The Joy of Reading

In the very early 70’s – probably 1970 in fact - I was 5 years old, and started at Drighlington Infants School a little late due to getting chickenpox and whooping cough together (yes, even at that early age I was an awkward sod!)  I was very, very poorly, and needed a doctor.  The first stumbling block was that it was the weekend.   The second was that Mum and Dad were running a pub at the time – The Spotted Cow.   The emergency doctor who came out was Muslim and wouldn’t step foot in the place, subsequently attempting to diagnose me from the window… Dad, funnily enough, wasn’t confident with his diagnosis, and when I got worse found someone that would actually step foot in the place.  However, my abiding memory is screaming the place down when he tried to listen to my chest with a stethoscope. I’d never seen a black man before – remember it was 1970, and I was very young…come to think of it though I hadn’t seen a stethoscope before either, which when the freezing cold thing was put on my chest whilst running a very high fever, might have contributed to the hysterics!  By the time he’d arrived and seen how ill I was, I was too poorly to be moved to hospital. I nearly died, and as a result was convalescing for some time afterwards, hence the late start.  Anyway I digress - as always! 

When I started after the start of school term aged around 5, no one would sit next to me because of all my spots.  Even worse, they’d all started their budding friendships – I was sooooo on the outside… My integrating into the class was stymied even further when it became apparent that I could already read (and knew the alphabet ‘properly’ – not the new phonetic system that was being introduced. – I point blank refused to use that when spelling out words…yes – belligerent already, as well as awkward…!)  This made the reading period more than a bit of a challenge for the teacher.  There she was, ready to start everyone on the Ladybird ‘Peter and Jane’ early reading books and I was reading them cover-to-cover in less than a minute flat!  Bless her, she quickly realised that a bored Jacqueline Winterburn was NOT a good idea and gave me the key to the book cupboard into which I dived, head first, happily blasting my way through the Schofield and Sims ‘Through the Rainbow’ reading collection.  These were a series of colour coded books that oddly went further than the breadth of rainbow colours into Silver and Gold – I think that was the first time the words ‘Indigo’ and ‘Violet’ slipped into vocabulary and I can’t hear them without visualising that wonderful old cupboard and the tiny metal key to the lock.   Another completely different memory in there is of a poor girl called Samantha who was always farting – the teacher kept a can of air freshener to hand and sprayed it not only in the general area of the offending smell, but also all over the poor girl!  Personally, I’m not sure what smelt worse – her farts or that air freshener…

So, from that point in my life books became my best friends, non-judgemental and always there when I reached for them, giving me hours of escapism.  I don’t remember the words in books ever being too hard for me to read – if they were interesting enough I kept going until they were finished, if they didn’t capture me after the first page, they were put down again, a habit that’s still with me today when choosing new things to read!  Mum and Dad weren’t very big readers at all – Dad’s passion was the daily paper, which he pretty much read cover to cover -  in fact that’s probably where I learnt to read – sat on Dad’s knee while he read out the paper.  This meant of course that my reading material was limited at home.  My long suffering sister who’s 10 years older than me, had to go through the heartbreak of seeing her beloved books be subjected to her little sister’s habit of scrawling all over anything that had paper content with whatever writing instrument she had in her hand,  (I also scribbled all over her dolls – especially their feet – and of colouring in any shape on any page of anything – including the spaces in letters… I hope that she knows that when I got a little older, I deeply regretted it, as her books became my books.  Over the years I looked with horror at what I’d done to them.  Even now, I’m fastidious about the condition of our books, hating it when the spines get cracked on paperbacks, or their covers get a little dog-eared – and as for folks folding the corners down as place holders – get a bookmark!!!  

Once we moved out of the pub and she went school, then moved to Manchester, her books became my most treasured possessions, eventually taking pride of place in my bedroom on top of her old school desk (I had that until my late teens).  I read ‘What Katy Did’ and ‘Little Women’ hundreds of times, (I must admit that after a first reading ‘Oliver Twist’ just looked at me – I’ve never liked Dickens – well maybe ‘A Christmas Carol’…), ‘Five Children and It’… even ‘The New Encyclopedia for the Younger Generation’…Her copies of CS Lewis’s Narnia books were read so many times the glue on the spines failed, and the pages started to fall out... I also remember Enid Blyton’s ‘The Little Picaninny’, which I loved, and an odd little collection - ’40 More Tales’ - oh, and ‘A Pilgrim’s Progress’ - the full version  I might add but in modern English. 

Once I had access to libraries I must have devoured over 100 books a year  - I remember in one summer holiday I read all 12 of Hugh Lofting’s Doctor Dolittle books and all 9 of Tove Jansson’s Moomins books – they were fantastic! Other classics greedily consumed included – ‘James and the Giant Peach’, Roald Dahl’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and ‘Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator’, Louisa M Alcott’s ‘Little Women’ and ‘Little Men’, ‘What Katy Did Next’, and then I found other collections to work through – ‘Anne of Green Gables’ et al, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books, Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea books, Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’, Anne McCaffrey’s Pern books…

My relationship with some of those early books is a very close one, and I happily return to their pages.  They’re old friends that welcome me back, ready to let me once again travel with them on their adventures and discoveries, sharing their hopes and their fears, their tears and their joy.  Some will never be donated to charity, but have their permanent home on our bookshelves.     Books like Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising Sequence – these were an early present from my sister that I had to rebuy a few years ago –  just like her original set of Narnia books, they were read so much they disintegrated – it took over 20 years for it to happen but if I wanted to be able to easily read them again they had to be replaced… I also possess a hardback version of the Narnia books, with beautiful coloured versions of the original drawings.

And that is how my love of books and reading started.  Long may it continue!

Espresso...NYC Style...!

As part of our trip to NYC in June we decided to have a coffee 'theme' and seek out some of the small espresso bars in the city.  The New York Times had run an article earlier in the year (March 2010) entitled 'New York is Finally Taking Its Coffee Seriously ( http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/dining/10coffee.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1&h - it may need you to register before you can open the link - it's free though).  It caught our eye and decided to select some of the places listed and went off in search of what New York feels espresso should be.

Some of the places we chose didn't meet up to our expectations - too small, no seating, and in some cases just too 'hip and trendy' for us middle aged Brits (places where the baristas were far more interested in having fun with their colleagues, chatting to each other, not really acknowledging customers, carrying on a conversation about something really interesting (to them) while they filled my order - I don't like to feel I'm more of a by-product of their fun place of work rather than a reason they're there...). 

This photo of Mike sums up what we were looking for on our search ... somewhere to relax, enjoy really good espresso and decompress - ok, decompress and caffeine may appear to be a contradiction but it works for us....! We went out each day, with reading books, as well as in my case my notebook ready for any jottings Jaxter felt like making, hoping to find somewhere to settle down and do our thing...

At Third Rail Coffee we found it - and that's where the photo was taken :) www.thirdrailcoffee.com

Located on W 3rd and Sullivan Street in SoHo, they offer a small, perfectly formed haven of tranquility, and despite the 110% concentration that goes into the creation of every cup of heaven,  (my cortado was complete with its beautifully feathered thick milk foam) you're left with an overall feeling of serenity.  We sat in the window, perfect for people watching both inside and out. The NY Times article says ' Third Rail Coffee punches above its weight. It’s one of the city’s smallest coffee bars, and its most focused. The owners, Humberto Ricardo and Rita McCaffrey, offer at least two different espresso blends (each needs its own grinder, a commitment of capital and counter space), single-origin coffee in a Chemex and a full range of espresso drinks. The cortado is memorable.' Yes, it certainly is!

Culture Espresso www.cultureespresso.com also fitted the bill nicely.  It turned out to be just a couple of streets away from our hotel (72 West 38th, just off 6th) and was a real find.  It hadn't been on our shortlist of ones to try, (the blurb in the article was very brief) but we are so pleased we did.  It may not be on one of the prettiest streets but it more than makes up for it on the inside! It was a very late find - the day before we came home - but we know where it is for our next trip!

And then there was Jittery Joes... www.jitteryjoes.com 

 

Now their NYC store turned out to be located in the ground floor lobby of a large office  building on East 54th between 2nd and 3rd.  If you decide to go there, don't be put off by it's location - it may not have its own ceiling, and it may feel a little like an impromptu film set ready to be taken down and packed away never to be seen again, but it does great coffee!  It was hot hot hot in the Big Apple during our visit, and with this in mind I had an iced Americano, ready to add lots of half and half to take away any unwelcome bitterness but much to my surpise I didn't need any!  It was thoroughly enjoyable and thoroughly refreshing!  Mike had his usual espresso, and whilst it was way too strong for me (I soon found out that this wasn't specific to them - it's the NYC way of making espresso - espresso strength = ristretto strength...or even stronger than that in some places!) he said it was great! It has a small seating area and we happily whiled away half an hour there, watching the baristas work and their customers coming and going.  

We loved this sign - and having witnessed this so much at home in the UK look forwards to seeing it appear in our coffee shops!

Having looked at their website, it's a shame they don't have a 'proper' store in the Big Apple - we could have gotten carried away with merchandise purchases (or should I say their merchandise would have been carried away by us LOL!).  The NY Times article says 'Based in Athens, Ga., it opened its first New York branch in the gloomy lobby of a fashion business school in Midtown East — it’s a makeshift setting and the beans are dark roast; the baristas are talented.' Yes, they most certainly are!!!  Whilst it wasn't what we expected, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and somewhere we'd visit again if we were in that part of town.

The last place we visited on our coffee tour (on our last full day actually) was Stumptown Coffee, which is situated at the Ace Hotel www.stumptowncoffee.com/locations/nyc-ace.  I decided to try an espresso con panna rather than my usual cortado... which in some ways was a mistake.  Their espresso hits you straight between the eyes - almost daring you to drink it, and when you do....wowzer!  The article says... 'With its travertine floors, walnut bar and natty staff, this is a striking setting for a cappuccino. The drink is up to the surroundings. Cold-brewed iced coffee tastes as bright and fruity as berries steeped in water, while a shot of espresso is so sweet and plush you’ll wish it lasted longer.'  I'm not sure whether I'd say sweet but hey!  I'm not THAT much of an espresso connossieur...but I doubt I'm brave enough to have it again without a certain amount of milk in it....!.  It is an exceptionally trendy place though - baristas wearing the ubiquitous flat caps or other such fashionable head coverings seen at pretty much all the places we visited, and full of beautiful, young, trendy people on both sides of the counter, with a dose of tourists for good measure.  There's no seating without going into the hotel lobby, however you can stand at the long narrow counter in front of the window and gaze at the world passing by, which of course we did!  I wanted to put this into my blog almost as a counterpoint to the others in here - there was no seating, the coffee was waaaay to strong for me, and to be honest, I wasn't entirely comfortable there (far too many beautiful people :) ), but out of the rest of the places we visited apart from Third Rail, Jittery Joes and Culture Espresso, it best fit what I think the NY Times article was trying to highlight - New York is definitely taking its coffee SERIOUSLY - almost TOO seriously for me.  Espresso for me is a pleasure, something to be savoured, appreciated and most of all enjoyed, not something that overwhelms my tastebuds.  The glass of water that accompanies my espresso is to cleanse my palate (as well as to counteract the inevitable dehydrating effect caffeine has on the body),  it's not meant to be a necessity aid in diluting the extremely strong aftertaste, nor should I be seeking out more several glasses of water after I've finished that one.  Having said that, and in an aim to give some perspective to what my taste buds were going through, at the time of our trip I'd just almost totally given up milk, which meant giving up my beloved lattes and moving to cortados and the occasional espresso - perhaps if I had still been drinking those, I might have appreciated the intensity in a more diluted environment.  Having said that, I had no problems with espressos at home... even those made by the most traditional and talented Italian baristas...

Who knows...maybe I'm just an uneducated Brit with an inability to appreciate art when I drink it ;)

Immersion Therapy...NYC Style!

Mike and I like good coffee.  We also like to immerse ourselves in cities we visit.  We like to find places to sit and experience the world going by - folks doing what they do, travelling from one place to another, living their lives - it's like having a little window from which to watch those little snippets of routines...get a kind of insight into their lives...

Anecdote time...  We visited Las Vegas in 2005 for my birthday, and had the pleasure of staying at Bellagio.  Now the mall in Bellagio has a great coffee shop and patisserie and you guessed it - we found it.  Well there we were enjoying our coffees - large extra strong latte for me, double espresso for Mike - and sharing a very good cinnamon bun.  A man and woman sat at a table next to us and the woman proceeded to get out their itinerary for their 2 night / 3 day trip - they'd just arrived.  The woman proceeded to walk the man through the itinerary and believe me it would have made a 5 star general proud (if a little exhausted...).  They basically had 6 minutes to have their coffee after which they had to be in the lobby meeting friends...they then had 7 minutes to get to the front of the hotel to see the next fountain show - they couldn't watch all of it as they had to be at Treasure Island for the next pirate show, then get their skates on for the volcano show at The Mirage... they could grab a sandwich at some point as they wouldn't have time for a full meal - they had to be goodness knows where for what by when.... We were pretty exhausted eavesdropping let me tell you!  She managed to have a scheduled phone conversation with their children that had been left with grandparents and then they were off! (They left most of their drinks....) Now we were only there for 3 nights ourselves, but apart from wanting to see the Star Trek Exhibition at the Hilton (it's no longer there which is quite sad...), see Ron Lucas's show at the Rio and have a nice meal in Prime for my birthday night, we were pretty much flying by the seat of our pants, agendaless and it was a great trip!  How can folks go on a trip which pretty much wipe them out, leaving them more exhausted than before they left?  Where's the 'holiday'?  Where's the 'relaxation'?  I'm sure some of you reading this will be shouting 'We do and we love it! It's a perfect holiday!' and I'm glad for you but it is SO not for us! :)

When we go to Barcelona, we spend a fair amount of time doing just the same kind of thing - sitting in nice cafes or coffee bars, or great market eateries and menu del dia places, enjoying great espresso and cafe con leche, good food, and completely surrendering ourselves to the ebb and flow of life, equally and perfectly happy to either chat to each other or just watch and listen to the interactions around us - the banter between bar staff and kitchen staff, the 'Hi, how're you doing Mary?' or 'Usual Fred?' or any of the thousands of brief interactions we get the chance to observe in our day to day journeys.  We actually got to see the Olympic Flame be run through the centre of Barcelona in 2008 simply by deciding totally at random whilst walking around Eixample one morning, to have nice little break in a coffee shop,  and have some 'do nothing for a bit' time,  which lead to reading the local paper and seeing an article about it happening - that day!!! 


This June we return to New York.  Mike and I first visited for Thanksgiving in November 2008 - my first visit.  I've been twice more in 2009 mainly as sanity for Mike during his long stays (he worked for a Madison Avenue based company) and just to actually sleep in the same bed as my husband - he'd been away from home ALOT that year.  The stay was quite hard though - he'd be in the office before 8am and if we were lucky he'd be back to the hotel around 8pm - each day hoping to leave the office 'at a reasonable time..' (6ish) but always getting dragged into something meaning it would be much later than that.  We did find a couple of bars where we could do our 'immersion therapy' though - Annie Moore's near Grand Central - it's an amazing place for that.  I had a really nice chat (under the watchful eye of Nicky I might add - one of the bar staff who had taken his role of guardian angel very seriously for the couple of nights I went there by myself to meet up with Mike - thanks Nicky :) ) about the baseball game on TV with a friendly old chap who was a self confessed barfly.

Another bar that was great for immersion therapy was up 92nd and 2nd - Blondies - it's changed hands now which is a shame.  (I arrived on St Paddy's Day in March - a totally mental time in NY - and we did our get-a-seat-at-the-bar-chill-and-watch-the-world-go-by thing.  We weren't quite prepared for the madness of one of the bar staff getting up on the bar in his hastily wrapped-around-his-waist stapled-on Ireland flag skirt, walking up and down with a bottle of Jack Daniels in his hand, pouring it into eager customer's mouths...but it was alot of fun to watchto'ing and fro'ing of lighthearted insults and anecdotes from the evening).

Back to June though...unfortunately the weather was not kind.  I was there for nearly a fortnight, and I had TERRIBLE weather - it absolutely teemed it down for about 7 days in a row - rain like you see on the movies and TV shows set in New York - it was like a monsoon!  So... no sitting in Central Park under a tree with my book, or on a park bench in Bryant Park in the shade with my lunch, or walking miles and miles exploring... Even the locals kept saying it was soooo not the norm for that time of year.... So, I basically frequented a lot of Starbucks that I already knew the locations of - usually to dry out my jeans - they'd be soaked from mid thigh down...  I loved it in some ways though in that I got to see the same folks interacting with the Barista's each day on their way to work, or at lunchtime, or when they popped in for their mid morning drug of choice, and I got to see the Baristas interacting with each other during their working day - the jokes they'd make, the general banter, and it was great.

So - to bring all of this stuff I've just waffled on about for ages together - we've got a bit of a plan for this visit, the idea for which came out of a New York Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/dining/10coffee.html?pagewanted=1&hp

Whilst 'The Man' (i.e. Starbucks) may still get the odd coffee sale from us, we're gonna try the independents - places where New Yorkers not only go to get great coffee, but that seem to have a great sense of community and friendship.  Potentially perfect locations for Immersion Therapy!  This one for example:

http://joetheartofcoffee.com

And another one that catches the eye....

http://jitteryjoes.com/ourcoffee/  Isn't that just a fantastic name for a coffee shop!

So - watch this space in June folks - I'll be blogging about the places we visit along with pictures, observations and insights :)

Of Endings and Beginnings

Ok...

Last Thursday started just like any other day...until my boss asked if I 'had a minute...just want to have a chat ...'

The outcome of that chat was my being made redundant.

And you know what...I'm absolutely fine about it!

Yes - really!

I'm the type of person that can put up with alot of crap in my work, it pays the bills and gives Mike and I the funds to do the things we want (within reason...it didn't pay THAT well :) ), but what that means is I 'make do', I 'settle' when I really should get my finger out and find a position that actually uses my skills and experience - that doesn't constantly make me doubt myself...my abilities...

For a variety of reasons, two and a half years ago I made a career decision too quicky - one that I knew was the wrong one pretty much from day one on the job, and if I'm honest, I've been unhappy since then.  When friends and family asked me the question 'how's work...?' they pretty much got...'no comment....' which was very unlike me!  I've been given the chance to change that.

I'm lucky that my redundancy package gives me the gift of time so I  give careful thought to what I want to do next - as well as have a very well timed couple of months off.

I'll miss some folks - pretty much everyone who leaves the place consistently says they'll miss the people, and I'm not an exception to that - but all in all, I'm doing Snoopy Happy Dances in my head.

Seriously folks - I'm a big believer in fate and synchronicity and I'm happy to relax, and get on board for the ride to wherever it decides to take me...

Happy journeying everyone!

Holding my own water (so to speak...)

You know that saying 'don't tell them, they can't hold their own water...!'? That euphemism for someone not being able to keep a secret? Well I'm in that predicament and can't 'relieve myself' until Monday... I hate it. It goes against the grain when it's something that affects me more than anyone else in the situation, and until 'relief' is achieved, has the potential to make others think badly of you for possibly letting them down, or the perception that you've just dropped off the face of the earth...

Writing this is sort of a 'letting off steam' approach - releasing some of the pressure before my head explodes (metaphorically speaking of course!). It's suitably vague yet satisfyingly cathartic.

But fear not faithful readers! Come Monday I will be able to Tweet, Facebook, Blog...in fact say whatever the heck I like about it, wherever the heck I like, however the heck I want to - releasing all the steam (or hot air if some of you've experienced my random ramblings and jottings :) ) and becoming my own personal tittle tattle - whohoooo!

See you Monday folks!

I'll save this....

What is it about some of us, that when given a particularly nice 'thing', we want to put it away - save it 'for later' or for that 'special occasion'...

Those fabulous large pasta shells lovingly carried home from Italy by your sister and her husband...too good to use with just any old (homemade from scratch) sauce but squirrelled away for a 'special' meal...

The great wine glasses you have that are a 'bit delicate' - you might catch and break them, so they stay in the glasses cabinet - at the back...

The fabulous heavy silk pashmina bought as a Christmas present that's 'too nice to wear' so it's been in a drawer in the wardrobe for over 4 years...it catches your eye every now and then - you take it out, drape it around your shoulders loving the colours in it before carefully folding it up and putting it back away...

The gorgeous red Le Creuset shallow lidded pan passed on to you from your Mum-in-law's kitchen after she passed - they spent their lives hung on their own rack looking marvellous but never being used as they were far too heavy for her and she never liked to use one of a set. You have it now and don't want to just use it any old time - it's a 'keepsake'...

The first leather jacket you eventually bought yourself when you were in your 40's (!) which you love on but didn't like to wear just any old time...yep - you thought you'd save it for 'special' occasions....

Well folks - I just want to share something with you... if you, like me, think that way about these 'things' watch what happens when you start to push back - rebel against that inner voice...

Those fabulous large pasta shells lovingly carried home from Italy by your sister and her husband...Well I decided that enough was enough - they were bought for us to eat not decorate a cupboard! They were bought in a country that doesn't decorate its kitchens with ingredients - they USE them, enjoying them as part of a meal with family and friends, maybe with a glass of wine. So, an embarrasingly long time after we were given them I decided to use them in a pasta bake with my homemade meat sauce. We even took that risk eyes wide open ready for them to taste a little 'cupboardy' and guess what...it was wonderful - we now look out for that pasta in different shops in the UK that do 'artisan' pasta so we can experience it again!

The great (but VERY fine) red wine glasses you were bought as a Christmas present several years ago... This one was a little nerve wracking to rebel against, as I am terribly clumsy with glasses... I had to give myself a bit of a talking to...swearing to myself they would NEVER see the inside of the dishwasher (thankfully, the stems are too long - they don't fit....), only ever being handwashed... And guess what! They're both intact and have an outing not every time we have a bottle of red wine, but at special dinners during the year - a happy comprimise you might say!

The fabulous heavy silk pashmina bought for a Christmas present, that's 'too nice to wear'... This one is a bit more of a 'work in progress' and really what made me think up this post! This pashmina may be a little large for wearing when we go out for an evening, but will be wonderful to wear around my shoulders at home - why shouldn't I enjoy the lovely colours and patterns during my normal day? I could wear this on a cool Spring or Summer evening in the garden - and I'm going to! It is coming out of my cupboard this week!

The gorgeous red Le Creuset shallow lidded pan passed on to you from your Mum-in-law's kitchen...I'm sort of rebelling by proxy on this one - I have strong enough wrists/hands and only have one of them. I loved seeing those pans everytime I was in Mum's kitchen and always dreamed of having some of my own. I never could (and still can't) justify their price tag, but thanks to a thoughtful 'gift', I at long last had one of them in my kitchen. I dipped my toe in rebellion to begin with - only using it for 'special' meals... (arrrgghhhh!!!) but now it's my pan of choice for potato and fennel gratin or cauliflower cheese, which I cook often. I love the weight of it, I love how it changes colour in the fierce heat of the oven, and I even enjoy getting all those hard baked on bits off - making it lovely and clean to use again!

The first leather jacket you eventually bought yourself... The first 18 months in my ownership, this jacket was worn probably only 3 or 4 times - each time I loved how I felt wearing it, but wanted it 'to last' - a good thrifty sentiment but one that meant I didn't wear it as often as I thought about wearing it...then we went to New York for Thanksgiving in 2008 and I wore it almost all the time. Well that was that really.... I wear it in Spring, Autumn, Winter (with pashmina's and gloves in that season), in rain (and boy is it good in rain!) and in shine. Yes it's scuffed on the seams, showing the wear, but you know what - I love it all the more. The leather is increadibly soft. It could have still been relatively pristine, waiting for me to take it off the hanger for it's infrequent outing, but it wouldn't have kept the freezing cold New York wind off me that November - boy does it stop the draught! It wouldn't have kept the unseasonable showers (and downpours) off me last June (again in New York), and then be breathable enough to wear when it got muggy, finally being carried when it got a little too warm, but I didn't care as it had done such a great job. It wouldn't have been my first choice to wear with jeans at the weekend, or with more formal trousers for an evening out.

So - the next time you think 'ooo....that's far too good to use' or 'I'll save that for a special occasion' or any other such thing - be strong! Tell yourself that it's not too good to be used - it's its purpose and probably the reason you were bought it to begin with. 'Special' occasions can be any time, not an ever moving destination that you never seem to reach! It's worth the risk - honest!

Our Clever Camera...

We've got a new camera - a Canon SX200 - which has a rather neat feature - 'Colour Accent' - you select a colour you want it to focus on, and it does the rest!

I love this picture - it was taken in March this year at Tibidabo Amusement Park, Barcelona. 

http://www.tibidabo.es/en/planol-parc

It was a beautiful crystal clear spring day (very different to our visit last May when it was VERY cloudy).  Typically very cold in the shade, but quite warm in the sun...we actually needed sunscreen!  Here's what the park information says about the ride...

• Avió  Young and old alike will delight in Tibidabo's most emblematic ride and history's first flight simulator. Powered by its own propeller it has been flying since 1928 on a flight that will stir your imagination.

It's safe to say that as we both have quite a fear of heights, and that the plane swings out over a very, VERY big drop, we didn't have a go, but it was wonderful seeing people going on it - both young and old, just as it says in the text - and coming off it with big smiles on their faces!

BlackBerries and Apples

Well here I am, about to cross over to the dark side...I'm switching from my beloved BlackBerry to an Apple iPhone...

Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forwards to my lovely new white toy, but I've been around BlackBerries now for oooo let me think....10 years now.... (crikey!).

It all started with a project I managed to bring in Blackberry devices at a company I worked for - started at 10 devices for the senior team and snowballed into around 1700 of the little gems 6 years later! I've had to use pretty much every device there's been since they launched in the UK - the original black 67xx series devices with the greenish screen and basic integrated phone to the 81xx Pearl devices and all the 8xxx series models beyond. Ahhh I remember all the IT guys in the early days laughing saying that no-one would put one of THOSE to their ear as a phone - it was just too big...but I was a true believer - they were magical devices, a true 'Ronseal' product...they did exactly what it said on the can. They were easy to set up, a piece of cake to use, and easy to fix if they went wrong - ok that was the early days...as RIM got cleverer, the bugs got sneakier but we battled through them all! I waited with baited breath for the Curve to be developed and was the proverbial pig when I was one of the first people in the UK to try it out - I loved that evaluation model and wouldn't let it out of my sight for fear those very same IT guys would run away with it to 'put it through it's paces (tech speak for screw with the Operating System and then try fix it....errr...no thanks lads!)

Here I am though...on the brink of changing away from my beloved old friend to an iPhone. I've had a Macbook for 3 years now and have to say I absolutely love Apple - their software is great, it's well thought out and it looks great! I got an iPod Touch in New York last June and that's given me a great opportunity to use the virtual keyboard, wireless for internet browsing etc and it's been a bit of a chore going back to my trusty 8900 Curve - email is still great - no doubt about that! Those other things I've started to use more and more though... Facebook, internet browsing, using websites in general...I'm sorry to say it just doesn't cut the mustard anymore.

So, after 10 years it's goodbye to BlackBerry - may they long continue to provide excellent products and their march into the consumer arena (it's still very strange seeing young children with BlackBery devices....and as for the new purple Curve...what's the world coming to! LOL)

Helloooooo iPhone 3Gs in white :)

Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day...and I realise there have been 10 of them since mine died...

Mike's posted something this morning, saying that he doubly misses his Mum today... and I'm a little sad inside because I don't feel the same way about mine. I'm not sure whether that makes me a bad person or just an honest one. She wasn't a bad person - not at all - just someone that something tragic happened to, and that changed her forever, and she just got a little lost along the way. Looking back over the years, I know they made me what and who I am - but I can't say I have any particularly 'happy' or 'fond' memories of Mum...they were an odd assortment of trials and tribulations, and drama fit for a TV soap - the last years of my parents lives the 'series finale'. And so this brings me back to where I started on this post.. but whilst I can honestly say I don't miss my Mum..I can say with equal honesty that I love her in spite of her faults and always will - she's was my Mum and always will be.

The thing I do miss is being able to say this to her...

Happy Mothers Day Mum - I love you

2009 in Tweets and Facebook Status Updates....

All I can says is WOW...What a year 2009 was!!!


January

...is thinking about things to get on with this weekend...maybe tidy up the garden...
...is sorry to say she's playing Gala bingo on the internet – sad puppy!
...is working her way through hundreds of photos!
...is thinking what to have for tea...
...is going to stop putting things on here cos it shows how boring she is at the moment...!
...is truly bitten by the Facebook bug!!!
...is thinking can it almost be Monday already...!
...is looking forwards to seeing Mike tomorrow morning – she's really really missed him...!
...is having a strong latte at Manchester Airport waiting for Mike – she needs it!!
...is home with Mikey :)

February

...is getting ready for brews and brats watching Superbowl!!!
...is amazed she managed to see all the game! Go Steelers!!
...is eating chilli and drinking Brooklyn lager...basically chillin' with Mike...!
...is trying to get stuff out of her head and on to paper...
...is eeking out the last of the weekend...
...is happy just taking it day by day...!

March

...is watching the hail coming down....!!!
...thinks Foxy Bingo is pretty good!!! (yes...she's sad....!)
...is going to try really hard to focus on getting work all sorted out before jetting off next week...! (believe me - that's a toughie ;) )
...has actually motivated herself to make a pork, potato and aubergine curry which is now simmering nicely!!!
...is seriously thinking about putting her request in to be a man in her next reincarnation.....!
...s considering serious amounts of chocolate....
...is listening to last.fm - fab site!
...is feeling a bit sorry for herself but will be back on her feet again tomorrow...!
...is back on her feet today...!
...is thinking ooo lovely...a whole weekend of cleaning...fab....(yes...she's joking....well a bit....!)
...has cracked the vacuuming...next the kitchen....!
...has just watched Mamma Mia and thinks its absolutely fantastic! (ta M&J :) )
...oh dear....I'm now a Twitterer.... (ok some would say I've always had that problem but have the app to support the habit now!!! LOL)
...strike that! I'm a Tweeter apparently :) (ok...I'm not quite 'with it' yet.... :0) )
...2 more sleeps....
...ok...moved into the jittery stage!!! lol
...I'm sure airport pick up companies have special torture training... 5.55 pick up for a 10.20 flight....arrrrggghhhhhh!
...ok brain....go to sleep....!!!
...is in a tizz! Airport pickup turned up 20 mins early.....arrrggghhhh!!! my finely timed plan out the window!
...is trying to find somewhere to sit that's hopefully not ages from the gate!
...is in the Big Apple - well almost....Newark....
...is watching a lot of folks wearing really tacky green bling in the Big Apple for St Pats day...!
...is having pancakes, bacon and maple syrup for breakfast with black coffee and OJ - heaven!
...is off for lunch with Mike - maybe get a sandwich and go sit in Bryant Park in the spring sunshine....
...is having an iced latte - its sooo warm!!! (the weather - not the iced latte obviously!)
...is being a muppet with this on her blackberry...keep posting nothing by accident!!! (Makes me sound deep but basically I'm just a muppet :) )
...is nursing VERY sore feet after walking around 6 miles today!
...has blisters the size of quarters on the squidgy part of her feet under her toes - and they are VERY sore! Any tips from walkers out there?
...is glad she googled advice on blisters!!! now drained - bliss (sorry - probably tmi!!!)
...is gonna change status as gross factor too high! :)
...is looking forwards to either a cold draught Brooklyn Lager or Sam Adams!!
...has a full day ahead with Mikey on his birthday...which may well involve alcohol!!!
...is watching very light slow fall on the first day of spring! (its not laying of course...just proving its not quite ready to leave yet!)
...is ready for the day after a good breakfast with Mikey :)
...is just waiting for the Staten Island Ferry... :)
...has the theme from Working Girl in her head - go Carly!
..is having Japanese lunch with birthday boy :)
...is in Starbucks....no surprise there then!
...is in Blondies Bar on 2nd and 92nd.... again....:)
...is nursing poorly feet again....ho hum!
...and mikey are off to the museum of natural history!
...is resting footsies in Starbucks at Lincoln Center...
...is resting feet at the apt after a fabulous day walking for miles!
...is at Brother Jimmy's BBQ on 92nd and 3rd.....it's fab!
...starts flying home tomorrow night...looking forwards to seeing moggies...not looking forwards to leaving Mike... :(
...is all packed and ready for more pottering in NYC with Mike on her last day this trip...
...is at Astor Place & 3rd having an iced latte
...is having lunch at Republic in Union Square ...
...back at the apartment.... car picking me up at 7pm....
...is on the way to the airport...
...is having a latte and a muffin feeling like half of her is missing...
...is getting ready for boarding...next post Manchester tomorrow morning!
...is back in the UK - and knackered!
...is thinking is it bedtime yet....?
...is back at work today...and just a wee bit tired...can't think why!
...is thinking 4.40 am here I come - picking Mikey up from the airport!
...is having a lovely breakfast with Mikey
...is trying to focus at work!
...trying to remind myself why i thought volunteering for GN on Sat was a good idea.....

April

...knackered after working Grand National - but it was fun! Sorta....! After being scared witless to begin with :)
...cooking roast leg of lamb for dinner....
...has just been for the first pootle on the bikes this year....lovely day for it!
...oh great...'travellers' have decided to move in around the corner - loads of them..... :(
...is sat having a coffee in Nero's while Mike has his hair cut....
...has Mike all packed for his NY trip...
...has done the airport run...its sunny the other side of the Pennines!
...Yay!!! It's sunny here too!!!
...wants to know why when you're trying to change your way of eating, all you can think about is how hungry you feel...no matter how much fruit etc you eat!!!??? No fair!!! LOL
...it's a glorious sunny morning - looks like a lovely day in store!
...is sorta looking forwards to a potter in Leeds tomorrow...

May

...hallelujah! peace on the street again!!!
...is heading off to Barcelona! Yayyyy!!!
...is winding down after a great day :)
...and Mikey - on the bus turistic :)
...thinks it's going to be a museum day today...!
...is having lunch at Can Ramonet... sardinas a la plancha....merluza al horno... yummy!
...says 'one Te Helado in Cafe D'estiu coming up - I'm a tad warm!!! 26C in Barca today!!!'
...is waiting for Tramvia Blau :)
...ok....we'd have been waiting a while for Tramvia Blau - it only runs weekends and holidays at the moment! got the bus up and we're now on the funicular!
...is back from Tibidabo - was great once the mist cleared!
...s thinking it sounds lke Barca won!!
...is having her last menu del dia this trip!
...and Mike have started their journey home...! Trains, planes and automobiles! :)
...is @ the airport...there are some very sad people already queuing for the Leeds flight - 3 hrs before it goes...! No - not us! :)
...is safely back home waiting for her new motorbike to be delivered...and look at the state of the flippin' weather!!!
...'s new bike sounds amazing! Shame the weather isn't conducive to running it in! Off to see Star Trek instead :)
...Got the chance to go out on the bike this morning before the heavens opened! It's fab!!!
...is taking Mike to the airport for his NYC trip - typical re the flippin weather - nicest its been in ages :(
...C'mon Brawn!!! Keep focussed JB!
...Congratulations to JB and RB and Brawn! Amazing race! Well done!
...And JB almost does a lap of honour on foot - muppet parked in park ferme! Bless!
...Amazing win Jensen & Brawn but you could prob have done without the almost lap of honour on foot after that race! Bless! Now go get weighed!
...Close your ears domestic goddesses - but the lining may well be cut from my curtains to cope with a case of shrinkage in a 30 degree wash!
...Noooooo......have knocked a cup of coffee all over my Macbook......and its getting worse as it drys out.....nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!
...ok - so i have to have an hour phone interview with the insurance company to go through the 'accident' in 'more detail'.....i accidentally knocked a partially full cup of coffee over my damned laptop ffs....I'm pretty gutted thanks!
...is enjoying a glorious English morning watching and listening to the birds while her first batch of washing dances through its cycle in the machine...
...is hoping none of her neighbours are clubbers or had a late Saturday night...its 850am and her next door neighbour is mowing the lawn...I kid u not!!!

June

...is all packed and ready for the trip...trick now is to actually get some sleep...430am alarm tomorrow!
...is at Manchester airport on a very grey and wet morning...!
...is in the Big Apple and on her way to meet Mikey...woohoo!!! :)
...is watching the world go by on 6th Ave with an iced latte....could be a tad tired of I thought about it!
...& Mike just walked from Bryant Park to Madison Square Park (next to Flatiron building) via Broadway...will find a different route next time...!
...says The Big Apple is hot Hot HOT today! Walked from Bryant Park to Fulton Street!!! Phew!!!
..is going to have a bit of a pottering day today...bit of 5th Ave...bit of Madison...who knows where I'll end up...see how the showers pan out...!
...is on Twitter if anyone is bored enough to want her inane updates - mainly coffee or food oriented but hey! :)
...is having a tiny sit down (with an iced skinny latte of course!) before heading off to Macys...
...is experiencing a VERY wet morning in New York - boy it knows how to rain here!!!
...is at the Guggenheim...
...is having a wee rest after walking from the Guggenheim back downtown along Madison to 49th...so far....
...is in a misty NYC...! Macy's sale starts today....off to join in the madness :)
...is resting her footsies after 2 hours in Macy's...plus the trotting of course!!!
...is watching another rainy day in NYC...forecast ain't gettin' any better!
...is having an AMAZING visit to MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) - been here over 2 hrs and only done 2 floors...the art is AMAZING!!!
...is using her brolly again today...and the humidity is going through the roof already...
...is sat in Starbucks on corner of E35th and 5th...nice comfy chair....settled in for a nice read and watch the world go by!!! (I know....sad or what!!!)
...is sat in Bryant Park - wow its hot!! And humid...!!!
...is wondering...why is it that the heat brings out all the nut jobs??? (even more than usual that is....)
...is watching Yankees v Mets in Blondies on 92nd with a Sam Adams (and Mikey of course!)...heaven!!! :)
...has just had Korean casserole for the first time in Little Korea...yum!!! Now sheltering from a thunderstorm...in Starbucks (of course!)
...is having a late breakfast in Red Flame Diner...it's Flag Day here in the US and it's crazy madness on the streets!!! :)
...is glad the weather forecast was totally wrong!!!
...OK..not totally wrong...it just bucketed it down!!!! Think the summer movie in Bryant Park tonight might be a washout which is a shame!
...Last full day in the Big Apple....and to be honest am looking forwards to starting journey home...!
...Looking like a nice day today in NYC...might be good to sit in Bryant Park!
...is ready for the long journey home...missing moglets, friends and Home... :)
...Safely landed back in good old Blighty!!! :) Now for the M60/M62 during morning rush hour....on a Friday
...Ahhhh....home....bliss! Even with the insanity of moglets :)
...Having a pretty crap day all in all...
...It's definitely a TGI Friday day!!!
...Cadbury's Clusters are the food of the devil.....arrrgggghhhh!!!!!!
...Henman...Murray....why do we do this to ourselves every year....?? I'm watching the match and I don't even follow the flippin game.....!!!

July

...Wish weather 4casters got 5 day forecast more damned accurate - showed pants for 2day all week but its lovely - could've planned something!
...Usual weekend routine...Sunday = washing day...at least can hang it all out :)
...What a jolly nice day it's been today and it's a glorious evening as well! :)
...Is it hometime yet....even more so - is it Friday yet.??? (Sigh) :(
...Mikey home from Dublin today :) almost makes up for the nightmare that is weekly report Friday... Almost....

August

...I think this having a weekend at the end of every week thing is fab! :)
...Ripley here we come - and on a glorious sunny day!
...Ripley village and the Boars Head...highly recommended!
...Beautiful Yorkshire Dales National Park - we are SO lucky having all this on our doorstep!!!
...Had a fantastic time at Ripley and the Boars Head Hotel - amazing food, great staff and beautiful village! We'll be going back there! :)
...I've fed the virtual fish, cleaned the virtual tank, farmed the virtual crops, milked the virtual cows, collected the virtual wool and eggs...I'm just a virtual girl in a virtual world!!!
...Right folks.... "To sleep, perchance to dream..." of cows and sheep and goats and chickens and pigs and cotton and wheat and artichokes.....you get the picture :) Nite World!
...Is it the weekend yet....?
...time to get up.....breakfast to make...cats to feed....things to do! :)
...Anyone wanna help a sad git out and become a neighbour on Farmville.....? (who hasn't already that is!!! ) need 3 more to be able to expand my farm :)
...spaghetti and bolognese for tea and nice bottle of tempranillo.....
...off to Ripley Castle and the Boars Head again - this time for a work thing...without Mikey so not as nice :(
...I can honestly say I'm knackered! Project Framework Launch event over and done with....next stop - TrackIT upgrade and relaunch....glutton for punishment I hear you say....?
...So...2 entire days - over 16 hours - spent chasing around 70 folks to complete their Trackit - that's averages at around 13 minutes per person - around 4 times as long as it takes them to enter the sodding time in the first place.... I despair!!!
...Can't believe it's nearly Thursday already...! Working through the new Trackit system set up slowly but surely....then it's getting all the dummy data in for testing...then the testing...then putting user guides together along with training materials...then training....all to be completed in 3 weeks.....arrrrggghhhh!!!!
...Not a bad work day all in all....pretty productive....! Weird though...it keeps feeling like Friday - must remember to NOT ignore the alarm tomorrow morning! LOL
...Lemon and grapefruit for me please for my ribbon! :)
...3day weekend.....yayyyyyy!!!!

September

...Can't believe it's September!!! Autumn's on it's way!
...Wash day tomorrow....getting everything washed and dried ready for packing for Mikey's next work trip...
...Packing for Mikey's next NYC work trip tonight....
...Taking Mikey to the station this morning for the airport train.... Luckily a busy day to keep me distracted...
...Well that's Mikey off to the Big Apple again... Roll on a week on Saturday when he's back home..... :(
...I do so hate that just-taken-contacts-out-feel-like-half-a-ton-of-grit-in-my-eyes feeling!
...well the traffic is back to normal now the kids are back at school...!
...I think its time to say goodbye to Farmville.... its killing my hands.... :( Ta to everyone who helped my farm grow - good luck with yours! :)
...Oh dear...I've entered the world of Blogger....So that's Facebook, Twitter, Blogger...what on earth next!!! :) More inane ramblings to inflict on the world :) (Sorry world!! )
...Well, after being violently sick from yesterday eve to this morning, my skin hurts, I ache from head to toe and I have a blinding headache... I can honestly say I feel like crap!
...oh joy...it's infectious...I'm feeling better....Mike's started with it early hours.... off out to get chicken soup...
...Starting to feel semi-human...still can't face food though.... :( Wish the dizzy/light headedness and queasiness would stop..... (sigh)
...Well folks...thanx to the tummy bug in the past 4 days I've had 4 slices of toast, 2 bowls of cornflakes and 2 mugs of soup....fab... :( Will try to eat 'properly' tomorrow....if the queasiness stops....
...Ahhhh....home made leek and potato soup....... :)
...Wobbly again this morning....this bug has totally screwed up my blood sugar.... :(

October

...Crikey! Friday already!!! Made even better by next week off :) A nice 'home' week - not done that with leave for years! Yayyyyy!!!!! :)
...Had a fab evening with friends last night - good food, good company and hilarious Pictionary games ROFL
...Had a fab day in York, pottering around and feeding squirrels in Museum Gardens :)
...So...dried fruit slowly getting totally sozzled on a shameful amount of good Spanish brandy before going into the Christmas cakes tomorrow....!
...Cakes are in the oven....I forget how tiring it is making them...! Worth it though ;)
...Two Crimble cakes cooling on the racks, one huge one still in the oven....!
...Just made up the 'feeding liquor' for the cakes....tastes goooood! :)
...Roasted belly pork with roasted potatoes and squash for tea....mmmmm!!! (Home made apple crumble and fresh custard for pud! :) )
...Thinking of going to see Surrogates at the flicks.....
...Off to the bottle bank to do our recycling..
...Ho hum...back to the madness of work tomorrow....! Good week off though :)
...Bit parky out this morning! Sunshine + blue sky...yup - back to work today...
...First day over - phew!!! Feel like I've never been away - well almost....then again nahhhhh... Was a good break!!! :)
...Oh for the love of all that's holy - just gave my blackberry an impromptu bath in the kitchen sink.....NOT a happy bunny AT ALL...have it drying ing the airing cupboard but not holding out much hope at the mo.....(SOB)
...Nooooo......!!! Blackberry withdrawal already...got to try and sort out getting it repaired...That's probably weeks without it.... :(
...Just had a fab ride out on the motorbikes for a few hours!!! :)
...Just prepared a batch of Crimble mincemeat - sitting marinading overnight and then in the oven for a few hours tomorrow...smells fab!
...Got my baking head on today...Apple cake in the oven along with a Banana and Ginger Loaf... The Crimble mincemeat is out of the and cooling nicely - when it's cold, in goes the brandy and then into the jars, to be stored (maturing nicely) until December!
...Ahhh...Crimble mincemeat in jars - off to the cupboard they go! Trying to ignore the apple cake and banana & ginger loaf until this evening :)
...Apple cake and banana ginger loaf both fab (even though i do say so myself! ;)
...Wow! Thursday already....really....???? I think I'm still in back in Tuesday....!
...Everyone in the UK....remember the clocks have gone back today!!! :)
...Baking Goddess in action - banana and date loaf, ginger and sultana rock buns (which are yummy) and raspberry muffins just finished baking!
...Looks like we've chased another set of next door neighbours away!!! Must be all the wild parties :) (not....)
...OK Monday morning....! Watch out - here I come!
...Right Friday....weekly reports....bring it on!!!
...Friends over for Hallow'een tomorrow...big clean n tidy ahead! Looking forwards to having them as always! :)
...Just made Nigel Slater's Ginger Cake.... yummy!!! Making Cornbread Muffins later to go with the beef casserole :)

November

...A decided November bite to the weather today....! May have to remember to keep gloves on me..... :)
...Getting excited by proxy for friends off to the Big Apple tomorrow.... :) One more sleep guys!!! Have an amazing time :)
...Only trouble with rain on Bonfire Night is that you have bloody fireworks going off for bloody loads of nights...even worse when the past three bloody nights have rained back to back... probably going off until New Year at this bloody rate!!!
...Having to wear my spec's today.... really need some new ones!!!
...Ahhhh...have my bb curve again :)
...You know...some days are just plain irritating!!!
...Ooops! Leeds lights switch on tonight and its tipping down!!!
...Whohoo....got through a rather up and down (and up again) work-bit-of-Friday!!! Phew!!!
...Just managed 18 minutes on our new cross trainer.... knackered!!! Brill machine though!
...Mizzly day in Leeds today! Very autumnal!
...Bit blue without Mikey... (Sigh)

December

...Mr Wogan and Mr Jones singing 'Silver Bells' on the radio - Fabulous!!!! It's Christmas! Yayyyyyyy!!!
...Woohoooo!!! My Mikey's home tomorrowwww My Mikey's home tomorrow..... :)
...is feeling rather sorry for herself.... her head feels like its full of cotton wool and is gonna explode, and feels like a horse has kicked her in the chest while it was full of razor blades....other than that though she's just fine! Bah.....!
...Tis the season....for undercover deliveries of Christmas trees with solar lights by slightly tipsy great friends - it's absolutely fab!!! Thanks guys!!! :)
...Ahhh the joys of growing ones hair....again....
...Dontcha just hate it when you're awake an hour before the alarm and really want to go back to nice deep sleep...? :(
...Having a Christmas Carol fest today! Watched Patrick Stewart's first, Kelsey Grammar's on at the mo, then Bill Murray later on.... (Already watched Albert Finney's last week...) Then just the Muppets left to watch! It's got to be done - it's Crimble after all!!! :)
...We're like a snowball rolling downhill to Christmas...and gaining momentum!!!
...Well here I am...sat in the office wearing a rather fetching Christmas hat :). Merry Christmas!
...Well - snow started again in Leeds...!
...So...3 inches of snow in Morley overnight...and it's still snowing...!
...Have a wonderful magical Christmas everyone xxx
...Just watched Watchmen...hmmmm.....maybe not one to watch again.....!
...Have a great New Year's Eve everyone and all the best for 2010 and beyond!