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 |  Empty or full, shiny or a little in need of washing and sometimes just cracked! |
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I heard about these blogs and wondered why people would want to air their dirty laundry online. But I feel safe on this site so maybe it's worth a try. We'll see. This blog is complete. Please find my new blog from the link below...
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| I spent over two hours reading blogs this morning and much as I had plenty of other things needed doing, I enjoyed catching up with everyone. One of the blogs I read isn't a WDC one, but actually a Travel blog kept by my son's friend Jeff, who is travelling the world alone. He's been in the States for quite a while and spent a long time in California. This morning he arrived in a different state and I couldn't help but smile at what he'd written. 'I'm not really sure what I'm doing here in Texas to be honest. I think the fact that I've not met anyone who's been here was a deciding factor; the desire to do something a bit different. The place I'm staying at is not actually in Dallas, but in Irving, about twenty-five minutes away. I went to the local grocery store and in that one moment all my stereotypes, I'm glad to report, were satisfied. Lumberjack shirts, bad hair, big hats and 'thanks y'all' accents. It was brilliant! This isn't a tourist area by any stretch of the imagination so this is the real deal so to speak. I think it's bloody brilliant - it's like being in a bad TV show. I've never been so excited about a new place in ages.' I wonder if he'll come across any butt fans, pank cocktail dresses or goat kissers? Any complaints can be sent to me and I'll pass them on to Jeff. lol So now I must start preparations for my own little trip to Ascot race meeting tomorrow. It could be a long job. As we set off at 7.15am tomorrow  and won't return until late at night, I suspect I may fall very behind with blogs, but I'll be thinking of you and will let you know about any disasters I might cause during the trip. I bet you can't wait. |
Much as Sardinia is a beautiful island and I enjoyed my holiday, there were moments when I wished the ground would open up and swallow me.  1. On arrival, I visited the loo in our room and then spent several minutes pondering how to flush it. There was no handle, no button, no pedal on the floor and I was rather puzzled until I spotted a metal disk on the wall with a small button in the centre. Nothing happened when I pushed it so I tried pulling it and sure enough it moved. There seemed to be some string attached to it so I pulled it a bit more but alas, the loo remained silent and unflushed. It was only when I'd pulled the string the whole length of the bathroom I realised it was a washing line. There was a flat panel above the loo which simply needed a slight push to flush the toilet. DUH 2. After our first meal as we walked around the grounds admiring the gorgeous view, I commented to hubby there must be a church just outside the grounds and pointed out the lovely little wooden cross just peeking above the rooftops. Hubby took great delight in informing me it was the top of a telegraph pole. DUH. 3. On the first day hubby went to the reception point to book a couple of trips. I waited outside and got talking to an Englishman who was waiting for his wife to return. He asked about our flight to Sardinia and I told him when I saw our plane, it was so small I thought it was an airfix model. I continued to joke that anyone carrying excess weight wouldn't have managed to get up the steps, never mind down the gangway. Half way through my sentence his wife appeared - to say she was a rather large lady would be an understatement. DUH 4. Lunch time meals were always buffets and self service apart from the hot food. One lunch time I decided to have some of the spaghetti being served by one of the waiters. When I returned to our table I noticed it didn't look much like the bolognese I was used to at home. In fact, there appeared to be great lumps of meat in it. On closer inspection the great lumps seemed very rubbery and covered in tentacles.  I'm afraid the plate was rapidly discarded and I returned to fetch a cheese sammich as that's all I could stomach. DUH 5. After landing back in England on Saturday morning, hubby and I waited by the conveyor for our luggage. After fifteen minutes we were the only people left and no more cases were coming along the belt. I had visions of being left with no clothes, shoes, presents or cosmetics and worst of all losing that bag I'd spent a fortune on in Sardinia. After enquiring, it seemed we were waiting at the wrong conveyor and our luggage was orphaned on the other side of the airport lounge. DUH My hairdresser keeps trying to persuade me to change the colour of my hair, but I think it suits me just as it is. lol Anyway, enough of that, but before I go a HUGE thank you to vivacious   for designing this wonderful illustration for my humble blog. Isn't it brilliant?   |
| It's great to know even when our time on here is limited and real life takes over that we are never forgotten. A huge thank you to lethomson for the great Merit Badge and very kind words. Another huge thank you to andrew  for donating the wonderful ice cream cone pictured below. And thanks to all my blog readers and commenters; your words mean a lot. Why does this sound like a speech from the Oscars? My sister has been and gone  and I've tried to catch up on blogs as much as I can. For those who haven't yet seen the contest hosted by windac please visit it as soon as possible and get your entry posted.
To all dads everywhere - have a great Father's Day and put your feet up. After all, why should this Sunday be any different? lol I'm off to visit mine now but have managed to download the last of my Sardinia photos if anyone wishes to peruse.
My last entry on Sardinia tomorrow I promise and no more photos you'll be relieved to read. Well, not until Wednesday anyway...get ready to overdose on Ascot then.  |
I got up very early this morning as I was meeting my sister in Nottingham. She's visiting until Saturday, so when she stays here tomorrow night I predict another late and boozy evening/morning. I set off for the train and I was fine. I was fine when we were shopping. I was fine when we sat by the canal for a meal. I was fine when we decided we had time for another wine before catching the return train. But somewhere between the train ride and signing into WDC this overwhelming tiredness has hit me and after I've posted my next FIVE Sardinia photos I think I may be too sleepy to do anything else. Oh well, seeing as there's only England attempting to play football on the television I might just take a...yawn...zzzzz }  }  }  }  } |
| I'm not by nature a morning person. But since the advent of the blog I do find myself in a better frame of mind anticipating the surprises in store as I enter the world of Blogville at the start of each day. Very often my face is forced to smile and I find myself chuckling at some hilarious entry that's been made while I'm sleeping. I'm pleased I didn't save partyof5dj's entry from yesterday until this morning though as I think I may have bust a gut. No, that was a gem from the night before and had me laughing for ages. This morning however, I found myself giggling even before I signed in to WDC. A few years ago I won an honourable mention in The Annual Writer's Digest Competition - quite an achievement I'm told. Since then I've signed up for their Newsletters, although I admit I generally just scan them to save time. There was one in my MSN mailbox this morning and as I quickly scanned through it, I came across the following writing idea of the day - 'It's lunchtime and you have Chinese food delivered. At the end of your meal, you open your fortune cookie--but this fortune is different. It's the most shocking revelation you could ever imagine. What does your fortune say? And what is your reaction? Please limit your response to 500 words or fewer.' I don't know what made me click on the link to this but when I read the first response posted to it, I almost fell off my chair. To prove I'm not lying and so as not to spoil the surprise, I implore you to look for yourself. It will only take a second. http://www.writersdigest.com/mbbs/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=2892&posts=1  I've managed to get FIVE more photos into my Sardinia folder which I'll try to put in here. I think you need to click on them to see the bigger picture. They were taken during a very enjoyable day trip to the Costa Smeralda.  }  }  }  }  } |
| I think I need a holiday. lol There's something about returning from one that wears me out and it's just seemed one long round of catching up with everything and trying to adjust to reality. There was a little blip while we were away which doesn't suprise me too much, as I've mentioned before my family has perfect timing. It seems my mum had a bit of a health problem and my dad panicked and cancelled his cataract operation so she wasn't left alone. Not what I wanted to hear on return from our week away, but such is life. Today she phoned to say she felt too weary and off colour to meet me, which was worrying as normally only hurricanes and the outbreak of war will prevent her from going out. I said I'd do a bit of shopping and wander up to their house. She wanted some England flags to hang from her windows - oh the shame of it. While I was in the town, an ambulance tore from the main road near to their home, sirens blaring and I convinced myself my mother was inside it. I know it sounds silly but I just seem to be a bundle of nerves lately with concerns about them. When I reached their house they were sitting in their chairs, watching the rained off Stella Artois tennis tournament on television and completely oblivious to my anxieties. Living on a knife edge with the sword of Damocles over my head, you'd think I'd be a bit sharper wouldn't you? I think I need to join a society for the neurotic and paranoid. After I'd done a few jobs for them I set off for home and the heavens opened. Perfect timing again - enter one drowned rat. Anyway, I finally managed to get my first few photographs into an album. It's only taken me three hours and I couldn't have done it without the aid of schipperke so a HUGE thank you to her. And if you get fed up of Sardinia photos every day, you know who to blame now. lol So, here's the start of my holiday which now seems a million light years away.  }  } Invalid Photo #1039570 |
| NOT talking about today. NOT mentioning the parents, the son or hubby grumps. NOT even contemplating discussing the weather, the diet, the world cup or the meaning of life. I just can't cope with all I need to catch up on ...oh look there's a chicken. My son informs me the internet is suffering from overload due to people placing bets and researching the world cup. Football (soccer) is ruining my life it seems. My Sardinia photos are proving difficult to load and transfer when my computer is affected by the overload of football maniacs but I won't give up. Determination is a Leo quality isn't it Nada? So for the moment I'll make lists. Things I DIDN'T like about Sardinia. 1. The cool evenings. Not conducive to sitting outside in summer gear. 2. The hotel pools. Absolutely bloody freezing despite warm sunshine. 3. The definition of seafood. More on this later...bet you can't wait. 4. The coffee...I don't enjoy drinking mud. 5. The lack of access to blogs. To think I missed all the action and didn't have the chance to focus on...oh look there's a chicken. Things I WUBBED about Sardinia. 1. The beaches, the sea, the unspoiled landscape and fabulous water. 2. The pizzas, pasta and ice cream - diet resumes tomorrow. 3. The people - so honest, humble and good-natured despite the language barrier. 4. The love of animals. No feral cats and pampered pooches on every street corner. Didn't see one neglected dog - wagging tails and wet noses speak volumes in any language. 5. No British influence. No MacDonalds, Karaoke, lager louts or football mania. A wonderful island...photos soon...did I have to come back to the humdrum? SIGH Well, at least blogville offers diversions...Oh look there's a chicken. |
| Well what sort of a week's holiday was that? I swear it only lasted ten minutes. Okay, so YES I do have loads of photos and the option to create albums now I've upgraded, so no doubt you'll be screaming 'OH NO, NOT Sardinia again,' after a few days. I also DID make some notes in my new book, some things 'sensed' and some quite amusing (I think) anecdotes, which I'll share once I've come back to earth. Thanks for all your wonderful and hilarious comments; I have missed your zaniness a lot. Now, far be it from me to complain  but some unexpected things we return to from holiday just make me want to buzz off again. Like -1. The weather. As predicted England has enjoyed a heatwave during our absence and if inside information is correct, this is due to end tomorrow. Are we born with great timing or do we acquire it? 2. Sons. Or just the one in my case. Conveniently out of earshot watching the England match in a pub, he can't hear my curses as I examine the disaster area which was my home before I left. Not sure how many parties, barbecues and guests he's entertained while we've been away, but think the clearing up may occupy me for the next decade. Don't you just love your kids? 3. Computers. Only 59 e-mails in my MSN box and 40 something on here and of course our top of the range, broadband-connection computer is running like a snail on valium and throwing wobblies. Maybe it's upset we deserted it for a week.  I WILL try to get round to some blog catching-up in due course, but it's obviously going to take the rest of this life and possibly the next five.4. Junk Mail. I still haven't opened the pile of post on the table, but I can tell very little of it is of any consequence. I AM however, absolutely delighted with my e-bay hat and the beautiful necklaces made by chalaedra Thank you so much. I now have the full outfit for Ascot, even if the handbag I bought in Sardinia means we may need to remortgage the house. 5. Lost property. I KNOW I bought and packed a jar of hot stuffed peppers for my dad but they are nowhere in my luggage. I can only think someone on Sardinian airlines has peppernapped them and if this is the case, I hope they taste horrible. Okay, time to eat outside and enjoy the last of the glorious sunshine. And for those who are not familiar with the 'Hokey Cokey,' it's a daft dance people usually end up doing at the end of social occasions. You need to be totally inebriated before attempting it. You put your left leg in... Your left leg out... In, out, In, Out, You shake it all about. You do the Hokey Cokey and you turn around... That's what it's all about... Ohhhhhhhhhhh hokey cokey cokey... Ohhhhhhhhhhh hokey cokey cokey... Ohhhhhhhhhhh hokey cokey cokey... Knees bend, arms out, rah rah rah. You get the gist I'm sure. lol |
| Could someone please send the following - 1. A jacket or cardigan. The cloudy periods and evenings are cooler than anticipated and of course I brought nothing warm to wear. 2. Some English cigarettes. I assumed wrongly I'd be able to buy them cheaper here and am now searching the island for low-strength cigarettes. I know, I know, it's the perfect opportunity to quit, but hell, I am on holiday you know. 3. An I-pod. The entertainment leaves a lot to be desired unless you enjoy doing the hokey-cokey or listening to 'I did it my way' in Italian. 4. An Italian phrase book. English visitors are in the minority here it seems and very few natives speak English. We could end up buying a donkey instead of an ice-cream. 5. My knitting. Not that I have the urge to do any, but the needles could come in handy during the night when hubby starts snoring in the king-sized bed and my arms aren't long enough to poke him. Otherwise, everything is fine. Better go, Euros running out. Ciao or however you spell it. WUB you. |
| First a final word from me on the subject of 'handles.' It was not my intention to criticise or upset any member of WDC; those of you who know me well will realise that is the last thing I would do. My point was and I still stick to it, I do not believe two members should be allowed the same handle exactly. I realise user names are unique, but it is not the user name other readers see. I also realise the opportunity to change your handle on this site is also unique, but would argue that can lead to confusion and duplication. I had assumed, wrongly it seems, that once a handle had been chosen no one else could use it. Many, many times on other sites I have had to add an intitial or a number to a name I've chosen, to distinguish myself from other members. It's not the end of the world or of critical importance, but only last week I upgraded to premium membership and after having paid a lot of money to be on the site, I would have expected some uniqueness. I still think every member at whatever level, has the right to their own, personal handle be it something as simple as 'John' or as original as 'Ifeelprettyinmypinkcocktaildress.' Obviously, with so many members it's unlikely we'll bump into another member with the same handle, so maybe it's making a mountain out of a molehill. But with the advent of the blog list, I can see possible problems. But, it's not my job to think it through or suggest any changes be made. I rather liked Erik Stark 's suggestion that a whole bunch of bloggers change their handles to the same name. Let's think...something like The Storymaster or Storymistress might do. Maybe I should have taken up my own suggestion of changing my handle to 'Calamity Jane' as now my foot is sore from opening my mouth and putting it in there. Although there could already be six Calamity Janes on the site already for all I know. Seems the only answer to retaining some individuality is to study the whole list of authors and then think of something so absurd, no one would be able to pronounce it. Although there are already some of those too. I still maintain, without any offence intended, it's not right, but I'd better shut up now before I swallow my other foot. Anyway, today has been a mad flurry of packing, sorting out the parents and doing all those last minute jobs you forget need doing before you can take a week away. As predicted sunshine has finally arrived in England and what is forecast tomorrow in Sardinia? You got it in one - rain. lol Our flight leaves at 7.00am Saturday morning and we need to be up before 4.00am to reach the airport. I've not decided whether it's worth going to bed or not, but this will be my last blog entry until we return. (Pause for cheers or collective sighs of relief) Of course, my favourite duck 'Divine' is accompanying me and of course, my sister's twin duck 'Desirable,' has muscled in on the act. GAWD, they don't half squabble. I've decided too, as Damask, the PANK duck from California hasn't been far yet, she can come too. Wish me luck. I shall miss all you guys and gals. But a new notebook is packed just in case I have any flashes of brilliance. I suspect a pristine notebook may return, but you never know. Maybe I'll make some of those poetic notes like Kåre Enga going to Montana   or more likely have another tale of calamity to tell. I shall think of you all and wish you all a happy week doing whatever you do and blogging of course. Be good.  |
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