Published April 10th, 2008
in Boys, Ocean Youth Trust and Swimming club.
Wouldn’t it be nice if once, just once, life was boring and everything went according to schedule? I could happily do boring for a while.
Whizzo scheme No. 1
The Plan
An Ocean Youth Trust trip for the boys. What a great idea! Time off school was negotiated, forms completed, money paid. The boat is due to leave this Sunday from Holyhead. No problem! We’d go via Manchester on Saturday, collecting Boy Cousin en route. And oh look! The World Short Course Swimming Championships are on in Manchester - what a bonus! So I bought tickets a couple of days ago. And even better - I have a meeting in Bangor on Tuesday so let’s reschedule everyone for Monday and I’ll stay over for it.
The Flaw
Have you spotted it yet? No, I didn’t either. Nor did a lot of other people, it seems. Continue reading ‘The best laid plans…’
Published April 9th, 2008
in Abu Dhabi and Holidays.
It’s officially known as Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque.
Wow!
It may not be quite finished but it’s stunning.
Third largest in the world. From Italy - the largest 
chandelier in the world. From Iran - the largest handmade carpet in the world. White marble from Greece. In fact, about 200 different types of marble from around the world. Hand painted tiles from Turkey. Hand carved ceilings by Moroccan craftsmen. Three main domes, four minarets. I’ve forgotten how many pillars, but a lot. An area of 22,000 sq m. Marble and mother of pearl marquetry, marble relief decor, mosaics, acres of gold leaf, concealed lighting. It’s taken 10 years to build and there’s a little way to go yet. If you go to the Emirates, you must go and visit this mosque.
Oh, and no hugging.
Some photos in Bubbleshare:-
Published April 8th, 2008
in Boys, Edinburgh and Running.
So it’s done. “Done” may be stretching the truth a little - “started” might be a better description. The Great Edinburgh Run (5th May this year) has my entry fee and I’ve set up a fundraising page on JustGiving. All I have to do now is go and do it. Easy, eh?
I’ve decided to raise funds for the Maggie’s Centres, which provide support for anyone affected by cancer. Two reasons for this. First, they do a fantastic job. Second, if I’ve got sponsors I will definitely do the run. Even if I walk it. No backing down. Lynne, I’ll see you at the start line!
If anyone from Ross High happens to be reading this, GP2 is doing the Junior Race on the Saturday so I’m sure you will feel duty bound to sponsor us. No pressure, but he’s in your class Mr Meldrum. And for everyone else reading - it’s all in a good cause, so go on. You know you can. Just click on that badge on the right.
The fund raising page may be the last rip in my veneer of anonymity but never mind. Most people probably know who I am by now anyway and the sky hasn’t fallen in. In fact, now I think about it, I might just put the blog link on the JustGiving site. Oh why not live dangerously?
Image is borrowed with thanks from Nienke Hinton
Published April 8th, 2008
in Abu Dhabi and Holidays.
Personally, I blame it all on GP2. He wanted an apple. We were heading, in the blinding afternoon sun, temperature c. 400 C, towards the fruit and vegetable market at the time, so it didn’t seem an entirely unreasonable request. However, I still think it was his fault.
But before that, let’s go back a year or two to the first time I did my supermarket shopping on the internet. It seems so easy, doesn’t it? You sit at the comfort of your desk, no time wasted, no oil consumed driving to the next town. You wander leisurely down the aisles with your mouse, no trollies to push, no arguments with the children about which over-packaged yoghurts or tooth rotting, trans-fat laden biscuits and crisps to buy this week. Click, click, click and there’s your shopping done.
Mmm. If only it were that simple. Continue reading ‘The Tesco internet shopping moment’
Published March 19th, 2008
in Boys, Ocean Youth Trust, Out & about and School.
I’m not a great believer in the children missing school for any reason. They really have to be close to death before they can stay home sick and it takes a family wedding to get them the last day of term off. But they’re both taking a week out in April to go with the Ocean Youth Trust, a sail training organisation, on the Greater Manchester Challenge.
A friend had organised a group of youngsters from dinghy sailing clubs in Derbyshire to go on the boat but several dropped out recently and she was offering the places more widely. We initially turned it down as it was during term time for us - Easter holidays in other parts of the country - but GP2 was keen to go. Some more thought and it seemed too good an opportunity to miss. The school agreed and have been very supportive about the idea; they’re not getting off scot free as they’ll have some reading and writing to do. Anyhow, they’re both going and so is their Manchester cousin. They’ll sail from Holyhead, probably out to the Isle of Man, and back to Liverpool.
Interestingly, although it’s expensive it’s a lot cheaper than some of the school trips on offer, presumably because we don’t have to cover staff costs. Travel costs will be helped by the fact that I have a meeting in Bangor that week which I’ve managed to rearrange for the Monday - they board on Sunday - so it’s all fitting in well.
And I’m very jealous.
Published March 19th, 2008
in Boys and Holidays.
Four & a half sleeps, two long car journeys and one wedding to go. Oh, that’s a family wedding in there. Make it three and two half-sleeps. And then we go on holiday!
So, at the weekend, it was time to go shopping. Our travel bags have finally fallen apart. At this point you have to understand that I’ve never bought a suitcase. Never really grown up, you see. We’ve always travelled with those soft squashy grips that have somehow been acquired, rather than bought. Or rucksacs. Years of travelling with rucksacks. So it was that at the weekend our middle-aged selves were spotted in Debenhams (my mother would be proud; that was always her favourite shop) perusing the massed ranks of suitcases and trying to figure out what it was that we needed. A big one and a small one? Two medium sized ones? A hard one and a squashy one? And why was the greeny blue one £10 cheaper than the blue one? All down to the colour, apparently. Then there were the mental gymnastics required - how many litres volume and which ones could go as hand luggage when required. In the end, we just gave up and bought two suitcases that looked nice.
Of course, as soon as we got them home:- “These are huge! Did we really need them this big?” But we’re very grown up now. We’ve got proper suitcases.
Now, some might note a milestone of growing up as the first joke. (We’re still dealing with that one, by the way. Yesterday’s offering:- “What do you call an Italian who has an arm cut off? A man with a speech impediment.”) Others long for the privacy that growing up brings. Been there, but almost too far back to remember clearly. And then, of course, there’s the suitcases. Our current milestone? Read on…
While we were out, Continue reading ‘Growing up’
It was Monday morning, yesterday now. I woke up knowing exactly where my legs were. As the morning wore on I learned to identify every individual leg muscle. The big ones at the front - the quads. And yes, there were the hamstrings. And the calf muscles, especially the one just above the titanium-reinforced ankle. But ouch! The worst were the ones in my bum, the glutes. They made their presence felt every time I stood up from my chair. If it’s that sore, it must be girls’ weekend away time.
I have friends who do girls’ weekends. They go to Dublin or Barcelona Continue reading ‘Relax, it’s the weekend…’
Published March 5th, 2008
in Hospital and ovarian cancer.
Sounds offstage left:- Crash!
“Mu-um! That’s another glass you’ve broken!”
“Well, at least it wasn’t a good one.” Spoken whilst rootling in the cupboard for the dustpan and brush. Again.
In fact, when I stop and think about it (although as a rule it’s probably better not thinking too much), I’ve broken more plates and glasses in the last six weeks than in the previous ten years. I think it must be due to this peripheral neuropathy. Numb fingers and toes to you. Continue reading ‘Moving on’
Published February 28th, 2008
in Boys, School and sport.
Oh dear. That was the scoreline at the end of GP2’s first ever rugby match last Sunday. It wasn’t the team’s first match, despite what the scoreline might suggest. But they were playing a team from Gala, in the Borders, and, as you’ll all know, Borders lads are farmers’ sons and built like tractors. Or cow sheds. Huge, in any case, and surely twice the size of their opponents. There was plenty of ducking and weaving but this was mostly from the Ross High team in their efforts to avoid tackling the trains that came hurtling towards them, clutching the ball, no need to pass as they banged down yet another try. I don’t blame them - I’d have dived for cover at the first whistle.
Still, he said he’d enjoyed it, despite the bitter wind, tucked away safely out on the wing, and he got his hands on the ball once for a nanosecond before off-loading in the face of another juggernaut. Good strategy - let someone else get tackled! GP2, by the way, is one of the smaller boys in his year.
This first ever rugby match took place Continue reading ‘77 nil’
I seem to have been on a Blog-battical for the last few weeks. Life getting in the way. But now the writers’ strike is over, there’s really no excuse is there? No picket lines to cross. Oh, you mean I don’t get paid for this, never mind royalties? Still, we creative types have to stick together, to show some solidarity. So now the red carpet’s been rolled out, it would be truly churlish of me not to acknowledge, finally, much overdue, with tears rolling down my face and thanking the angels in the city - where was I? - not to acknowledge an award from Potty Mummy. ![[excellentblog.jpg]](http://bp1.blogger.com/_JjM2auRqbU0/R6TZODrLQBI/AAAAAAAAABk/GU6QYcEH2qw/s1600/excellentblog.jpg)
I’m not sure that I deserve this, given my recent silence, but I’ll accept it gladly. And I promise not to compare it to my agent’s buttocks. As if.
To quote from Potty Mummy, this award originated with a Canadian blogger, who stated: Continue reading ‘Spring Bling’
