The Fairweather Blogger

A Digital Nativity

2010-12-24T13:37:00.003Z

How the birth of Christ might happen today. Quite clever. Courtesy of Denise Nesbitt at Mrs Nesbitts Place.

I often wonder how the return of Christ would be accepted in today's society. He'd probably be treated just the same, sadly. What a terrible indictment of mankind that he hasn't moved on from self-serving egoism in over two thousand years. Jesus would probably build a healthy following but the will of the people is rarely followed by those in power, and He would be brought down by some modern-day regulation or other - 'Feeding the five thousand Mr Christ? I'm afraid you can't give any of that out without a food handling certificate.'
Merry Christmas!

A Real Christmas - again!

2010-12-23T13:44:00.000Z

Odd that my first post in almost a year should be about the weather, or perhaps not. The weather has dominated life here in the North East of England for the past five weeks. We've had snow on snow on snow which has compacted into ice on ice on ice, then more snow and temperatures of minus 15 degrees at night, with a maximum daytime temperature of minus 1 degree, so the snow and ice has had no chance to thaw. Today we had to venture out as a family to get the obligatory two-trollies-for-two-days-closure-Christmas shop. I HATE driving on ice (anyone with half a brain would hate driving on ice) but today I had to. I've been driving for a little over twenty five years and have, somehow, always managed to avoid driving in heavy snow and icy conditions. Not today. Today I had to endure a ten mile per hour road trip for some six miles to our local Tesco superstore. On the way I slid off the road twice and, whilst in the store, roughly four more inches of the white stuff fell from the skies making the drive home even more treacherous. Never again. We made it back home safely thank goodness, but my guts took a beating from the adrenaline coursing through my body during the drive. Car and family are now safely holed-up until this cold snap ends - a thaw is forecast to begin sometime after Boxing Day - but more heavy snow is coming tonight and tomorrow making a very white Christmas Day on Saturday.
Merry Christmas.

Invasion of the Not Quite Dead - Teaser Promo

2010-02-06T11:49:00.001Z

Here's the promotional video for the pre-production independent film "Invasion of the Not Quite Dead" starring Middlesbrough's very own Leslie Simpson (Dog Soldiers, Doomsday, The Descent.)

Why don't you sign up to become one of the film's producers? Have yourself a day on set, get a digital zombie makeover, appear as an extra in the film, get a credit in the closing titles plus loads more stuff - sign up here: The Indywood Project

Here's an interesting concept...

2010-02-05T06:54:00.003Z

Ever fancied being involved in the making of a movie?

With the link below you can, from as little as £5, become a producer, you could even see your name in the end credits of the movie and get all sorts of goodies and exclusive items - this is independent film making at it's best and most exciting.

The Indywood Project is looking for 3000 horror fans to get involved - you could even get a walk-on role in the film "Invasion of the Not Quite Dead" which will star Middlesbrough's own Les Simpson (Dog Soldiers, The Descent, Doomsday)
THE INDYWOOD PROJECT BECOME A FILM PRODUCER TODAY
Check it out.

New Year Wishes.

2009-12-30T15:18:00.000Z

And so we come to the end of another year and decade. And what a decade it's been, hasn't it? War in Iraq, Afghanistan, Twin Towers, London bombings, Jacko, Blair, Brown, Expenses, Tsunami and other extreme weather, melting ice-caps, rising fuel and food prices, taxes, taxes and more taxes, smoking bans, pub closures (I'm a man, I will mention this!) Banking collapse, recession, redundancy, repossessions, misery, doom and gloom - much the same as any other decade really. But there were some highlights: The birth of my beautiful Daughter, Emily, in 2003, my new job with Business Link in 2001, ..erm, ....erm - well that's enough 'highlights' for any man to cope with.
So now, as we look forward to all the gloom and doom and misery of the next decade, I'd like to wish you all a very happy, peaceful and prosperous 2010. Enjoy it while it lasts, the new decade honeymoon will be over soon enough!

(Photograph may be subject to copyright and can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/beto_frota/2152688405/)

Merry Christmas

2009-12-22T06:19:00.000Z

The weather has been somewhat seasonal of late - hence the lack of posts. (I am the Fairweather Blogger, after all.) However, I couldn't miss this opportunity to say a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Peaceful and prosperous New Year to all in Blogland.

Cat on a hot tin bonnet...

2009-11-13T18:42:00.000Z

I've been wondering where the pawprints had been coming from... now I know!

Stray Cat Update...

2009-11-11T07:36:00.002Z

Stray Cat, seen here relaxing on bonfire night, seems to have been 'adopted' by my wife. He's been coming in to eat, sleep and eat some more during the day and then is off on his travels at night. Except for last night that is. Last night Lesley decided to keep him indoors over night. We bought him a new litter tray - knowing that he's probably never used one before - and when the time came for him to go 'out', he was shocked to find that we didn't open the door but merely plonked him in the tray, which he quickly got out of. We closed the door of the utility room, settled Pepper in the house, and went to bed - fully expecting to be greeted by a mess this morning, but I'm pleased to say - he used the tray!

If he is to become a permanent fixture of the household he'll need a name. We have had three cats since we were married - Penny, Jude and Pepper. Pepper is still with us of course. Can you see the connection between the three cats and Stray Cat's proposed new name "Rigby"?? (Hold your mouse button down and scroll between the brackets)
[They're all named after Beatles song / album titles - Sergeant Pepper, Penny Lane, Hey Jude and now Eleanor Rigby]

It was twenty years ago today....

2009-11-09T12:50:00.001Z

Although this photo was taken almost twenty two years ago, I can't let today pass without reminding readers of the fall of the wall against which I am leaning. Twenty years ago today some brave souls decided that they'd had enough of communist East Berlin and decided to break down the wall which had divided the city, and Germany, for nearly thirty years. Much to the surprise of the wall-breakers and, indeed, the world, they weren't shot and within hours even the East Berlin Guards were helping break down the concrete structure. The collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe had begun. The grafitti above my head reads "FREEDOM COMES FROM INSIDE ONESELF, BUT WALLS CAN STAND IN THE WAY." Luckily this particular wall didn't stand in the way for too much longer.

A Victor Meldrew Moment.

2009-11-07T14:38:00.002Z

Why is it that my Friday evening was disrupted by Fireworks? Surely Bonfire night was Thursday and everyone in my neighbourhood put on absolutely splendid displays (except that is for our household who could only afford a £38 box of squeaks - squeaks from mice with laryngitis to be honest.)

So why is it that, having had their fill on Thursday night (and into the early hours of Friday.) three of my neighbours decided to repeat the exercise last night? The three neighbours concerned have never worked a day in their benefit-laden lives, have swarms of children of differing paternity and seemingly no respect for anyone or anything, including themselves. How can they afford the spectacular public-display fireworks they've been setting off for the past two nights? I've worked pretty much most of my life, I earn a decent enough wage, so why can I only afford a £38 squeak box and they can afford to pay for two nights of fireworks worthy of Sydney Harbour Bridge on New Years Eve??

There's something wrong with that, surely?

Advice for Men (& Justice for Women!!)

2009-11-06T17:29:00.001Z

I liked this and thought I'd share it with you...

"It is important for men to remember that, as women grow older, it becomes harder for them to maintain the same quality of housekeeping as when they were younger.

When you notice this, try not to yell at them. Some are oversensitive, and there's nothing worse than an oversensitive woman.

My name is Ron. Let me relate how I handled the situation with my wife, Carol Anne.

When I retired a few years ago, it became necessary for Carol Anne to get a full-time job, along with her part-time job, both for extra income and for the health benefits that we needed. Shortly after she started working, I noticed she was beginning to show her age.

I usually get home from the golf club about the same time she gets home from work. Although she knows how hungry I am, she almost always says she has to rest for half an hour or so before she starts dinner.

I don't yell at her. Instead, I tell her to take her time and just wake me when she gets dinner on the table. I generally have lunch in the Men's Grill at the club, so eating out is not reasonable. I'm ready for some home-cooked grub when I hit that door.

She used to do the dishes as soon as we finished eating. But now it's not unusual for them to sit on the table for several hours after dinner. I do what I can by diplomatically reminding her several times each evening that they won't clean themselves. I know she really appreciates this, as it does seem to motivate her to get them done before she goes to bed.

Another symptom of aging is complaining, I think. For example, she will say that it is difficult for her to find time to pay the monthly bills during her lunch hour. But, Boys, we take 'em for better or worse, so I just smile and offer encouragement. I tell her to stretch it out over two, or even three days. That way, she won't have to rush so much. I also remind her that missing lunch completely now and then wouldn't hurt her any (if you know what I mean).

I like to think tact is one of my strong points.

When doing simple jobs, she seems to think she needs more rest periods. She had to take a break when she was only half-finished mowing the yard. I try not to make a scene. I'm a fair man. I tell her to fix herself a nice, big, cold glass of freshly squeezed lemonade and just sit for a while. And, as long as she is making one for herself, she may as well make one for me, too.

I know that I probably look like a saint in the way I support Carol Anne.

I'm not saying that showing this much consideration is easy. Many men will find it difficult. Some will find it impossible! Nobody knows better than I do how frustrating women get as they get older. However, Guys, even if you just use a little more tact and less criticism of your aging wife because of this article, I will consider that writing it was well worthwhile. After all, we are put on this earth to help each other.

Signed, Ron"

EDITOR'S NOTE: Ron died suddenly on January 31 of a perforated rectum. The police report says he was found with a Calloway extra-long 50-inch Big Bertha Driver II golf club jammed up his rear end, with barely 5 inches of grip showing, and a sledge hammer laying nearby.

His wife Carol Anne was arrested and charged with murder.

The all-woman jury took only 10 minutes to find her Not Guilty, accepting her defense that Ron, somehow without looking, accidentally sat down on his golf club.

Safe Cats and Splendid Skies

2009-11-06T07:23:00.001Z

The sky over Middlesbrough this morning was particularly stunning - so much so I felt compelled to share it with you.

I always feel that the day after bonfire night really has an edge to it - it begins to feel truly like winter has arrived. This morning is no exception.

Bonfire night for us meant £38 being burnt in the back garden. A large box of fireworks had about three which actually caused an 'Oooh - ahh', the remaining twenty eight fireworks were a real disappointment - even Emily thought they were poor. So we've decided to go to a public display next year - so much cheaper and safer.
On the subject of safety - we kidnapped (or cat-napped) Stray Cat from the streets last night and kept him safe indoors - here he is at the height of the explosions:

The only thing which perturbed him was the fact that we wouldn't let him outside (until the bangs and explosions had subsided (after midnight!) by which time the poor fellow must have been bursting - having downed half a pint of milk and a full tin of Whiskas Supameat.

The Stray Cat Strut.

2009-11-03T06:38:00.001Z

Lesley decided, in the middle of the night, to go out and get the stray cat. She evicted Pepper to the house and put ‘stray cat’ in Pepper’s room (our utility room at the side of the house.)
Pepper woke me at five by curling up on my pillow so I got up and went to see how things were with ‘stray cat’. As I opened the utility room door the stench hit me – despite having the worst cold in my life.

Despite leaving a litter tray down, ‘stray cat’ had decided it would be good to sh*t all over a rug. I haven’t found where he/she might have pee’d yet, but I’m sure there’ll be a smell attached to it sometime soon. (When the stench of sh*t has dissipated!)

So, at 5:15 this morning I was lifting rugs and disinfecting the utility room floor.

Stray cat strutted off into the garden completely oblivious to my displeasure.

Anyone know how to litter train a cat? I always thought it was instinct that led them to the tray. Obviously I was wrong.

Puss & Boots

2009-11-02T13:47:00.001Z

Well, I’ve finally had to give in to the monstrous cold / man-flu I’ve been desperately trying to shake off for the past week. After a night of incessant coughing (according to my wife) and waking this morning unable to breathe properly I’ve had to give in and go to the doctor.

Bronchitis is the diagnosis for which she has prescribed antibiotics which, as anyone with Crohn’s disease will know, means wiping out all the good bacteria in my gut and risking a return to the problems I’ve only recently got rid of! Oh, the joy. A trip to Boot's Chemists is on the cards for later today.

On another note, we seem to have acquired a cat. A scruffy and undernourished stray was seen loitering around our wheely bin and, rather foolishly, a member of the McArthur household (who shall remain nameless – except to say it was me.) gave it some biscuits and milk. Now it won’t leave us alone and my wife and daughter want to take it in – a prospect which has our existing moggie (Pepper) looking decidedly glum.

I’m trying to counter this new found enthusiasm for stray cats by mentioning the potential pitfalls of taking in a stray – feline leukaemia, additional vets fees, fleas, extra litter to cope with the increased waste output, extra food, more bowls, vet fees, fights between Pepper and new-found stray, vets fees, etc. etc. etc. and did I mention vet’s fees?

Our Halloween...

2009-11-01T08:29:00.000Z

Emily couldn't decide whether to be a bat or a witch..

..so she eventually became.....

'Bat-witch!'

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T07:25:00.008Z

Today is a day for carving out the pumpkin and decking the house with spooky lanterns, halloween tinsel, witch's hats and black cats. This evening we will be dressing up our little Emily in her new witch outfit and wandering around our local neighbourhood begging for treats!

When I was young I remember my father almost slicing through his hand whilst trying to hollow-out and carve a face in a raw turnip - pumpkins were never used. My brother and I would sit with the hollowed out turnip on the front step of our house, watching as the candle inside baked the 'lid' (the smell was wonderful!) and asking passer's by the timeless "The sky is blue the grass is green, have you got a penny for halloween?" we would never be so brazen as to knock on a door and demand a treat at risk of a trick. Invariably that's all we got - a penny. I remember one year dividing our 'spoils' - I was over the moon with eighteen pence (In those days I could buy an awful lot of sweets with eighteen pence AND a copy of the 'Beano'.) Smashing times - unless you were a parent trying to carve out an oversized turnip.

Thank goodness for pumpkins.

A Walk On The Moors

2009-10-17T17:26:00.000+01:00

I met up with my brother today to go for a walk across the wonderful North Yorkshire moors - the first time in over ten years! We walked from Clay Bank over the Wainstones to the Lord Stones (a cafe / pub in the middle of nowhere!) Probably a short hike for the fit and healthy, but being my first country walk in a decade, I'm certainly feeling it now!

Along the way we encountered these brave fellows (and ladies):

All in all a great day was had by all - good walk, fresh air, aching limbs! Smashing.

Harvest.

2009-10-08T06:40:00.000+01:00

We planted a young sapling apple tree two years ago. I was always under the impression that they didn't bear fruit for a couple of years after planting. To look at it you'd think it would blow over in the lightest of breezes. Last year it gave us one, solitary fruit. But this year.....

...it has produced more apples in weight than the tree itself, the poor thing was straining under the weight of these beauties! The apples above weighed in at 6lbs, add around five more to windfall and our young tree has been very busy this year. Me thinks an apple crumble (or two, or three) is on the cards.

Emily's Day Out

2009-10-03T07:37:00.000+01:00

Emily loves to shop. Emily not only loves to shop but also loves to 'be' the shop (keeper, that is!) Emily likes to make our entire home a smaller version of a shopping mall - the kitchen becomes the 'Homeware Dept.' the lounge becoming 'Soft Furnishings' her bedroom becoming the 'Toyshop', 'Bookshop' etc. etc. etc. We have to trawl around 'The Mall' buying various items. All good fun. But sometimes our small house actually resembles a shop and we are forced to eat meals on lap trays whilst Emily 'commandeers' the dining table:

I think she may want to own a shop (or shopping centre) when she's old enough, which is good as she charges extortionate prices for everything and always gives the wrong change (in her favour!) - very enterprising. The whole 'Turning the house into a shopping mall' thing only started after a recent visit to my idea of hell on earth - the Metro Centre:

Bless 'em!

Summer Memories....

2009-09-30T17:19:00.000+01:00

Summer has definitely left us. With the shortening days it's nice to look back on the long hazy days of summer so I decided to dig out the pictures from my camera. I found the one to the left of Lesley's cousins garden in Temple Sowerby, which we visited in late July. The day was gloriously hot.

I continued to browse my camera files for photos taken in our own garden this summer, but all I found was the following:

Hailstones!

And torrential downpours.

Was it really that bad??

Impulse Buy of the Month

2009-08-01T13:24:00.000+01:00

Old 'Denim' our three year old Ford Ka was beginning to look a little jaded and a decision was made late last week to look for another car better suited to a growing six year old girl (Emily) as well as befitting a man in the midst of a mid-life crisis!! Within an hour of the decision being made to look for a car we'd bought it!!

This is my mid-life crisis itch well and truly scratched:

Vauxhall Astra 1.6 Sxi - not the most sporty of saloons, but more sporty than the Ford Ka and a few steps up the insurance group scale - and a few steps down in the miles per gallon scale!! I have a strange feeling I might regret the purchase when the Bank of England decides to up the mortgage interest rate!!

Memories

2009-04-02T07:44:00.000+01:00

I came across this photo whilst uploading a back-up disk during my recent computer problems, and it got me thinking of how the years have flown since it was taken. Emily was just three weeks old and completely helpless, my life as a father had just begun - a role I knew nothing about (having had no secure father figure as a child myself.) Without blowing my own trumpet too much, I think I've done a bloody good job of it! Emily is six now and with a real character and personality of her own, a mixture my sense of humour and adventure and her mother's looks and brains. We've all come a long way.

Yes, I'm still alive!!

2009-04-01T14:00:00.000+01:00

Hello All,

My sincerest apologies for not blogging much of late - I have been exceptionally busy with work commitments, I changed my broadband supplier, my computer died and was reborn (again!) and any number of other excuses for not updating - all of which are true.

A consequence of computer difficulties is this new layout / template which, as you can see has completely deleted all of my additional widgets / add-ons etc - so I'll be checking to see if I can get these back up today... and tomorrow ... and probably for the next week and a half.

Gary

In The Pursuit of HappYness.

2009-02-15T18:26:00.000Z

Watched "In the Pursuit of HappYness" last night and have to say it is one of the best films I have ever seen and brought so much of my own life back to me.

In the film Will Smith and his son are forced to live rough whilst he is an unpaid intern on a training program - the outcome of which will see just one intern being appointed as a broker with one of America's leading stockbroker agencies. The film follows his trials and tribulations in the pursuit of happiness and is based on a true story.

The comparisons with my own life (and I suppose many more people's lives) were uncanny (apart from becoming a stockbroker that is!!) Shortly after leaving the police force in 1985 I thought I'd try to find work in London but failed to plan things properly and ended up in bedsit after bedsit after converted wash-house, and for a time I slept rough near Charing Cross - not being aware of the benefits system I didn't claim what I should've and ended up spending all of the little money I had staying in a 'guest house' near Hyde Park, (Doss House would've been a more appropriate description) However, eventually I found work as a front of house attendant at The Theatre Royal in Drury Lane during the evenings and weekends, and during the day I sold advertising on a commission only basis.

Having achieved my goal, and having had some life changing, eye opening and at times very scary experiences along the way, I returned to the North East and a 'proper job' in business support. I've been there ever since (barring a short time running a courier firm in the mid to late nineties) but I wouldn't change any of it - those experiences made me the person I am today (Yes, a miserable old git, but also a person who strives to be the best at everything he does and who doesn't expect life to give him anything without hard work and possibly a bit of strife along the way - it's the best way to be, in my humble opinion and it makes you appreciate what you have.)

I highly recommend the film - go and rent or buy it tonight, you won't regret it.

Another Blast from the Past.

2009-02-12T19:21:00.000Z

The rather diminutive figure crowded out by the imposing stature, not to mention kaleidoscopic colour, of the Berlin Wall is me, aged 21.

My visit to Berlin took the form of a weekend of booze and more booze, but in between drinking sessions I found time to take in the 'sights' of the then divided city/country - Checkpoint Charlie, The Wall, the underground where you would pass through stations last accessed in 1961 when the wall went up, but whose lights still glowed and whose posters and signs depicted a very different era. East Berlin - which was very easy to get in to, but almost impossible to get out of, Potsdam, where the surrender treaty was signed, Dresden - bombed beyond recognition during the war and seemingly never repaired, Spandau Jail, which at the time still housed a solitary, elderly inmate by the name of Rudolph Hess (who would commit suicide some three months after my visit - was it something I said?) the prison being demolished the following month to avoid it becoming a site of pilgrimage to Germans sympathetic to the Nazi regime.

Less than two years after my visit The Wall was overpowered by the will of the people to escape the past and Berlin was once more reunited.

Dig the shades by the way!!

Feeling really old!!

2009-02-11T18:59:00.000Z

A former colleague of mine (from the very dim and distant past) posted me a photograph of me meeting a certain British Prime Minister in 1986.

It was taken shortly after I left the police force and, looking at it now, I can see why I was asked so often if my mother knew I was out whilst policing the streets of Stockton on Tees. At the time the picture was taken I was beginning my career in business support, unemployment in the UK was approaching three million and Mrs Thatcher was definately NOT popular having recently dispatched the British Coal industry and Arthur Scargill to history - she had another five years before even her own party got sick of her.

Being a paid up member of the Labour Party at the time I made my own 'protest' by wearing a red tie!! Though I do remember thinking what a remarkable woman she was, and how, over the course of the ten minute conversation I had with her, she almost changed my political views - I had to slap myself!! Very persuasive lady. I admire her tenacity now more than I did then that's for sure!

Whitewash!

2009-02-02T14:00:00.000Z

Following the red sky in the morning, it turns out it WAS a shepherd's warning!! The snow has been falling thick and fast across much of the UK overnight and today - and there's more to come. Still, it makes for a pretty picture AND (if you don't have to drive or work in it) it's fun, fun, fun!!

Emily's First Snowman
More Snow

Snow Fight!

Red Sky in the Morning....

2009-01-31T09:26:00.000Z

Shepherd's Warning

Or just plain beautiful..?

Given the forecast for the next few days across Britain I would say 'warning' is more appropriate, but it is beautiful isn't it.

In The Blink of a Week!

2009-01-24T19:06:00.000Z

Is it me, or do the weeks seem to be zooming by?

It's been a full week since I last posted! And what a week!

Emily lost her tooth, which was safely placed under her pillow and replaced by the unseen, unheard "Tooth Fairy" (Me) who left a shiny gold coin and some 'pixie dust' which resembled gold glitter. Needless to say Emily found the whole saga really exciting and promptly found another tooth loosening up - and getting more loose by the minute with all of Emily's frantic waggling! Best get the pound coins and pixie dust ready again soon! (And book a dentists appointment to check that everything's as it should be.)

Lesley has been unwell all week and unable to eat anything (so the food bill has gone down significantly!! lol!!) however, what we saved on food, we more than made up for on toilet rolls, if you catch my drift.

I've had a busy time at work - training course up at Seaham, clients all over the place and project after project to coordinate - hence the lack of posts.

Expecting the Tooth Fairy Tonight!

2009-01-17T16:29:00.000Z

Emily is growing up fast! The first milk tooth has been wobbling for a few days now and today, during a tactically issued mini-Mars bar, screams, and blood and 'hey presto!'

Trauma over with, Emily soon reverted back to her cheery self, proudly displaying her new gap!!

www.mcarthurbaker.co.uk

The Party's Over.

2009-01-15T07:52:00.000Z

Well, that's it for another year (I do seem to recall saying that very recently!) The birthday girl was suitably impressed with all of the gifts and cards from friends and family, and the well-wishings of bloggers too.

The party took three weeks to organise, the food took two hours to prepare, the presents took two months wages, and it was all over in 120 minutes!! The parcel had been passed, songs had been sung, presents had been opened, lost in wrapping paper, then found again, kisses all round, illuminated cake extinguished (twice - for some reason our family have decided that every child at a party should have the opportunity of blowing out the candles on the cake, so we did Emily first on her own, and then relit them for a group blow!)

Emily had a great time and slept like a log after all the excitement. At the end of it all Emily announced "Oh, that was great, I can't wait until I'm seven!" Ah, happy days.

www.mcarthurbaker.co.uk

Birthday Girl - Emily is Six!

2009-01-14T06:48:00.000Z

Emily loves birthdays. Not just her own, but everybody's. Here she is excitedly posing with my birthday cake from last October. For weeks before it she was building up to the event - little 'secret' conversations with Mum about what she was going to get me, what she was going to write in my card etc. etc. She is the same with everyone - even the cat has to have at least two birthdays a week! And today is her special day as she reaches six.

We have yet to find storage space for the Toys R Us delivery she got for Christmas and today there will be another load!! What joy!

www.mcarthurbaker.co.uk

Misery Guts.

2009-01-11T08:19:00.000Z

In my teens (and even before then) I was always an optimist. Always considered every angle and always looked on the bright side of things wherever possible.

As I grew up, and the world enveloped me, my cynical side began to grow to the point it is at today - "Grumpy Old Man!" Negative thoughts abound on the state of the world, how different it is now to how things 'used to be', how much better things are today in terms of technology - but how that negatively impacts on things like schooling and social development - the list can go on and on. I wear my grumpy old man label with pride at times and yet, occasionally, my more relaxed and open minded younger self will rear his head and try to counter the negativity. It is a welcome break and I enjoy seeing my old self every now and then.

But, there is one person in my life who positively exudes negativity - and as far as I can see always has. I'm talking about my Mother in Law - I call her "the Portender of Doom!"

The PoD is my wife's mother and she loves her dearly - but I can see how Lesley has been strongly influenced by the negativity of her mother over the years. I myself have been affected by her in the twenty or so years I've known her - to the point of depression.

A typical conversation with her goes like this:

Me: "Hello, isn't it a lovely day?"

PoD: "They've got snow in Cumbria. It's heading this way."

Me: "Well it's not here yet, lets enjoy the sunshine, catch some rays."

PoD: "It was on the telly about all the skin cancer. It's rife."

Me: "Pass me that razor blade, would you!"

Lesley suffers so badly with anxiety and panic attacks and we've been looking for a cause - her father's death when she was eleven? Being bullied at school? Well, yes, to an extent, but since these events she has lived with her mother and all the doom and gloom that seems to emanate from her - it's no wonder she's anxious. Even now, married for fifteen years and with a young daughter of her own, she is dominated to the point of being scared of her mother.

It's a very true story in a lot of households up and down the country - 'your parents screw you up!" My own Mother domineered me to the point of physically abusing me. She was a bully, still is no doubt but thankfully I broke free when I was sixteen - with my mother's blessing I might add. Unfortunately Lesley did not, and has not yet. What gets all of us, as offspring of crazy people, is that they often quote the biblical saying that you must "honour thy father and mother." and we try so hard to live up to this edict, that we end up being miserable old gits and hating them for it.

www.mcarthurbaker.co.uk

Out of the mouths of babes...

2009-01-06T20:08:00.000Z

I had my first 'meeting' of the year today. It was only a 1-to-1 with my team leader, but I thought I'd pick out a nice shirt from the ironing basket for the occasion.

So, I'm stood in the kitchen three quarters of the way through ironing my 'nice' shirt and Emily walks in.

"Hello Pet." I say

"Daddy?"

"Yes pet?"

"Isn't that the shirt you sometimes always wear for work?"

And do you know something? It was!

Needless to say, a fresh shirt was hurriedly selected from the ironing basket.

www.mcarthurbaker.co.uk

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T13:56:00.000Z

Here's wishing everyone a very happy and healthy 2009.

We can't do anything about the economic storm ahead, or the weather - but with a little patience and respect and love we can weather any storm.

Best wishes to you and yours from me and mine.

Gary

Goodbye 2008.

2008-12-31T07:25:00.000Z

What a year!

Financial meltdown, wars, famine, terrorism, housing market collapse, record petrol prices, insane hikes in gas, electricity and food prices. On a high note - Barrack Hussein Obama being elected president of the USA! Back to the low-notes - the wettest summer ever recorded, health scares, expanding dole queues, factory closures, reduced production, redundancies, interest rate cuts, taxpayer bailouts of bust banks, VAT cut by a MASSIVE 2.5% to stop the rot in the high street (he (Darling) was obviously having a laugh)

And we said goodbye (or will be any time soon) to Woolworths, Adams, MFI, Zavvi, Whittard of Chelsea, USC and The Officers Club - all huge retail chains who were allowed by the greedy banks to borrow more than the companies were actually worth = and (after HM Treasury) who gets first bite at the Administration cherry, who is repaid ahead of staff, suppliers and all other creditors? - that's right, the greedy banks. (Makes my blood boil somewhat!)

On a personal note I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, put on steroids which destroyed my immune system and led to infection after infection, these were treated with antibiotics which undid all the good the steroids had done. I end the year as I began it - steroid free and still with dodgy guts.

So, that was 2008 - much turbulence on the Sea of Life. Bring on 2009, I'm setting sail for another challenging journey!!

Christmas.

2008-12-29T19:36:00.000Z

Ah well, that's that for another twelve months - though it'll no doubt begin again in August 2009!

Christmas at the McArthurs was a wonderful affair as expected - dinner (cooked by yours truly) went down a storm and led to bloated bellies in front of Her Majesty at 3pm but the highlight of the day for everyone was watching Emily as she discovered Santa's footprints from the front door (The chimney was impractical as it would be "too hot" Emily informed us a few days before!!) through the lounge to a pile of presents resembling a delivery of stock to Toys R Us. The look of pure joy on her face as she found Rudolf's half eaten carrot and a note from the Big Man himself, thanking her for the glass of milk!! Priceless. Needless to say the entire morning was filled with the ripping off of wrapping paper and squeals of delight as the contents were discovered, "This wasn't on my list, how did he know I wanted it??"

Clever man that Santa!! Now all we have to do is build an extension to the house to store it all - thanks Santa!!

A great day was had by all.

(I am saving a post regarding the ridiculous amount of selotape, cable-ties, wires and string used to secure children's toys into their packaging until after the festivities, so as to renew my Victor Meldrew image for 2009!!)

Here's wishing you all a peaceful and prosperous 2009.

_____________________________________________________

BUY - "The Baboon's Left Testicle (Part One of Two)" - An appallingly lewd and juvenile comedy adventure written by Gary McArthur and Andrew Baker.

www.mcarthurbaker.co.uk

Vultures Circling - but just who are they?

2008-12-12T07:32:00.000Z

Are me and the missus the only ones to cry (quite literally) at the demise of Woolies?

We must be the softest of soft people, but we feel for the staff - long term and Christmas recruits - who have suffered at the hands of senior 'Management'(?) yet again. Senior Management(?) who, no doubt awarded themselves enormous bonuses on the back of the Group's enormous 2.7billion profit for last year, whilst all along knowing that the retail element of their group was in a state of financial meltdown.

It's not the flocks of customers looking for a closing down sale price who should be criticised for grabbing the bargains, but the Senior Management who made it possible.

Shame on them.

Book Finally Published!!

2008-12-08T09:01:00.000Z

In a roundabout way we have finally managed to get our book published.

Total Fiction - the publishing firm we were signed up to has folded as a result of the credit crunch so we were forced to take drastic measures and self publish via Lulu.com, but what the heck! PLUS by doing so, we have drastically reduced our overheads.

So, we're finally in print and up for sale. If you like a juvenile, raucous cat and mouse chase, thrilling comedy adventure with undertones of Jacobs' The Monkey's Paw, if you've ever visited Hartlepool, Mold or London, encountered a Pearly Queen or been accosted by a Welsh Zombie then our book is for you - Mills & Boon it is not.

The Baboon's Left Testicle (Part One of Two) is now available in paperback and download from lulu.com

Follow the link below to buy, read and review.

You can read a bit more about The Baboon's Left Testicle at our website - http://www.mcarthurbaker.co.uk/

I have been a busy bee of late - so apologies for not getting round too many people - that will hopefully change from now on!

Fuel be Sorry!

2008-11-23T08:37:00.000Z

If the price of unleaded petrol is linked to the cost of a barrel of crude oil - as we know it is - why does the following ring my alarm bells...

Today - October 2008

Crude oil = $50.67 per barrel - equating to a pump price of £0.91.9p per litre? (average)

When, in August of last year (2007)

Crude oil = $78.77 per barrel - which equated to an average pump price of £0.91.9p per litre?

Someone, somewhere is getting very rich very quickly.

And it's not us drivers.

The First Blast of Winter

2008-11-23T07:28:00.000Z

Its been a long time coming - I think Emily was three when we last had the opportunity to build a snowman (sadly, at that age, the snow frightened her a little so she watched from inside whilst I built the snowman!) - alas this is not the stuff of snowmen and even as I took these pictures this morning I could feel the patter of rain rushing to wash it all away.

Reminder to self - unhook the hosereel and turn off the water!

New Beginnings and an Old Nemesis

2008-11-10T09:08:00.000Z

My lovely wife starts a new job today. I can't tell you where she's working, except to say that the wage will come in handy as Every Little Helps!

Suffering as she does from anxiety, this morning was naturally frought with panic and stress. Add into the equation the fact that her taxi didn't turn up and you can imagine the air was as blue as it can get in front of a five year old child!! (Where's the bloomin' taxi? These bleedin' taxi drivers must turn up late on purpose the nasty devils!! - that sort of thing.)

So for a 9am start at a location seven miles away, through rush hour traffic, the taxi tuns up at 8:49!! Obviously my wife's reaction scared the living hell out of the driver and he managed to get her there for 8:58 - I'm very impressed! (With my Wife!)

As for me - well I've had a bad chest and sinus infection for the past three weeks - two courses of antibiotics seem to have finally done the trick BUT having murdered all of the infectious bacteria they have also, in the process, killed off all of the good bacteria lining my gut - this at a time when my specialist has decided to get me off steroids reducing the dose to just 5mg a day - so my old friend Mr Crohn's has decided to step up a gear and lay me low again.

More time off work - just what I (and they) need. Oh the joys of Crohn's!!

Remembrance Sunday - Verse.

2008-11-09T08:09:00.000Z

Another reflective poem always bound to bring me to tears (despite its asking me not to!!)

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the mornings hush,

I am the swift uplifting rush

of quiet birds in circled flight,

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there, I did not die.

(Author Unknown, but attributed to many)

It really does say it all - we never die, we live on in memories.

How Much Change?

2008-11-05T14:40:00.000Z

Oh the joy of election night - I stayed up as late as I could but missed the point at which Obama was finally declared the winner - congratulations to him and the American people on a courageous step.

I remember feeling this way in May 1997 when 18 years of Conservative 'rule' were ended by Tony Blair and a revitalised Labour party - apparently whoops of joy were also heard from Princess Diana's rooms within Kensington Palace that night.

A wave of optimism had swept a crestfallen and stagnant country, and Blair's landslide was as inevitable as Obama's victory last night. The hopes of a nation hungry for change rested on his shoulders. For me, Blair offered the hope that he might tackle political corruption at its highest levels, injustice in society and provide more open and honest government.

I am sorry to say that, after eleven years, I am still hopeful that political corruption will be halted and injustice and a more honest government will, one day, be delivered.

I hope President Elect Obama is allowed to live up to the expectations of all those who voted for him yesterday - if he is then change definitely has come to America - and the world will benefit as a result.

For the Fallen

2008-11-01T07:54:00.000Z

Putting my own woes into perspective. They are nothing. I am blessed.

They shall grow not old

As we that are left grow old

Age shall not weary them

Nor the years condemn

At the going down of the sun

And in the morning

We will remember them

Laurence Binyon (1869-1943)

To find out more about the work of the Royal British Legion

Click here

It's a long time since I last read Binyon's full tribute - so here it is:

For The Fallen

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Halloween

2008-10-31T21:30:00.000Z

Emily plumped for her usual witches costume for Halloween tonight. Here she is preparing to go out into the cold, wet and windy evening - needless to say she and Mummy didn't venture far and were soon warming themselves with milk and cookies by the fireside, counting their treats!

Spam Fritters

2008-10-25T07:16:00.000+01:00

I'm over the worst of my chest and sinus infection now - all that remains is a really raw chest when I cough. The antibiotics did their trick of killing every bit of bacteria in my system - which for a 'normal' person would be great, but for me killing all of the bacteria in my guts has a really bad effect on my Crohn's symptoms (The antibiotics wipe out all of the good bacteria too!) so I'm frantically trying to replace the good guys with Yakult and Bimuno powder!! So far though things seem to be okay (touch wood!)

There is one scurge of the modern world that can't be knocked out with antibiotics unfortunately - I'm talking about Spam, or more importantly Spammers. What goes through a spammers head when he joins a blogging service like Blogger and then wastes hour after hour writing non-sensical responses that bear no relation to the post he is responding to?

I had one from "John" recently - who on checking his profile seems to have joined Blogger in August 2008 - John had responded to a recent ABC post with a long list of website addresses where I might find items such as Viagra and sex toys - completely useless to me, so naturally I deleted his comment (After printing off the list for a colleague)

So, I have been forced to enable word verification on comments to this blog - apparently this will put off any self respecting spammer. My apologies to all genuine commenters.

Post # 100 = The Last Bloom of Summer

2008-10-18T18:29:00.000+01:00

As British Summertime officially ends next week here's the last bloom from our garden which is already looking like it's settled down for the winter.

Autumnal Art

2008-10-18T15:14:00.000+01:00

I'm suffering from a severe bout of bronchitis and infected sinusitis at the moment. My face feels like it's going to implode and my chest feels as rough as the proverbial badger's behind so what better way to avoid the disappointment of not being able to go out than to spend the day crafting leaf pictures from all of the autumn leaves currently littering our lawns.

Emily loves to craft! And it passed a good few hours whilst waiting for the painkillers to kick in!

ABC Wednesday 'M' is for...

2008-10-15T05:59:00.000+01:00

Middlesbrough

(It might be a dump, but it's my dump!!)

The Town Hall from Centre North East

An unusual view of our Transporter Bridge - one of only two in the UK (The other is in Newport, Wales)

The once mighty Dorman Long Steel Works - whose crowning glory must surely have been the construction of this...

Have you guessed what it is yet?? Click here to reveal all

And here's the plaque to reveal all..

And finally, a little known fact about Middlesbrough Football Club..

The Legendary - Wilf Mannion

Do you see the red circle Middlesbrough Crest in the background? There were two (now replaced with Middlesbrough's new Shield logo) and I helped make them!!

Originally this crest contained the year of the club's rescue by chairman Steve Gibson (1986). I was responsible (in a previous employment) for cutting and laying out the enormous crests (about 3metres in diameter) prior to them being sent for spraying - I excluded the 1-9-8 and 6 from the process as rumour had it that Steve Gibson was trying to get the club to look forward rather than back and wanted the year of Middlesbrough's bankruptcy removed. I still have the unpainted aluminium numerals - God knows why!!

Oh, and one other thing - the famous Wembley Arch - constructed by local firm Cleveland Bridge - has hundred's of Middlesbrough FC items stuffed in its girders and tubing - scarves, gloves, footie tops, programs etc - the workers' way of saying that Middlesbrough will always be at the heart of Wembley!!

(And probably the only way Middlesbrough will ever get back to Wembley!!)

For more magical M's visit the ABC Wednesday Blog

Happy Girthday to Me!!

2008-10-11T07:32:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was my 43rd birthday and, as my Crohn's seems to have been settled for a few weeks, the lovely Lesley decided it was time for a treat. My favourite! Chocolate Cake with all the buttercream and chocolate flakes you could wish for. Just a small one ("enough to serve 8" the box said - though these must surely have been tested on very small people with even smaller appetites, or perhaps eight people who didn't much care for scrummy chocolate cake!) Needless to say I dived straight in immediately after Lesley took the following picture........

Obviously nothing to do with overeating and more to do with steroids, but me thinks it's time I lost a bit of weight!!! (I never, EVER thought I'd hear myself saying that!) Fitness regime begins....

............just as soon as the rest of the cake is consumed!

Happy Birthday to me....happy birthday to me....

ABC Wednesday 'L' is for...

2008-10-07T19:25:00.000+01:00

After a bit of a break I'm very pleased to be back with some considerable measure of....

LOVE!!

Love. Pure and simple love.

(Something I've been missing of late.)

For more ABC posts on the letter J please visit The ABC Blog.

Apologies..

2008-10-05T07:32:00.000+01:00

My apologies to anyone viewing the last three or four posts, and my thanks for the replies.

Pure self indulgent self pity I'm afraid - but it needed to be said and I feel better for having said it. I countered every one of the 'down' points with a positive one last night and realised just how lucky I am. Now all I have to do is get this positivity across to Lesley - that should be no mean feat!!

I can see now how very easy it would be for me to slip into a state of total despair and depression. Dwelling on the down points of my life for the past few weeks has been very easy. Finding the good took a lot longer - I really had to search hard for them, but they are there and although I have to say the good 'list' is much shorter than the down 'list' it's quality, rather than quantity that counts in these things.

Thanks again for your words of support - they did make me reassess things.

Is it any wonder...

2008-10-04T08:30:00.000+01:00

Lesley and I sat down for a long chat last night about our current situation.

We married in 1993 and spent the first ten years working (both of us) to sustain a lifestyle that we wanted (at the time) and we became completely dependant upon each other emotionally, spiritually and financially. We never saved. We lived for the day and enjoyed a relatively comfortable lifestyle. We couldn't invest in a house on a newer estate as Lesley, who doesn't drive, needed to be close to her mother, so we bought the house we're living in now in 1997. Since then the area has become depressingly 'depressed'. We've never taken a holiday abroad, or anywhere else for that matter, in all our married life. Not because we couldn't afford to, it was just our choice to spend our time 'doing up' the house with the odd trip into the local countryside thrown in for variety.

When our Daughter arrived five years ago it seemed that the jigsaw was complete. But Lesley started showing signs of anxiety within hours of the birth. This escalated, untreated, to the situation described here. It became so bad that in the end Lesley could not return to work - she tried hard to do so, but the anxiety would win, or circumstance would. I became the sole bread-winner - luckily my job paid enough for us to do this - and Lesley stayed at home, something she did not adapt well to. Family situation is not good - I have no-one and Lesley only has her aged mother to help with childcare. We have no friends locally. So, from day one, it was down to us to do everything for our girl. Lesley didn't want to put her in a nursery - I disagreed. I thought it would help Lesley get to know people (other mums) and also give Emily the early care and social interraction she would need later, it would also give Lesley a break from home. We went, once, to a local mother and baby playgroup and were apalled at the state of the place and it's occupants. So snobbery won the day and we never took her back. The same happened when Emily began school. It was filthy, some mothers would drop their children off in their pyjama's (the mothers not the children) I've even witnessed one young mother (in pyjama's and an overcoat) smoking and coughing up phlegm onto the infant's playground - the area where my daughter would be expected to play later. I witnessed this from the car, so couldn't get to her to say anything, had I been there I would have done so - and probably got a mouthful of abuse - but some things have to be said. Emily too reacted badly to the environment. She became withdrawn and seemed to get illness after illness. She was not happy, and so we took her out of school to home educate.

And so we found ourselves, late last night, discussing where it had all gone wrong.

We're getting into a mindset of misery. We hate where we live but cannot move. Lesley misses a working life but cannot get a job. We all reacted badly to Emily's school and we can't find one that we feel would suit her sensitive nature. The credit crunch has had its effects too, where once my wage provided a comfortable living, we now find ourselves cutting back and back. With no family or friends in the area we are the sole providers of care for Emily - we also try our best, but realise our limitations, as far as her education is concerned.

With no 'us-time' or 'me-time' our relationship has suffered immensely and we find ourselves rowing more and more about petty little things. We want Emily to go back to school - but a decent, clean school where parents and teachers alike care for the children - we've looked but can't find one (perhaps we're too picky or snobby for our own good - or perhaps we just expect basic standards of hygiene and care which none of the schools local to us seem to offer.) We want Lesley to get a job, even for a few hours a week, just to get her out of the house and interracting with adults rather than focusing on a child. We want some 'us-time' back, where we can go out to a movie or for a meal once in a while.

So, is it any wonder we find ourselves in this rut of depression?

Well, yes frankly. Our lives have been enriched by Emily. We should be relishing this time surely?

Blogged Out

2008-09-28T06:46:00.000+01:00

It might be a useful tool to impart news and evidence our daily activities, but blogging can also turn into a realisation of just how empty your life is. Such has been the case with me over the past two weeks or so.

By 'empty' I certainly mean the exact opposite. By 'empty' I mean entirely crammed with completely and utterly mundane, every-day tasks - not worthy of a mention here. Things like - getting up, feeding self, feeding cat, feeding daughter, feeding wife, getting ready for work, going to meeting after meeting, writing up endless case notes, making endless referrals to external agencies, completing endless applications for funding, reading and reviewing other people's business plans and ideas (and thinking "Why didn't I think of that?") coming home, feeding self, daughter, wife, bathing, watching "Road Wars" or "Booze Britain", retiring. See? Not worthy of a mention here? Utterly mundane and every-day stuff which, for the past two weeks, has formed the bulk of my life.

I could always fall back on the weather - which for some reason has decided to revert back to 'spring-like' despite being almost October - but I did that all through the Summer-that-never-was. I'm sure you must be as bored with weather as I am. I could write about my other hobbies and interests, the bike project, gardening, swimming, writing. Or I could write about the more personal, emotional stuff - my wife's illness, my illness, but when you live with it all day sometimes it's nice to get a break away from it all, rather than sitting and writing about it. Dwelling on it.

So, what I'm saying, in my usual and very round-about way, is that I've been so busy lately, doing absolutely nothing worthy of note, that I haven't had chance to blog, though I've made the occasional visit.

Fear not, fine blogging friends - for I shall return! I just need to do something interesting enough to write about!

Frustration

2008-09-15T07:16:00.000+01:00

I tend to be growing more and more impatient. I don't know if it's an age thing, or if it's down to the medication I'm on for Crohn's. (It certainly WAS the medication when I first started to take it - the steroids made me aggressive and short tempered.)

I don't mean impatient with my wife's condition or my own - though these must surely be contributory factors - I mean an overall and very general impatience with everyday life.

Take automated telephone systems for example - I was always the one who had the patience of Job with these things - now I listen to the first message and if it doesn't have the phrase "Or to speak to an operator press the hash key." I hang up. A few years back I'd have gone for the option most closely associated with my query and then found myself lost in a telecommunications nightmare maze - but I'd have navigated my way out of it. My doctor's surgery has recently decided that all calls into it have to be greeted by such an automated system - with the only option being to speak to one of the receptionists!! I mean what is the point?? So now when I call the doctors for an appointment I'm greeted by a recorded message which must've been made by a drunk or heavily sedated receptionist who says:

"T h a n k y o u f o r c a l l i n g C******* H e a l t h C e n t r e. I ' m s o r r y b u t a l l o f
t h e r e c e p t i o n i s t s a r e b u s y.(No, they're not) I f y o u w o u l d l i k e t o h o l d,
o n e o f t h e r e c e p t i o n i s t s  w i l l b e w i t h y o u s h o r t l y. I f y o u a r e
c a l l i n g b e t w e e n 6 p m a n d 8 a m p l e a s e c a l l t h e o u t o f h o u r s
s e r v i c e o n ***********, o r i f y o u r c a l l i s m o r e u r g e n t d i a l t h e
e m e r g e n c y  o u t o f h o u r s s e r v i c e o n *********. I f y o u a r e c a l l i n g
b e t w e e n 8 a m a n d 8.30 a m a n d y o u r e q u i r e a h o m e v i s i t p l e a s e
c a l l ********. O r, i f y o u r c a l l i s u r g e n t c a l l t h e e m e r g e n c y o u t o f
h o u r s s e r v i c e on ***********. I f y o u w o u l d l i k e t o s p e a k t o a
r e c e p t i o n i s t p l e a s e h o l d."

At which point you are promptly cut off if you have called at 8.29 and 59 seconds, so you have to redial quickly in order to get an appointment and then you have to listen to it all again, so that by the time you get to speak to an operator at 8.53am all of the appointments have been taken.

Is it just me? Am I simply an impatient, grumpy old man (at 42) or has the world gone mad?

Break.

2008-09-13T06:52:00.000+01:00

My apologies for not posting over the past few days. A busy schedule at work, and an even busier one at home, has left little time for anything else. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible!

I just want to say thank you to all who commented on my most recent post - your comments and offers of support are much appreciated. As for Lesley, well the busy schedule at work meant a few trips out for her this week - she accompanied me on a number of my client visits. Wednesday was a bad day as I had some training to attend in County Durham. I had to be there for 8.30 so it was an early set off and Lesley wasn't able to come along. She was really bad - panicky, tearful, and completely stressed about me driving the 28 miles to the training centre. My handsfree kit served me well that day, though compared to other trips Lesley did really well - only calling me four or five times to check on my progress during the 25 minute drive. Once I was there she could relax until lunchtime when I had to drive back. Only four calls on the way home too, so not such a bad day for me - Lesley put herself through the mill a couple of times though.

Thursday would've seen a repeat of the journey but luckily my gastro appointment overran and I didn't have to go.

Still no sign of the NHS Counsellor - she was referred in May. The longer this goes untreated the more I worry about the physical effects it's having on her - her nerves must be shot to pieces, she is losing weight, and that much adrenalin pumping round her system day in day out means she's always in 'fight-or-flight' mode, never able to relax, even at night she's up two or three times pacing the floor or having a panic attack. I feel so helpless most of the time.

Depression and Anxiety.

2008-09-07T07:20:00.000+01:00

My wife suffers from anxiety. Deep seated, long term anxiety, mixed with severe depression (probably associated with untreated post natal depression.)

The anxiety stems from a separation issue - she fears loss following the death of her father whilst he was working abroad and when she was just eleven years old - the fear of loss is fixated on me which makes life very difficult for both of us. For example - I have to work. I meet business owners on a day to day basis and often have to travel (drive) to their premises for these meetings. When Lesley knows I have a drive ahead of me she will do one of a number of things: 1)She will try to get me to rearrange the meeting. 2) She will ask me to feign illness. 3) She will feign illness herself. 4) She will decide to come with me to the meeting. Usually point number 4) above will win - despite my protestations - and she will sit in the car outside of my client's premises for as long as the meeting takes, or she will walk around the town I'm visiting until I collect her after my meeting. On the odd occasion where it is impossible for Lesley to come along, I will receive between ten and fifteen phone calls during a twenty minute journey. Sometimes in rural areas the phone signal isn't as strong and Lesley can't get through - she has been known to call my client, prior to my arrival, to ask if I've arrived or to get me to call her when I get there.

Lesley fears that I will die if she lets me go alone - this is heightened by the fact that we, as a family, are in exactly the same position as her family all those years ago. Mother, Father, one daughter - father goes out to work one day and returns in a box. She fears that history is about to repeat itself. The argument of "Well if you come with me and we both die in a crash, Emily will be an orphan!" holds no weight whatsoever. That scenario doesn't repeat her earlier life experience and so, in her mind, is unlikely to happen. Whereas she knows that the original scenario can happen - because it happened to her thirty years ago.

Her fears also extend to the weekends. She likes to go shopping in town with her Mother whilst I stay at home and look after Emily. Stay at home being the operative phrase. If I decide to take Emily to the park or any other venue all hell breaks loose. I have, in the past, ignored Lesley's pleas of "You will stay in, where it's safe, won't you?!" and taken Emily to the park anyway, for Emily's sake. I always take my phone and call Lesley to let her know - but it doesn't help her fears - it simply fuels them and in an hour long trip to the park she will call me four or five times to ask if I'm back home yet.

This illness puts an enormous strain on our relationship as you can imagine. It also affects Emily who picks up on the atmosphere and anxieties and tends to mirror certain fears.

Lesley has seen numerous doctors and been prescribed numerous courses of tablets - which she never takes because she also fears that she will be affected by the list of side effects on the infosheet. She was referred to the GP's Counselling service by her GP in May and is still waiting for her first appointment - she has been told recently that it may be as late as next year before she is seen.

I will write more on this subject in due course, and have been meaning to do so for some time, but for now I wanted to get the bare bones of the condition down on 'paper' for my own sake rather than as an interesting read for visitors.

In Summary - This Sums up Summer!

2008-09-05T07:33:00.000+01:00

Even the cat doesn't want to venture outside!

For more Skywatchers visit the Skywatch Blog

Pure, Unadulterated GREED! - The Proof.

2008-09-05T06:30:00.000+01:00

Further to my recent post (Pure, unadulterated GREED! 23rd Aug) The article below is proof that the energy companies are in it for the profits for their shareholders.

On the pretence that recent hikes in energy bills are "to remain competitive in a difficult market, whilst worldwide fuel costs are rising and to sustain investment in energy supply links and infrastructure." the following release kind of blows that theory out of the water:

"Research commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA) revealed that altogether the six biggest (energy) companies paid £1.635 billion in dividends last year - a 19% increase on the 2006 total of £1.378 billion.

LGA acting chairman Sir Jeremy Beecham said the figures demolished claims by the companies that they needed to protect their profits in order to invest in new forms of energy for the future.

"This research torpedoes the energy companies' justification for their profits," he said.

You can read the full article here - MSN - News/Energy

It almost makes you want to dig out your placard from the 1970's/80's and start a protest march. I would, if only the British Apathy Party hadn't taken over.

So I, like the rest of the ripped off consumers of the UK, will just sit back and watch in the hope that someone else starts a protest I can sign up to (perhaps online - so as I don't have to leave the house!)

Well? What are you waiting for? (Yes, but I'm waiting for YOU!)

A Pinch and a Punch...

2008-09-01T06:57:00.000+01:00

...for the first of the Month!

Welcome to September - let's hope it's a bit brighter than August was (in terms of the weather!)

And speaking of pinches, we're all feeling the pinch at the moment through rising fuel, household and food prices so I thought I'd let you in on a new discovery - Love Food Hate Waste (click on the link) is a site dedicated to reducing the amount of food we waste. It provides hints and tips for saving money, recipe and menu planners, it even suggests weekly menus and provides a shopping list specific to each menu.

Check out the site when you get chance - you might eat better AND save some dosh along the way!!

Happy hunting!

Remembering

2008-08-31T06:50:00.000+01:00

Diana Princess of Wales

1961 - 1997

For all that has been written about her I still think she deserves to be remembered for the good she did and the way she gave the Royal Family a human face for the first time in decades - albeit far too briefly.

Saturday Snaps

2008-08-30T08:01:00.000+01:00

Just faffing with my camera in the garden - after posting about how foul the weather's been recently we had a nice warm day yesterday. Perhaps I should moan about it more often...!

Help Needed.

2008-08-29T18:21:00.000+01:00

Can anyone identify this plant? We were given a cutting when we moved into our house eleven years ago. It flowers mid-to-late August and is obviously hardy perrennial.

The lady who gave it to us said that she had got a cutting from a friend in Canada - so do any of you Canadian Bloggers know what it's called? We've never seen it anywhere else on our travels in the UK.

Any suggestions, names, natural habitat etc. greatly appreciated.

Beauty in the Beast

2008-08-28T19:14:00.000+01:00

This is Pepper. Affectionately known as 'Pepper-lou' (don't ask why!)

She could charm the birds off the trees, and frequently does!

So Endeth The Month

2008-08-28T18:57:00.000+01:00

Firstly my apologies for not being around in Skywatch Friday for a couple of weeks - I've been trying to avoid looking skyward all month!! Here is the reason:

August. Ever since I can remember August has generated some of the hottest days of the summer months in Britain. It is the month for record temperatures and blazing, burning sunshine. The month when rainfall stops and the daily task of watering the flowerbeds and lawns begins. The month when most factories have two-week closedowns to allow workers to enjoy the best part of the summer. The month when water companies start to highlight the need to conserve water by threatening hose-pipe bans.

August, a hot, dry month. Ever since I can remember.

Not anymore. This August has been the wettest, most miserable month of the year so far. We haven't come anywhere near our average hours of sunshine figure - in fact I can remember only three occasions where the (weak) sun has shone for more than an hour.

August has lived up to it's reputation as being the month for records - not only by being the month in which Team GB did so well at the Olympics, but also by being the wettest August since records began!! Oh, how I love the British weather. Happy(?) Skywatching.

To join in with Skywatch Friday visit The Skywatch Blog and sign in on Mister Linky.

ABC Wednesday - F is for...

2008-08-26T19:00:00.000+01:00

Feathers!!

Fluffy and Fearsome.

It being the school holidays, and the weather being so foul we have struggled to find suitable places to take Emily. She is of an age where discovery is everything and counts a lot towards education and personal development. She seems to have an endless capacity for soaking up facts - if the weather's bad (which it seems to have been constantly) these facts will be absorbed from indoor activities or the television - I have caught her using advertising slogans in the past, she'll come out with "Every little helps!" (Tesco) or start singing "Let it shine!" (Morrisons.)

So, in order to cram her brain with as much non-TV knowledge as possible we try to take her out to places of interest. One such place is Kirkleatham Owl Centre near Redcar. Emily loved it. (I'll keep my thoughts about it to a later post.)

Snowy

The centre houses all manner of birds in addition to owls - as you can see from the first picture Vultures are there too as well as a pair of Ravens who absolutely refused to stand still long enough for me to photo them (they knew what I was up to and danced around, singing and 'laughing!!' - at me?)

Emily had a great time and came away with a fluffy feathered friend of her own (to add to the four million fluffy friends at home!!) So the day was a success for her and she learnt a lot. Afterwards we paid a visit to the Kirkleatham Hall Museum - subject of a future post.

For more fantastic 'F's' visit the ABC Wednesday Blog and sign in on Mr Linky or to view an anthology of all of the posts visit The ABC Wednesday Anthology.

My Next Challenge.

2008-08-24T18:08:00.000+01:00

I haven't been on a bike since November 1990. To be precise November 10th 1990. This was the date I collected my Peugeot 309 from the garage in Yate (Nr Bristol) where I was living at the time.

Up to that point I had cycled the four miles from my home to the factory where I worked. Every day for almost a year. All shifts in all weathers. I loved it. I felt fit and healthy.

Then I got my car. My bike was sold for a tenner. I had to get a car. Cycling from Bristol to visit family in the North East was not an option. I've had a car ever since. But I've always missed the healthy feeling and freedom a bike ride gives you. For a number of reasons since that last bike I've never had the opportunity of replacing it - marriage, children (child), working out of town, lack of money etc.

Now, thanks to Freecycle - a worldwide web site on which people give stuff away rather than see it binned, scrapped sent to landfill etc. I have a bike. It's a bit of a shed - old (manufacturing date of 1980 stamped on it), tatty, in need of some tender loving care and perhaps a respray and some new tyres, but essentially sound and in full working order. It's in my shed and I'm itching to get started on it - I'll be documenting its progress from time to time on this blog.

I can't wait!!

Watch this space!! (To coin a Mrs Nesbitt-ism!!)

Pure, Unadulterated GREED!

2008-08-23T08:46:00.000+01:00

My energy company announced a massive hike in profits a few weeks ago - I'm talking billions in PROFIT - not turnover. A few days later it also announced some 'cost efficiency measures' to further strengthen its position in a competitive marketplace. Basically this meant they were looking to reduce their wages bill by laying off a few hundred people.

Today they also announced that they were hiking up my electricity and gas charges by 21% and 29% respectively. How nice of them.

Why are they doing it?

Simple answer: GREED. The greed of the big fat cat shareholders, looking to further line their already richly lined pockets.

Oh how I miss the days when the Gas and Electricity 'Boards' as they were known, were controlled by the state. At least then an unpopular government could gain some ground by freezing price hikes, or cutting charges.

Bring back state ownership of the utilities. The competitive marketplace in essential utilities is a complete farce - there's no such thing as competition - they're ALL raking in millions and millions at our expense.

Rather than taking over troubled banks, the government should be investing that money into our utility infrastructure to rid us of the scourge of greedy private shareholders.

Rant over. Happy weekend. Stay warm - but don't put the heating on!!

ABC Wednesday - E is for...

2008-08-19T19:30:00.000+01:00

Elvis Presley - 1935 - 1977 - In the week which saw the anniversary of his death, a small tribute to the man himself, The King of Rock n Roll.

Oddly enough, Elvis shares his birthday with my wonderful Mother-in-Law, DorEEn (1834 - Anytime) - I did try to take a photo but the camera was having none of it!! Though this next picture

of an Elvis impersonator bears an uncanny resemblance to the good lady herself!! (Obviously without the sideburns!)

I was never a great fan of Elvis until I met my wife. Now we share a mutual admiration for a hugely talented man who was simply destroyed by the greed of those supposedly 'guiding' him.

For more ABC 'E's' visit the ABC Wednesday Blog and sign in on Mr Linky.

Downing Street Responds

2008-08-19T16:37:00.000+01:00

We petitioned the Prime Minister to "make Jeremy Clarkson Prime Minister" - over 49,000 people responded to the petition and Downing Street confirmed that it does indeed have a sense of humour (well it would have to have, given that Gordon is still Prime Minister) by posting their response on You Tube:

Spooked!!!

2008-08-17T13:35:00.000+01:00

This morning I spent an hour drafting a post regarding my belief in the afterlife - you know, ghosts, spirits, spiritualists, mediums, hauntings, life after death, near death experiences, past lives etc etc etc - that sort of thing.

I'd padded out the post with personal experiences and recounted family tales of loud bangs on doors in the dead of night when no one was there, only for the occupants to learn of a death in the family the next day - the death occurring at the precise time of the knocking!!

It was really spooky stuff - I almost scared myself writing it!! lol

I clicked "Publish Post", the screen flickered for a brief second, and then.........

"Internet Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close, we are sorry for any inconvenience....."

Aaaaaarrrggghhhhhh!!! - But wait... Blogger had been autosaving my draft, so there should be no problem, it'll be recoverable. Might need to rewrite the last couple of sentences, no problem. Phew!!

Internet Explorer did as it had promised and closed down. I restarted it and logged straight back in to Blogger - Edit Posts - look for untitled draft.....

Gone. Vanished. Evaporated.

Someone (or something) obviously didn't want you to read my spooky tales......

A Gift From Denise.

2008-08-13T18:54:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post tonight to thank the wonderfully generous Mrs Nesbitt - who we met up with today in a less than clement Guisborough, I say less than clement, when what I actually mean is torrential downpour - for her to hand over a box of craft materials for Emily. I have never known so much material be crammed into an 18 inch box:

- cards, stickers, glitters, paper, cloth, stampers, stencils, crayons, felt-tip pens, feathers, shells - you name it, it was there -

Emily could barely contain her anticipation at the prospect of rummaging through the box of goodies:

A veritable feast of craft materials was discovered within.

Of course, Emily just had to make use of the colourful cloth inside and transform herself into an Indian Princess for the rest of the day:-

So a great big thank you to Denise for providing hours of fun today, and for every other rainy day for many months to come - Emily really appreciated it and will work to create one of her "special creations" just for you in the next few days.

Thanks very much - Gary, Lesley and especially Emily. xx

ABC Wednesday - D is for...

2008-08-12T19:30:00.000+01:00

ABC Wednesday this week comes to you from within the confines of our home and garden. It has to be said that we are having one of the worst summers on record - persistent rain and cloud cover makes life miserable to say the least. Poor Emily is confined to the garden Dancing in the Drizzle with her Disney Domed umbrella!!

The Drains have certainly been overloaded with the Downpours. I Don't think they've ever been so busy.

One thing the torrential Downpours are good for are our Delightful Drenched Dianthus.

The Dull and overcast weather has been like a Dripping tap. Slowly Driving us all Demented as we struggle to come up with something Different to Do.

I've even taken to Digitising images of my sink Drain and Draining board!

I Do still have an escape though. When everything gets too much I simply withdraw to my Desk and Download my Digitised images onto a Disk.

And if all else fails, and Depression reigns supreme, there's always my Drug cupboard to Divert my attention from the Doom. (However, looking at this pile of pills is enough to Deepen the Depression.)

Happy ABC WETnesday!! For more Delightful 'D's' visit the ABC Wednesday Blog.

Stress.

2008-08-10T07:07:00.000+01:00

My apologies for not visiting too many blogs this past week.

The stress of losing my computer, fixing it, installing antivirus software which slowed it down to a snail's pace, and then having to remove it and reinstall Windows XP from scratch wore me down, and stressed me out to the point that my little gut fiend (no, I didn't miss an 'r' out!) decided to have a bit of a flare up! Had to cancel all of my meetings from Wednesday onwards because of it. Yesterday was the worst day I've had for a month or so, but feeling much brighter today and the sun is shining which always lightens the spirit.

A tip for you today - If you ever have to completely wipe your hard drive and reinstal your operating system, wait until your operating system has installed all of the necessary updates and service packs before installing the antivirus software - I did it the other way round and it took me four and a half hours to download and install Windows XP Service Pack 3!!! (When I did it the right way round it took 49 minutes! - bit of a difference!)

We live and learn.
(First post using Blogger in Draft)

ABC - Comments lost

2008-08-08T18:24:00.000+01:00

For some reason Blogger decided to lose a lot of the comments posted by visitors to my ABC Wednesday post - only five remained after some sort of 'outage' by Blogger on Thursday morning.

So as not to upset folk I have decided to reproduce them from the email notifications I get each time someone leaves a comment. My apologies if you have visited after posting, only to find your post missing!! It's Bloggers fault!! Did anyone else find this???

Here are the comments in full:
magiceye has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": great pic and quotes too!

Kjerstis HjÃ¸rne has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": Lovely cat, I am a dog-person but cats are cute..

AphotoAday has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": Well, what a fine looking "tuxedo cat"...Enjoyed reading your post -- really quite interesting -- I think I'll print that out and put it on the wall... I've got a cat, and it looks EXACTLY like yours... She is the love of my life (sorry ladies), and right now she would be sitting on my lap -- making typing for me as difficult as possible -- the I had the cable man here this morning and she is still freaked out from all the excitement... My Kitty has her own little silly blog, and if you look hard enough at my blog you may see a link... Best regards, Don and Kitty

Old Wom Tigley has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": Only become a cat lover in the last year or two... and even then it's only one cat that lives across the street but comes visiting.. it came by today and jumped in through the open window and came to snuggle up on my knee.

photowannabe has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": Great quotes and though I'm not a cat person I enjoyed your thoughts and pictures.

Kim has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": I don't know what i would do without my cat. She loves me like nothing else can, unconditionally. Great quotes, I loved reading them :)

ellen b has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": Cats are so darn entertaining! Enjoy...

Gemma has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": Nice post. I miss my cat!<^..^<
Greyscale Territory has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": A great post! And yes! We are the entertainment for cats as well as the staff!

Bear Naked has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": "A meow massages the heart."- What a beautiful saying.Bear((( )))

me ann my camera has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": Cats are wonderful companions. We always had one up to a few years ago. Lots of food for thought here for cat lovers. Also great looking Cat!

Bibi has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": Agree with Babooshka about being a dog person (after all, see my avatar!)but I appreciate cats more now, thanks to your quotes. Bibi is similar to your Pepper, but she can hear the refrigerator door opened no matter how softly from wherever she is in out apartment...

ArneA has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": I have copied your post to my wife and two daughters. They are more cat people than I.We had a cat before going to Asia with the name Socrates. He was very smart and when the doorbell rang counted the number of us inside before hiding or not.

Tash has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": Cats are people too. Hmmm, maybe they are just cats, on the other hand... but I know that Pepper is precious.

Patty has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": Aww what a pretty baby. I have two cats but didn't think to use them for my C photo

leslie has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": I'm a dog person, too, but there are some great quotes here. These are my favourites:"Dogs come when they're called. Cats take a message and get back to you."- Mary Bly"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."- Unknown"Dogs have owners, cats have staff."- UnknownGreat post!

babooshka has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": I am a dog person, buts observing cats will never be the same now. Really great quotes.

Denise has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": Gary, great stuff! So profound & researched!

Liz has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": She looks quite haughty - as if to say, really, can't I sit under here without having my photo taken again?Great quotes.

Ackworth Born has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": I don't really like cats but ...

Texas Travelers has left a new comment on your post "ABC Wednesday - C is for...": Great quotes.Now I know all I need to know about our cats.Our "C" is Here.Come visit,Troy and Martha

ABC Wednesday - C is for...

2008-08-05T19:07:00.000+01:00

Cats.

This is Pepper, she's eight years old and we rescued her from the streets as a kitten. I can't imagine our household without a cat. Ever since I can remember we have always had at least one ( and a maximum of three) I have a special affinity with them, and they seem to understand me more than the other members of the McArthur household. When she's hungry and other McArthurs get up as if to go into the kitchen she stays where she is, but if I so much as move my foot or make to get up from my chair, she's squirming round my legs in a flash. So for this ABC I thought I'd enlighten you with some interesting cat quotes I found at CatsInfo.com

"In the beginning, God created man, but seeing him so feeble, He gave him the cat."- Warren Eckstein
"A home without a cat- and a well-fed, well-petted and properly revered cat- may be a perfect home, perhaps, but how can it prove title?"- Pudd'nhead Wilson
"If animals could speak the dog would be a a blundering outspoken fellow, but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much."- Mark Twain
"A cat is more intelligent than people believe, and can be taught any crime."-Mark Twain Notebook, 1895
"I simply can't resist a cat, particularly a purring one. They are the cleanest, cunningest, and most intelligent things I know, outside of the girl you love, of course."- Abroad with Mark Twain and Eugene Field, Fisher
"Of all God's creatures there is only one that cannot be made the slave of the leash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat."- Mark Twain Notebook, 1894
"You can keep a dog; but it is the cat who keeps people, because cats find humans useful domestic animals."- George Mikes from "How to be decadent
"Dogs come when they're called. Cats take a message and get back to you."- Mary Bly
"For a man to truly understand rejection, he must first be ignored by a cat."- Anon
"I love cats because I love my home and after a while they become its visible soul."- Jean Cocteau
"There are two means of refuge from the misery of life - music and cats."- Albert Schweitzer
"There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat."- Tay Hohoff
" God made the cat in order that humankind might have the pleasure of caressing the tiger."- Fernand Mery
"There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat."- Tay Hohoff
"Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow. "- Jeff Valdez
"Way down deep, we're all motivated by the same urges. Cats have the courage to live by them."- Jim Davis
"There is, incidentally, no way of talking about cats that enables one to come off as a sane person."- Dan Greenberg
"The smallest feline is a masterpiece."- Leonardo da Vinci
"In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats."- English Proverb
"Beware of people who dislike cats."- Irish Proverb
"You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats."- Colonial American Proverb
"With the qualities of cleanliness, affection, patience, dignity, and courage that cats have, how many of us, I ask you, would be capable of becoming cats?"- Fernand Mery
"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."- Winston Churchill
"I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior."- Hippolyte Taine
"A meow massages the heart."- Stuart McMillan
"No matter how much cats fight, there always seems to be plenty of kittens."- Abraham Lincoln
"Dogs believe they are human. Cats believe they are God."- Unknown
"Time spent with cats is never wasted."- Unknown
"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."- Unknown
" No heaven will not ever be Heaven be; Unless my cats are there to welcome me."- Unknown
" How we behave toward cats here below determines our status in heaven."- Robert A. Heinlein
"Dogs have owners, cats have staff."- Unknown
"Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this."- Anonymous
" There are many intelligent species in the universe. They are all owned by cats."- Anonymous
"No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his fur from your couch."- Leo Dworken
"One cat just leads to another."- Ernest Hemingway
"The cat has too much spirit to have no heart."- Ernest Menaul
"As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat."- Ellen Perry Berkeley
"People who hate cats, will come back as mice in their next life."- Faith Resnick
"One reason we admire cats is for their proficiency in one-upmanship. They always seem to come out on top, no matter what they are doing, or pretend they do."- Barbara Webster
"I have noticed that what cats most appreciate in a human being is not the ability to produce food which they take for granted--but his or her entertainment value."- Geoffrey Household
"As anyone who has ever been around a cat for any length of time well knows cats have enormous patience with the limitations of the human kind."- Cleveland Amory

For more interesting 'C's visit ABC Wednesday's New Blog. and sign in on Mr Linky

Cat quotes courtesy of Cats Info.com

Light Relief

2008-08-04T19:22:00.000+01:00

After the trauma of losing my computer over the weekend Emily has brought me some well earned light relief by wrestling with Pepper..... and proving, once and for all, that the sun definitely shines out of her.... by beatiing the cat hands down!!

a distressed Pepper decided to hide herself under the coffee table for the rest of the evening!!

Bless her!

Virus Virus Virus!!!!!!

2008-08-03T17:41:00.000+01:00

Apologies for not being on Blogging over the weekend - someone decided to infect my PC with a hideous Trojan virus - I've had to completely wipe my hard drive and reinstall XP - so it's been a bit of a nightmare all weekend - and it aint over yet - now I have to find all those lost files and photo's and memories - good job I backed up all my important stuff last thursday!!

Normal service will resume as soon as possible!!!!

Where's me flagpole?

2008-07-30T14:53:00.000+01:00

This is the officially adopted and recognised flag of Yorkshire.

Any resident or business in Yorkshire can now fly it from their flagpole without having to first obtain planning permission!!

Best crack on with painting the flagpole at McArthur Towers!

ABC Wednesday - B is For.....

2008-07-29T19:09:00.000+01:00

After last weeks criminal activity (Attempted Verse - guilty as charged!) I have concentrated my efforts on a more mundane subject for 'B'!!

Busy Lizzies!!

Visit the ABC Blog here for more Bloomin' Marvellous 'B's

Or, if you prefer, visit Mrs Nesbitt's Place and link via Mister Linky

More Macros

2008-07-28T06:56:00.000+01:00

Click each picture for a closer look.

A rose in the sun....
Another rose - but I didn't see the black-spot on the leaf 'til now!!
A bee having a pollen bath on our Mallow - this was as close as I dared go!!

Weekend Wandering

2008-07-27T12:43:00.000+01:00

Weekend Wandering - David McMahon over at Authorblog has posed his weekly 'wandering' question:

The question is: What do you want most out of life?

It would seem that my answer to this often asked question changes with the advancing years. For example, when asked this in my teens and early twenties I might have responded that I'd like a house of my own, a family and a decent enough job to keep that family financially secure.

In my early thirties I'd obtained the house and a partial family - in that I had been married - but the job and "full" family evaded me. Until, that is, the age of 36 when the job of my lifetime came along and the following year the daughter of a lifetime joined the fold. The question "what do you want most out of life?" had been answered. Happiness was complete, surely?

Well yes, and no. With age a different set of priorities form in the mind. Now there are different needs and wants. A daughter to consider. What kind of future will she have? What can I do to make sure that she remains as happy and healthy and secure as she is now? What kind of inheritance will I leave for her? What do I wish for her? What does she want for herself? Endless questions, endless challenges - and this is my answer to David's question:

"I want to remain able, for as long as possible, to come up with new answers to what I want most from life. I want to be challenged to seek solutions to needs in my, and my family's, life, and I want to never lose the desire to attain goals of benefit to the family.

I believe it's called 'living' - and I want to do that for as long as possible!"

Discovery

2008-07-26T05:50:00.000+01:00

I've had my camera for just over a year now - It's a Sony Cybershot DSC-W50 - I don't think the model is still in production. I bought it for it's neat compact appearance and the fact that it suited my budget at the time. I'm not a professional photographer, never have been, never want to be and therefore never will be, but I was fiddling about with all of the little dials and buttons on the camera and found that one of them switched on a 'macro' feature. I just had to give it a go and merrily danced - well "happily meandered" would be a better phrase perhaps - around our place yesterday morning snapping images as closely as I could without ruining them. I was quite pleased with the results. See what you think.

A close up of our apples (they may, or may not, be Discovery!)

Our kitchen taps from about two inches..

Some tiny (alyssum(?)) flowers on my knee... And finally, for Mrs Nesbitt, (no, not the Gin!!) our duck measuring spoons!!
I'm off to fiddle with the dials and buttons some more - wish I could find the Instruction Manual for the camera - I might have just sparked up an amateur hobby!!

Sky Watch Friday - Some Inky Blackness...

2008-07-24T22:51:00.000+01:00

I'm not the best photographer in the world - or even in my household for that matter - but I wanted to capture the very last of the day's heat. After I'd taken this I realised that the glow wasn't coming from just the setting sun alone, but also from the local steel and chemical works!! How beautiful is that!!??

My, how we laughed at my foolishness!

For more Sky Watchers visit the Sky Watch Blog.

ABC Wednesday - A is for...

2008-07-22T16:50:00.000+01:00

The new crime of "Attempted Verse" which I expect to be found guilty of after this little gem! (What could be worse than Attempted Verse?!) Anyway here goes:

ABC Wednesday is here we see,
For today it begins with its Round Three,
There’s twenty six letters for us to find
This ABC Wednesday will play on your mind.

Mrs Nesbitt’s the host of this weekly blog,
For her it’s as simple as falling off a log.
Though many of us will toil all day,
Until we discover an interesting ‘A’.

Well as you can see, I ain’t no poet,
From this little verse, you’ll surely know it.
And try as I might to make it rhyme,
I’m just pleased to say “It’s ABC Time!”

A new departure for the Third Round of ABC Wednesday, this week beginning with the letter A – ABC Wednesday now has it’s own blog which can be found here.

If you wish to participate please email Denise (Mrs Nesbitt) and she will add you to the blog-roll.

It's Not Sky Watch Friday, but.....

2008-07-21T19:42:00.000+01:00

I JUST HAD TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU ALL......

It would seem that summer has finally arrived - not a cloud in the sky and temperatures are on the up!!! (QUICK!!!! Touch wood, touch wood....)

I think I'm becoming...... Right Wing!!

2008-07-21T06:48:00.000+01:00

I don't like to discuss my politics - suffice to say I am an open minded individual who looks at all of the promises and lies and makes a judgement when the time comes. In most of the general elections held since I was 18 I have voted Labour - based on the fact that I either couldn't stand the Government of the day (18 years of Conservatives got a bit boring and decrepit), or that Labour seemed to be doing a decent job of the economy etc.

I also have a strong sense of social justice - in my teens and early twenties I was almost as red as Ken Livingstone in the fight for the working class - I read the Ragged Trousered Philanthropists - all of that stuff, and in the main agreed with it.

BUT - (see how big that BUT is?) age has me viewing a very different picture. These days I don't see people mistreated by society and cast out because they are unemployed or of poor educational standard* - these days I see scroungers, living off the back of my enormous tax contribution, living on benefits to which they are only entitled by the "system" and not for any real or moral reason - (*I do still see these people, but they are very few and far between.)

These days I see (especially where I live) able bodied young adults, cashing their giros for god knows how much cash supposedly to feed and clothe their enormous families,) stacking their supermarket trollies full of cheap 'budget' brands, endless bottles of fizzy pop and microwave burgers, topped with two or three crates of beer or lager, then heading to the fag-counter for a hundred Benson's, pulling out wads (and I mean wads - much more than their giro just gave them I'm sure) of cash and handing it over without so much as a grimace. They are dressed in designer sports wear, the girls have the latest clothes and shoes and enormous cheap gold earrings, the boys have the best hair do-s of their generation, designer trainers, speaker phones, ipods, Wii's etc. They walk around the estate as if they own it, bringing disruption to other residents with their late night (and daytime when / if they're awake) antics, showing no respect for anything or anyone, including themselves. They are quite capable of work, they just don't have to. The state pays for them to live the life of Riley. The state pays their rent, their council tax, their health costs. The state pays for their milk, fruit and veg and then gives them some cash for other things - usually spent on beer, fags, cheap gold earrings or another tattoo. They have no responsibilities, they have no respect, they have no need to provide for themselves. The state pays. Their parents taught them how to 'work the system' in the late eighties and early nineties and to them it is now a way of life. I do not blame them. I blame the 'system' for allowing it to happen in the first place.

So I was very pleased to hear yesterday that the government was considering another overhaul of the welfare system which forced people to work for their benefits and which brought about the introduction of benefits being a stepping stone into employment, a temporary benefit to help you find work. Yippee!! At last a sensible fresh approach I hear you cry, except that this isn't new Labour thinking at all, this isn't even a fresh idea, this was the policy bandied about in the late eighties by the Tories and called something like "Workfare" a policy to which I was vehemently opposed, and it's this that makes me think I'm becoming more Right Wing in my old age.

Of course it will only work if they make some provision so that the genuine cases aren't hounded out of the system - which seemed to happen with a similar overhaul of the Incapacity Benefit system a few years ago!!

Weekend Wandering

2008-07-20T12:24:00.000+01:00

This week's Question:

Do you have an item of clothing that you haven't worn for more than a year?

Quite simply - YES!

I have clothes which I bought for my holiday to Cyprus in 1991 - still hanging in the wardrobe - unpacked in 1991, washed and hung in the wardrobe, there to remain forever it would seem.

I also have clothes in there which were bought about 18 months ago but never worn due to the fact that I lost so much weight during my illness. They will be worn....... eventually, I suppose.

See more answers at Authorblog.

Hot July Brings Cooling Showers....

2008-07-19T19:08:00.000+01:00

Had the worst torrential downpour of the summer so far today - garden was under two inches of rain within twenty minutes.

So much for hot July!! What a bloody awful summer it's turning out to be!

The Horns of a Dichotomy....

2008-07-19T08:19:00.000+01:00

Here's a dilemma to ponder - all suggestions greatfully received.

I work as a business adviser - advising businesses on how to start, develop, grow, downsize, invest, train staff, lose staff, obtain grants etc. - I've been doing this for the past seven years, though all in all I have almost twenty five years experience in this field. My employers are (indirectly) the Government. I have a decent salary, pension scheme, health insurance (quite handy recently) and more importantly seven years protected rights with the same employer. On the downside my company is funded by central government and is almost guaranteed to be 'abolished' after the next UK General Election, two years or so from now.

Here's the dilemma:

I've been advising a start up company for the past six months who have probably one of the most revolutionary web based ideas I have seen for many a year, it is almost guaranteed to be a commercial winner on both sides of the Atlantic, and eventually worldwide, and is attracting a lot of funding (I'm talking £Millions) through my support and the uniqueness of their 'product'. They have now offered me a job as business development director, with a percentage shareholding in their venture. Sounds like a 'no brainer' right?

BUT WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Bearing in mind the highlighted word above?

As for my medical concerns - both parties are aware of my condition. My current employer has shown, by their actions, that they understand the potential for periods of ill health. The 'client' has also shown some understanding of this through rearranging funding meetings when I've been off ill to dates when I can attend.

As far as conflicts of interest or clauses in contracts debarring me from taking up employment with a client's business - there are none. Indeed in the past six months no fewer than three of my colleagues (even my immediate boss) has left to take up employment with one of their clients - so it seems to be 'the done thing.'

Before posting your answers I have to tell you that I have made a decision - but can you guess what it is??????

Sky Watch Friday - some fluffy loveliness..

2008-07-17T18:50:00.000+01:00

No, it's not cotton wool.

More fluffy loveliness or dark marauding blusteriness at the new home of Sky Watch Friday

What does My Name Mean, actually?

2008-07-17T16:15:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Denise for this one - I have to say that this is quite an accurate despription of my personality - and Mrs Nesbitt can vouch for that! (Cant you Denise? (pay you later lol!!))

What Gary Means

You are deeply philosophical and thoughtful. You tend to analyze every aspect of your life.

You are intuitive, brilliant, and quite introverted. You value your time alone.

Often times, you are grumpy with other people. You don't appreciate them trying to interfere in your affairs.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.

You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.

You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in.

You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising.

You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Rising Food Prices (MSN News 160708)

2008-07-17T07:14:00.000+01:00

The price of some food staples has shot up over the past 12 months as global commodity prices have hit record highs.
The average family shopping bill is up by more than 20% on last year according to figures released this week by the website mySupermarket.com. It found that a typical basket of 24 staple items, such as bread, milk and eggs, now costs around 21% more than in July last year. If you add the increase onto a typical £100 weekly shop for a family of four, households are spending an extra £1,092 a year on food.

The research named and shamed Sainsbury's as the supermarket with the biggest price hikes - the 24 food staples have gone up by 25.7% over the past 12 months.

We all tend to notice if prices rise, especially if the rises are so steep. But there is another, more subtle, way that manufacturers can protect their bottom line: they can give us less for our money.
A jar of mayonnaise, for example, might shrink from 600g to 550g. You wouldn't notice, would you - especially if there was no discernible difference in the size of the jar.
Or what about a bag of nappies? Last summer you might have bought a pack of 96 nappies; now you might only get 92.

It's the incredible shrinking groceries!

The phenomenon has been dubbed "short sizing" and has already hit the shops in America.

Short sizing is perfectly legal. There are some exceptions, but manufacturers can generally sell you as much - or as little - as they like, as long as the net weight is displayed somewhere on the packet. But just because it's legal doesn't make it right. Consumers don't want to be short-changed, especially not in the current economic climate.

We don't want to pay more and get less. Nor do we want a price hike to be disguised by a weight loss.

Shoppers might think it is harder for manufacturers to short size customers with products that are sold by number. You might notice, for example, if your pack of 36 Weetabix suddenly shrank to a pack of 32. But what if the manufacturer keeps the number the same, but cuts the size of each individual Weetabix? Or you might still get six yogurts in a pack, but each one might be that much smaller.
Keep an eye on products that are sold by weight. Would you really be able to tell if a packet of pasta shrank from 500g to 475g? Or what about a ready meal? The portion size could get smaller and you would barely blink an eye.
Foods that are made from wheat, flour or dairy products are particularly vulnerable to short sizing because these ingredients have risen sharply in price, making it harder for manufacturers to protect their margins.
Remember that manufacturers are clever. The packaging is likely to remain the same size, making it harder to detect any changes. So make sure you check on the net weight before you buy.

Extracted from: The incredible shrinking groceries - By Naomi Caine. Courtesy of MSN News
Read the full article here. http://money.uk.msn.com/consumer/article.aspx?cp-documentid=8912279

ABC Wednesday - Z is for...

2008-07-15T17:15:00.000+01:00

I umm'd and ahh'd for a long time about the letter Z. Where in the world could I find a Z?????

So I went out the back to the downstairs 'smallest room' and whilst contemplating my blog I saw this door, with its Z shaped support frame - Ah! Perfect, I thought.

Then Emily pointed out that there was a Z in the 'A' frame of her swing. I couldn't see it at first but she persisted and was eventually proved right, so I snapped it before I lost it. Clever Emily.

For more superb letter Z's visit Mrs Nesbitt's Place

Sky Watch - & Some Waves

2008-07-10T18:10:00.000+01:00

For this weeks Sky Watch I had intended to capture the wonderful coastal resort of Redcar on the North East coast of England (I work there) and perhaps some wonderful waves crashing on the golden sands with the sky as a backdrop, it was going to be a stunner!!

Sadly, I forgot my camera so you'll have to make do with these waves instead - at least the sky is real!

For more sky watchers visit Tom at Wiggers World.

Not Sexist.

2008-07-10T12:18:00.000+01:00

Scientists have discovered that the standard computer mouse design is not always compatible for use by women. It seems that they just don't find the feel of the traditional mouse comfortable, and many complain that it is obviously a male design from a male dominated industry.

They have come up with a revolutionary new style of mouse which, they say, fits perfectly with a woman's lifestyle.

Scroll down for an image of this new "Lady-mouse" in action.
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ABC Wednesday - Y is for...

2008-07-08T19:00:00.000+01:00

YELLOW

Yellow Antirhinums, Yellow Bag, Yellow Banana, Yellow Pens, Yellow Sun.

For more Y's words and images visit Mrs Nesbitt's Place

Steroid Effects

2008-07-08T07:06:00.000+01:00

I try not to mention my condition too much on this blog - I suffer from Crohn's Disease - but I thought the difference between these two photographs (taken just a few months apart) was quite striking.

The first picture was taken in December 2007 during a period in my life I'll never forget, what I now call my 'pre-diagnosis stage'. I thought I had cancer. I'd gone from 12st 8lbs down to 10st 3lbs.

The second picture was taken in March 08, after diagnosis, about four weeks into my first course of steroid treatment - very high dose (eight tablets per day.) A side effect of these steroids is "Moonface Syndrome" I'm showing signs here - but can you see the relief on my face? I didn't have cancer. My weight at this stage had crept back up to about 11st 6lbs (I'm now a respectable 12st 5lbs!!)

Quick shot of tonights rainbow display!

2008-07-05T20:13:00.000+01:00