Purple Dragon

Am I the last to know that Amazon can often be cheaper than eBay?

I have been keeping a book on watch for a few days, and then for some reason I decided to read the reviews about it on Amazon. THEN found that the book was routinely cheaper on Amazon that the seller was trying for on eBay and that I could actually buy the series for only slightly more than the single eBay book!

I am absolutely not going to check on books I have already bought, or I might be kicking myself!

My cat, Wookie, (the black and white one), was taken ill yesterday.

He has been fitting pretty much since we got up yesterday morning - I don't know how long he was doing it before I got up. The vet thinks it is either poisoning, meningitis or a brain tumour. The first two can be cured, the third can't.

He is at the vets still, on valium, antibiotics and a drip. Can you send some healing thoughts, prayers - whatever your belief system - and see if we can't get this poor kitty back on his feet? Poor wee man is only three years old

Thanks, everyone

Nicked from Subs, but it is spreading like wildfire!

60 Things You Possibly Didn’t Know About Me [But Now You Do]

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now?

Children's booster seats an empty crisp packets

2. When was the last time you threw up?

When I got food poisoning last November

3. What's your favourite curse word?

Dammit (yeah, well, you try living with a three year old who thinks she's a parrot)

4. Name 3 people who made you smile today?

My kids

5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?

Sleeping

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?

Making lunch

7. Have you ever been to a strip club?

Yep.

8. What is the last thing you said aloud?

Right, go eat your lunch at the table

9. When is your birthday?

Autumn Equinox or thereabouts

10. What is the best ice cream flavour?

toffee

11. What was the last thing you had to drink?

Tetley tea

12. What are you wearing right now?

pink T, white top, blue jeans, pink socks, one slipper

13. What is the last thing you ate?

currently eating cheese and ham on toast

14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?

Gorgeous pink satin heels with diamantes on the toes and at the back.

15. When was the last time you ran?

Couple of days ago, chasing aforementioned 3-year old

16. What's the last sporting event you watched?

Son's gymnastics end of year presentation/display

17. What's the last sport you played?

Erm...

18. Who is the last person you sent a comment/message on myspace?

I don't think I've ever been there

19. Ever go camping?

Many moons ago. It was a blast.

20.Do you have a tan?

I burn, peel, then I'm white again underneath

21.Have you ever lost anything down a toilet?

Nope

22.What is your guilty pleasure?

eBay

23.Do you use smiley faces on the computer a lot?

All the time.

24. Do you drink your soda from a straw?

If it is a can and I am outside, then yes - I'm scared I'll swallow a wasp

27. What are you doing tomorrow?

Reiki II attunement

28. Where is your mum right now?

Am I my mother's keeper?

29. Look to your left, what do you see?

No2Child, blowing bubbles

30. What colour is your watch?

Black leather strap, sort of bare metal - the plating has worn off

31. What do you think of when you think of Australia?

My childhood

32. Ever ridden on a roller coaster?

Yes. Never again.

33. What is your birthstone?

Sapphire

34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive through?

Both

35. What is your favourite number?

5 I guess

36. Do you have a dog?

Three

37. Last person you talked to on the phone?

Himself

38. Have you met anyone famous?

Yep

39. Any plans today?

Grocery shopping

40. How many provinces countries have you lived in?

Bucks, Beds, Clacks, Fife, Aberdeenshire and Elizath in Australia

41. Ever go to college?

Part time

42. Where are you right now?

In my office

43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now?

Getting bubbles blown in my ear. They are soggy

44. Last song listened to?

Theme tune to the film Minutemen

46. Are you allergic to anything?

Nope

47. Favourite pair of shoes you wear all the time?

Pink clogs

48. Taste in your mouth right now?

Cheese and ham on toast

49. Are you jealous of anyone?

Nope

50. Is anyone jealous of you?

Of course they are! How could they not be?

51. Do you love anyone?

Yes.

52. Do any of your friends have children?

Yes.

53. Do you eat healthy?

Sometimes

54. What do you usually do during the day?

Clean, tidy, kids stuff, walk dogs, gym

55. Do you hate anyone right now?

Nah - who cares?

58. Do you own any big sunglasses?

No, but I wish I did

59. Have you ever been to Six Flags?

Never even heard of it

60. How did you get one of your scars?

Spent most of my childhood cracking my head open on stuff, so take your pick

Nicked from Gilraen

1. Grab the nearest book and turn to page 186. Write down the fifth sentence you find there.

We made chapatis together.

2. What are you reading right now? What made you chose that particular thing?

Onwards and Upwards, Arabella Weir
Because I am tryig to get rid of the embarrassing clicklit in my shelves, but I want to read them first to get my money's worth.

3. Your dream home is:
I'm sitting in it.

4. Sum up your life in six words only:

Busy
Disorganised
Fun
Exciting (to me)
Spiritually satisfying

5. Would you rather be a nerd or one of the "beautiful people?"

One of the beautiful people. I'm too lazy to be a nerd.

I have just bought three geese and a gander

I have been really annoyed by the amount of litter in my back garden. It seems that I have no sooner picked it all up than the place is covered again.

Considering where I live, I just couldn't understand it.

Well - today I had my explanation. My dogs are putting their heads thru the catflap and stealing out of my paper recycling bag by the back door.

Lala is off school today. We have had a series of disasters, no one's fault per se but various mistakes = sick little girlie.

First off, we made some GF cakes on Monday for when some of my pals were coming round. Idiot that I am, I ran out of Flora and substituted a little butter instead. Well, apart from the fact that she is lactose intolerant and shouldn't be within smelling distance of butter, it is also the butter that I use to spread my toast with, so it was cross-contaminated. Idiot.

So, she was having a few tummy troubles. I banned her from eating the cakes when I realised what the problem was, but then yesterday was Moving Up Day at school, and they forgot to give her the pills she has to take to calm her mast cells and keep her on an even keel. Then she ate another cake (even though I had already told her "No!") and all hell has broken loose.

She has terrible stomach cramps, wind, skitters that I can't share a bathroom with, her skin smells sour, she has temperature fluctuations, sore legs, and she is right snuggly-in (which as anyone with kids knows, when kids are poorly, then need cuddles by the gadzillion). We could really do with borrowing Meno for a day or so, as apparently her cuddles are all-encompassing.

I hope she gets better soon. Her diet is back on a strict label-reading and she is back on her pills at the proper times, so hopefully she will recover soon.

A couple of folk have been talking about what they are doing vs. what they actually want to be doing.

I have been thinking about my future a lot lately. Just now, it isn't really an issue, as I shan't be doing anything until Rachel is in full time school, which isn't until August 2009. And even then it will only be 9am till 2.45! Slacker. LOL

However, because of certain things that have been going on in my son's gymnastics class, I have volunteered to become a parent helper, and also to train to be a gymnastic coach. The helper part will happen as soon as my Disclosure comes thru. That won't be a problem because I already have two. The coaching part is a bit more complicated and it will take a couple of years to get certified to the level that I need to be to live up to some promises I have made.

I also want to train to be a fitness instructor. Help folk at the gym and so on. Maybe do some personal training as well. I want to try and fit that around my Reiki (I am going for my Reiki II attunement on Sunday), and I also want to do massage and aromatherapy. I think all of that fits together rather nicely, but it takes SO LONG to get every qualification that I want.

I am rather looking forward to all the training, and the work afterwards, but I wish I hadn't left it all so long. I know I am only 43, but one minute you are 20-odd and your whole life is ahead of you, and the next you are mid-40's and your husband is talking about early retirement. I'm only just getting started, me!

So - what do you want to do when you grow up?

I just went for a wee wander around there. Built myself a WeeMee.

Have you been? Did everyone seem, like, really grown up? I feel as if I'm just playing at being a grown up and all these folk are real adults.

Bizarro-world.

I'm all unsettled now.

Type in what the questions ask you into google search and use the first thing that comes up as your answer.

1. Type in "[your name] needs" in the Google search:
Carol needs to be developed for future advancement

2. Type in "[your name] looks like" in Google search:
Carol looks like one of Mary Wollstonecraft's "mere dolls"

3. Type in "[your name] likes" in Google search:
Carol likes Ted, but neither Bob nor Alice

4. Type in "[your name] says" in Google search:
Carol says all you need is love with pictures

5. Type in "[your name] wants" in Google search:
Carol wants to stay home

6. Type in "[your name] does" in Google search:
Carol Does Rosa Chá

7. Type in "[your name] hates" in Google search
Carol hates Interviews

8. Type in "[your name] goes" in Google search:
Carol goes the distance in Madeira

9. Type in "[your name] loves" in Google search:
Carol Loves Her Mondrian

10. Type in "[your name] has" in Google search:
Carol has maintained a dignified silence about the accident

11. Type in "[your name] gets" in the Google search:
Carol gets a mention as well

12. Type in "[your name] eats" in the Google search:
Carol eats everything

13. Type in "[your name] can" in the Google search:
Carol can look up that key and use it to encrypt and send confidential messages

14. Type in "[your name] drinks" in the Google search:
Carol drinks only bottled water in France

15. Type in "[your name] makes" in the Google search:
Carol makes key recommendations to overcome the challenges

I wasn't clear in my last post, it seems.

The local councl run the local swimming pool. They run swimming lessons for the children, starting at pre-school right up to swimming club level.

They have blocks of (usually) 10 lessons, the last of which is when parents are allowed in to watch their children - there isn't a 'public' viewing area. We sit on swimmers benches at the side of the pool during the last week's lesson.

There is a teacher in the pool with the children of each class, and each class has a lifeguard next to the pool, walking up and down the edge watching the class and making sure each child is okay.

On this occasion, the teacher was in the pool with the pre-school children (aged about 3). The teacher left four of the five children at the side of the pool, and took the child she was doing one-on-one with across the pool, and left her at the other side. She then swims back to get the next child, and so on. As there is only one lifeguard, she stands at the end with the most children. (More children = more likely to have a carry on and have an accident).

This morning's incident took place at the end of fewer children, where there was no lifeguard.

I am not condoning this system, just clarifying it. It had nothing to do with our school.

This morning was Rachel's last swimming lesson of this block. On the last lesson, the parents are allowed in to watch, and see what progress they have made.

In Rachel's group are five children, four girls and a wee boy. Rachel and the boy were at one side of the pool, being watched by the lifeguard. The teacher was in the middle with one of the children, going from one side to the other. The remaining two chidren were at the parent side waiting their turn to go across.

Suddenly one of the children at our side lost her woggle and it floated away. She was too far from the side to grab the bar, and she went under. The lifeguard didn't notice what was happening - she was watching the other children at the far end of the pool. Stupidly, we sat there, and watched her drowning. It can't have been for more than a second or two, but time was frozen. The mother cried her daughter's name, and tried to climb down from the viewing platform. The father closest to the child jumped off the platform, took two steps and was in the water, fully clothed, saving the drowning child.

Then it was over. The child was crying in her mother's arms, the lifeguard was checking her over, the father was standing in a dripping puddle.

Every other parent stared at their child from that moment on, never taking their eyes away for a second.

I don't know if I can let Rachel go back.

This morning, Drumboil had her babies!

Her waters broke at 1am, and she went into hospital. They were going to leave her till this morning but the consultant took a look and she was whipped into theatre for an emergency section.

Her two daughters - Katie and Emma - were born about 4am in good health, and Drumboil is well also.

I don't remember the weights because I was crying

I'm so chuffed. I expect she will do an entry when she feels able and has more time - probably when the babies start school or something!

The girls let the dogs out the front this afternoon, instead of into the enclosed back garden, and they took the opportunity to hoik it up the road at some speed.

When I realised, I shot up after them, and the good boys all came pounding back down at my yelling.

Unfortunately, as Oscar isn't used to walking on hard surface roads (only dirt and grass) his two front paws took the brunt of his speed and he took the top layer off the pads on both front paws, and also snapped a claw below the bleeding mark.

Took him along to the vet and he is going to be fine, but the poor wee thing can't walk. Bless.

He sat on Anthony's lap on the way back from the vet, and then puked about 2 miles from home. The stink was appalling.

Encouraged by another bloggers post, i have decided to share this with you all

I joined our local gym in an attempt to recover from my illness of earlier in the year, and I feel fabulous now. At the weekend my man flicked my backside with a wet towel (yeah, I know) and when I was complaining he said it was all my fault because my bum was now a bum and not just part of my thighs. And I've only been 12 times

So, if you are thinking about getting a bit fitter - go for it!

Yesterday, The Boy and I went to a fencing taster lesson. It was totally excellent, I loved it. After hearing some of the history of fencing, looked at the different types of swords, and were shown our stances, we were allowed to duel.

I beat a teenage girl, drew with a middle aged woman, beat a small boy and got totally slaughtered by two teenage boys, one of whom was left handed. Now that was a hard fight! He had the advantage immediately because of his stance.

I would love to take it up as a hobby but unfortunately it is midweek in a town about 40 minutes away, and I can't commit to that because of the girls. However, if they get enough interest, they will hold a course in our local town (6 miles away) and I shall join that one - try and hold me back! LOL

This morning, however, my thighs tell a different story. I could barely walk down the stairs. My muscles feel like bricks. I'm away to the gym this morning to loosen up. Why, oh why, did I allow myself to get into this shape? Or lack thereof?

... that we remember the bad dreams so vividly, and the good ones fade with the morning sun?

A few nights ago, I dreamed I was shopping with a friend and when I was distracted picking out a picture, someone stole No3Child.

Last night, I dreamed I was collecting my Mum at the airport and a bomb went off, and I was trapped under rubble. The dogs woke me at 3.40 and I found the bed cushions were piled up around my legs and behind my body. (I only use two thin cushions - the rest are usually consigned to the bottom of the bed - I keep them for asthetics sake).

In other news - I hate the current shade of polish I have on my nails just now.

My headache is back. It isn't agony but it isn't much fun either. I think the weather has set this one off. One minute it is sunny and fine, the next - raining, and then it decides to get all muggy ... and the mugginess gives me headaches. Bloody hell. Ah, well, I guess I should be happy that it isn't humid as well.

I've had a funny old day today. Went to the gym this morning and spent a good 10 minutes of my usual hour blethering. I added the 10 minutes on the end, but I just didn't feel motivated after that.

Went to the bank to collect the kids new bank books, but they weren't ready yet.

Did some stuff for my accountant, who then phoned me and said that he wants to come up and see me. Unfortunately, it isn't really all that convenient, with the kids and all, but I feel rather rude saying "Thanks but no thanks", you know? And I suppose I could be all professional and stuff for a wee whiley. LOL Just need to get a babysitter, I suppose. I hate being someone I'm not . Ho hum.

I feel out of sorts. Again. I feel like I am missing something. I have a load of handbags on eBay, on watch. Don't know if shopping will fill the void.

I sorted out my wardrobe this afternoon. Piled up the clothes I either hate or will never get into again. Did another pile of clothes I love but am too damn fat to get into, with the determination that I will get back in them at some stage. I cannot believe the space I have in my wardrobe now! Unfortunately, I still don't have enough room for my shoes, boots and bags. I need to think about that. Oh, for the wardrobe Big built for Carrie! LOL I wish I had the space for a wardrobe like that! I suppose I ought put that entry onto my other blog.

... of what appears to actually have been a migraine after all.

I stood and did some ironing last night. I am determined to keep up with it and not have it take over the laundry room like it has been doing recently. Watched Clan of the Cave Bear with Daryl Hannah. Awful film. Not as bad as it potentially could have been, though.

When I went to bed, I saw my migraine pills in the top of the wardrobe, and thought I would try some of them, as nothing else seemed to be having a complete effect. Nine hours of unconsciousness later, and I am almost headache free. I guess my migraines are changing. Probably my age. I will need to get more pills today, though, as I took the last.

Went to see this on Saturday night. It was excellent

Went with three pals, two of whom had never met before. They hit if off beautifully I love doing that - introducing folk and hoping they get on. I think the world should revolve around friendship.

The film was really good. Very funny in places. I sobbed in others. I won't ruin it for you. You could really feel their pain, particularly Carrie's, and the clothes were pretty good too. The blue shoes were stunning.

I sort of dressed up. Wore a red linen dress and black crochet cardigan (sounds ghastly but it's really fine). Red high heels. Painted my finger and toenails red as well, straightened my mad hair and put some slap on. Then went and sat in the dark to see the film. My pals looked fab too. It is so nice to get dressed up and 'be a girl' for a while. Blethered all the way there, all the way back, and then for an hour in my living room over coffee.

Spent Sunday in bed. I got a dreadful headache after everyone left on Saturday night (well, Sunday morning) and it turned into nausea and light sensitivity, but it wasn't a migraine. Still had the sore head this morning, and I took a sinus pill, which seems to be doing the trick.

"...here we are together, Right said Fred, let's 'ave a cuppa tea"

This is a direct quote from my experience of the day! I have had so many cups of tea that I would have to go thru the bucket to count the tea bags before I could even make an estimate.

Why?

Today is 'clean-downstairs-because-Himself-is-coming-back-today' day. So, I clean the entrance hall, have a cuppa, clean the big hall, have a cuppa, clean my office, have a cuppa, living room ... you get the picture.

The Art of Prevarication is not dead.

I was at the gym this morning, and was on the bike, gazing out of the window. I look straight into the car park, and I was thinking about just how much money was parked there.

The line went -

Honda something, Type-R
Smart car
Lexus 4 x 4 pickup
my people carrier
Lexus 4x4 jeep
BMW 4x4 jeep

Interestingly, my gym is a council run gym, with normal folk who just want to get fit attending. No pretensions, no personal trainers. And then they drive home in those.

Watched this on DVD last night. Gosh, it was good. A bit predictable, but I used to work for a woman identical to that, so I could really relate. Okay, it wasn't fashion, it was pharmaceuticals, but still ...

I enjoyed the clothes and shoes and how they put outfits together. I don't have that knack. My 'style' is more of Andy before she 'got fashion'. Perhaps if I was a size 10 I might feel differently, but I doubt it. Killer heels just aren't my thing.

My friend Rachel (for whom my daughter is named) http://www.newness-of-life.com/ has a meme on her blog. You must go and check out her blog - she's both very nice and interesting, and although I don't comment there very often, I check it every day for updates

Anyway. The meme.

This one is 10 ways things have changed since you left school. Now, I left school quite some time ago (although not as long as some of my readers ) so there are a lot of changes, and mine are probably going to be the same as Rachel's.

1. The mobile phone. When I was at school, a mobile phone was a massive thing that was connected to your car by a professional, which involved putting your car into the shop for at least a day

2. Video cameras. I can remember, actually a few years after I left school, the first portable video camera. It was loaned to my ex-husband by his boss, and it was like something you would see in a news report - a massive thing with a battery like a current car battery, and you sat the camera on your shoulder.

3. When I left school, I was happy to get an electric typewriter in my work. I can remember being upgraded to one that had a single line display so you could correct any errors.

4. Telex machines. I don't think they are around any more - I certainly haven't seen one in years. For those who don't know what I am talking about, they were the forerunners of the fax machine. You typed your message, which was printed onto a tape in something akin to braille, and then you would dial the telephone to the other company's telex. When they replied, you would feed the ticker-tape thru the machine and the tape would come out at the other end. Folk who had used them for years could actually read the braille tape instead of feeding it thru the machine again to get a print out.

5. Photocopiers. When I was at school we had something whose name escapes me just now. You would have to create a master copy, which was very much like a negative, and then feed it into a machine that had a spinning drum, and the copies would come out absolutely covered in black ink that only came off on small fingers.

6. Walking home from school. I walked home. There was a three mile exclusion zone - you could only get the bus if you lived further than three miles. Naturally, there was our house, next door and then the church - which marked the 3 miles. I didn't mind, as I got to walk home thru the woods. We would dawdle and wander, blether and mess about, and eventually reach home dusty and sweaty.

7. Smoking. When I was at school, the majority of the seniors smoked. A couple of our teachers even supplied us with ciggies. 20 Rothmans were something like 15p, and you could also get packets of 10 and 5. The local shops would sell to anyone who had any money, and didn't care if you were 'underage' because they would never have gotten prosecuted.

8. Disappearing for the day. In the summer or at the weekend, I would get up, get dressed, and disappear. I would come back home when I was hungry, unless I could cadge a meal off another kid's Mum. My folks never knew where I was, and weren't worried in the slightest.

9. Public transport. If we wanted to go into town, which was about 15 miles away, we could wait at the bus stop and be assured that there would be one along fairly soon, and on time. The fares were reasonable enough that schoolkids could (and did) jump on and off buses pretty much as they felt like it. I recently took a bus ride of about 30 miles and it cost me over a tenner!

10. Shops. I can remember when supermarkets hit us. A shop in a local village was taken over by the Spar, and our local supermarket was born. Prior to that, there were a butcher, a baker, a green grocer, there was a dairy in the village (in which my Dad worked as a milkman, and which supplied me with boyfriends for years!). Dad delivered milk to people's doorsteps, and your produce was both fresh and local.

Hmm. I'm all sad and nostalgic now.

This is an event that you cannot afford to miss.

www.worldnakedbikeride.org/uk

A peaceful, imaginative and fun protest against oil dependency and car culture. A celebration of the bicycle and also a celebration of the power and individuality of the human body. A symbol of the vulnerability of the cyclist in traffic. The world's biggest naked protest: 50+ cities and thousands of riders participate worldwide, including more than 1500 in the UK in 2007

This year, rides take place across the UK between June 6th and 14th, and we expect several thousand riders. Sign-up on the main page or click on the city names above for more details.

I think this is a brilliant idea. I only wish I was brave enough!

Today it will be 19 years since the brutal crackdown on democracy protestors in Tiananmen Square.

You remember that man in front of the tank?

SPOILERS!!!!

I took my son and one of his pals to see the other day at the pictures. I am a complete Indi fan, and I thought this was excellent. There were a couple of really cheesy lines in it that made me cringe, but overall it was another swashbuckling adventure that was completely unbelievable - which is what I love about them - complete suspension of reality!

As soon as Mutt told Indi that his Mum had sent him, I knew who his Mum was, so I kinda predicted the wedding at the end. Inevitable. I also expected the nasty death of the bad guy (girl). However, I didn't expect the whole alien thing! Not in that manner anyhow.