly knocked the midnight snacks on the head, they were always my dieting downfall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 1.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many thanks again to the </span><a href="http://www.newzealandhoneyco.co.nz/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">New Zealand Honey Co</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> for providing me with a free box of goodies and all the bees in the 14,000 hives for providing the wild honey. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09677176752522269843noreply@blogger.com1