Isn't time flying! Mid November already. Bizarre. Well I've got lots of things going on in my life at the moment so this is a bit of a news snippet update!

Firstly there's Anthony's bike project. Think Scrapheap Challenge with more time, less people, and less scrapyard - but just as much improvisation and lateral thinking on getting things to work / fit! And the Enduro's he's planning on doing when it's all done involve lots of mud and stuff. Looks far too much like hard work to me!

Then there's my new little sideline. I am now a newly qualified Ann Summers Party organiser! Oh yes! It's a good laugh, gets me out of the house, earning some cash, and meeting lots of new people. It's all just good fun really.

Work is pretty horrendous politics-wise at the moment. We're going through massive re-structuring so everything's up in the air and people are playing for power and position at the moment. I still enjoy my day job, just not the politics. It makes it all pretty stressful. I'm hoping I still have a job I enjoy doing come 1st April, but watch this space. (I'll have something - I just don't have a lot of control over what that might be due to other people's game playing / power struggles. Sigh.)

The divorce goes to court on Friday this week - all very straightforward and nothing to contest / argue about - so hopefully that will go through. We need to wait another 6 weeks-ish after that to finalise it all, but it's going through quicker than we expected. We're both pretty happy about that though - we've both really moved on and are living new lives now.

The only complicated bit in all of that is the house. A year ago it was going to be easy, but then this crunchy thing happened and sticking the house on the market now seems somewhat... err... suicidal frankly! Not sure how we work that one out but we'll get there.

I think that's it from me. Oh - and if anyone's wondering about christmas, I'm afraid i'm being antisocial and staying in Cornwall this year! Well - not that antisocial - we're going to Anthony's family for a few days. The usual excesses of alcohol and food will of course be observed....

Some more holiday pictures from Linslade.

This goose was stretching his wings after munching bread out of my hand.

And this pair were displaying beautifully - sadly always just before the camera went, but they're still quite pretty.

And this is a picture of the rabble on the last night! Clockwise from the front left are: Anthony, me, Sara, Sue, Clive, Jen & Ray. Tony (my fellow joint master-lock-keeper) is sneakily behind the camera.

I'm back! The holiday was fabulous. A completely chilled out few days in great company. I've actually got loads of pictures now to post, but here's one for now. We spent a day on a narrow boat on the Grand Union canal - not something I'd have thought I'd enjoy but actually it was an amazing day. Joint master lock-keeper extraordinaire here! ;-)

This was the canal as we were heading back to where the boat came from - the colours on the trees were amazing and we were really lucky with the weather. I'm feeling very chilled out and relaxed now - it's amazing how much of a difference just a few days away can make.

Unfortunately we got home to find the rabbit vanished - and a rather telling tunnel leading out of the back corner of the hutch. However just looking out of the back door late this morning, there he was noncholantly sitting there as if nothing had happened. Hey ho!

More pics may follow when I get myself organised.

Woohoo - holiday!

Yay - we're off on holiday tomorrow! I can't wait. We're back on Friday, but it's going to be so nice to actually get away for a week. I've packed the camera already so might actually manage to get some pictures up on here when I get back! (I know I've been rather lax in that regard.)

We've just got to work out what clothes to pack - I have no idea what the weather's going to do for the rest of the week - every time I look at a forecast it changes. Our beautiful british weather and all that! ;-)

Sx

I can't believe it's October already. It's dark when I get up in the mornings, the evenings are getting darker earlier and it's definitely colder. Never mind - think steaming mugs of hot chocolate, sitting by a fire, with a lovely warming casserole... mmmmm!

Happy Birthday Stella & Rik if either of you read this - I hope your respective cards arrived in time - we've had terrible trouble with post down this end of the country - and you both had nice birthdays.

So what's new in my world? I've ditched the braids I had in for the last 7 weeks - they were lovely, but started to go a bit 'fluffy' and definitely getting heavy so I got rid of them. However I've also decided to ditch the blonde - it's autumn now so a change was needed. I'm currently sitting typing with some rather colourful red dye on my hair! Well - it's a long time since I've been red so I thought I'd give it another go.

Knitting. Now there's a thing. Not something I ever thought I'd get into - but actually I bought a book a few days ago and am getting quite into it. It's quite therapeutic just sitting clicking away on the sofa while (not really) watching tv. I certainly wouldn't claim to be an expert after less than a week - but I've got 3 squares now that hopefully will become something interesting...!

Right - time to wash off the hair dye. Then I think it's definitely time for little drinkies...

:-)

So here we are, heading towards the end of September, and what’s in the shops? Blinkin' Christmas stuff. I mean – we’ve barely got over the miniscule bit of summer we’ve had – and they’re foisting mid-winter onto us! Really – is it just me that can’t stand the whole ‘Christmas before December’ lark, or do other people feel the same? I’m quite happy with the idea that we can enjoy Christmas, the build up, the food, the present choosing & wrapping, the decorating and so on – but not while we’re still trying to cling onto the last dregs of summer! I mean honestly. It’s this sort of commercial driven attitude that puts me off the whole event altogether. Lets have December as the month to build up to Christmas and that’ll do nicely. It’s more fun if you cram it into a shorter period of time anyway.

;-)

Oh my big exciting news is… I’m finally back online at home! No I know. It’s not that exciting really. But it was a little weird with no internet access at home for 2 whole months. Apparently the problem is my machine is too old. Or something. I don’t care – it works (OK – so you have to remember to keep pedalling but hey it gets there in the end!) and that’s all that matters. As long as I can do my online stuff and download my photos and music I’m really not bothered. So yes – I can now answer emails again. You have all got my hotmail email address, haven’t you? I’m bored of changing it when I change ISP so I’m sticking to that one now – it’s a lot easier.

On another note – only 3 weeks to go til my holiday! Yay!!! I can’t wait – I’m knackered! It’s been a lonnnnng time since Christmas.

Enough drivel for now. Feel free to get in touch if you want to say anything interesting, random or otherwise! Or any specific questions also welcome – happy to answer them if I can (or make something up if I can’t – it all helps to keep the mind occupied). I never really know what to write on this thing or what information you’re interested in – hence the complete drivel that usually gets spouted out…..

Finally! It appears that I might actually have an internet connection at home again from next week. It's been nearly 2 months - and has been surprisingly hard work. While I can access this site through work, all my normal 'communication' places that I use (facebook, myspace, and email) are blocked. So if anyone has contacted me through any of those methods - my apologies for not responding! I've got the prospect of 2 months-worth to catch up on next week. Of course, that's assuming I can actually get the PC itself to work! (It's probably feeling slightly neglected...)

Apart from that, life is trundling along quite nicely really. Work is pretty tricky at the moment with the re-structuring going on but I'm just keeping my head down and getting on with it for the moment. The house is slowly getting there so it's ready to sell a.s.a.p. next Spring. Anthony and I have lots of ideas and plans about what we're going to do when that's done. Not sure what else there is to report.

Oh yes - for those that knew her, I spent a wonderful afternoon with my lovely friend Claire yesterday (and Paul & children of course!). It's been 4 years since I last saw her, but it was great to catch up again properly and chat. I'm not sure I'd want to face a 29 hour flight home with 3 children personally, so she's a braver woman than me! And I thought Cornwall was a long way away from everyone - at least I'm in the same country! ;-)

Right - time to get back to work now. Watch this space for a home published comment coming up sometime in the next week (I hope!).

Optimistically,
S xx

So here we are. August bank holiday. A good time not to be on the roads of Cornwall.(Particularly St Ives!) So we're off to house sit for the weekend on a farm for Anthony's Aunt and Uncle. It'll be us, 8 1/2 acres of fields, 4 dogs, 3 cats, no neighbours, a rayburn to play with, a pair of air rifles and lots of bunny rabbits that (hopefully!!) don't know what's about to hit them...! Blissful.

Have a good bank holiday all.

Sx

So what on earth is this weather all about then? Myself and a couple of others have decided that actually the seasons have shifted and we're well into autumn now. It's definitely September weather. The leaves on the trees outside my office are starting to go yellowy. I reckon we ought to be thinking about summer from April - June now. Ditch August I say. How very miserable. And windy. (Although that might just be here in Cornwall) Never mind. It's casserole and open fires weather now I guess...

Apologies for the lack of communication recently. Some technical problems at home mean that I currently have no internet access. Which makes life interesting. It's not until you can't do something that you realise how much you relied on having it there! Strange how we become so dependant on these things.

Anyway - I'm hoping technical problems will be resolved over the next week or so and normal service will be resumed. (And then I won't have to sneakily use my work PC for updating things like this!)

Apart from that - life is pretty good at the moment. Apart from the hoardes of tourists who seem to lose the ability to drive while on holiday, and the rather miserable weather of course!

25 again. How the time flies when you're having fun! Shame it's miserable weather, but then it is wimbledon fortnight so I guess that's inevitable. I've been stuck at work this morning, but I have a nice afternoon of pampering planned, then I understand I'm going out tonight, but have no idea where or what for at the moment (which is kind of fun!).

Further reports may follow when I've recovered from the rather inevitable hangover...

(The make-up went fine - we practiced lots!)

Do you ever get that feeling that life is just running too fast? No matter how chilled out you are generally, you get those moments when everything seems too quick for you to assimilate what's going on. Not necessarily anything unpleasant or difficult, just too much going on at once, meaning you're probably missing things. Ah well - it'll all slow down again soon!

Off up north tomorrow (well - it's pretty north from here anyway!). It'll be great to see people - I haven't crossed the border since Christmas! (And for the benefit of those who aren't up on their Cornish politics - naturally the border is the Tamar that separates Cornwall from England...! Oh god I'm turning into a local! Eeek!) Anyway - where was I? Oh yes - going to see people tomorrow and Monday on my whistlestop tour of the Midlands - although the primary objective is to do a trial run of Pip's make-up for her wedding. (Nervous? Me? Oh yes!) It seemed such a nice idea when she asked me if I'd do it for her - and it still does really and I'm really chuffed that she wants me to - but I'm starting to realise that if I get this wrong, this is what everyone's going to see on the photos etc for evermore! Rescue remedy anyone?!

Hmmm - I've realised I don't post that much on here because I never know what to write. Stuff that's exciting to me is probably utterly boring to anyone reading it - and things that seem normal everyday stuff are probably what you want to know about! Hey ho. So some quick fire updates on my life as it is today:

I have yet another new man in my life - George. I'll get some pics up here soon, but he's a lovely black & white Dutch rabbit. My friend Shev needed a home for him when she had to move house and couldn't take him - so I offered. He has a very delux residence! It's massive! I'll get the camera out and get some pics for you soon.

My garden looks like a bomb site. We're lifting the patio at the moment - and it appears that the person who laid it was a little ... errr ... over enthusiastic. So far we've gone down about 12 inches below the slabs and are still finding concrete. We've managed to borrow a proper breaker for it - but there's still a lot to go. I keep myself sane by sitting on the fab decking at the other end of the garden, and looking at the plan of what it WILL look like when it's finished!

We went to the Royal Cornwall Show yesterday - which was great. I've been to shows before but this one was fantastic! We walked a little over 7 miles and managed to get quite sunburned - but never mind. Lots of inspiration for the future smallholding idea.

What else? Oh yes I'm heading briefly up to Stratford / Leamington next weekend. Just me - and with the primary motive of seeing Pip and doing a trial run for her make-up. (I can't quite believe the wedding's only 5 weeks away!) I'm hoping to fly round and catch up for an hour or two with as many people as possible - but apologies if I can't and my timescales don't suit you. I'll do it properly another time I promise.

Right - more than enough waffle and I need to get back out into the fantastic sunshine - need to get this tan looking amazing in time for the wedding!!

New Decking!

Yep - it's just about finished now, There are a few finishing touches still to do, but it's looking pretty darn good.

This is how the garden looked before - viewed from the back door.

And this is how it looks now - well the back third of the garden anyway! (Lets call the rest of the garden a 'work in progress' - OK?!)

There are still some finishing touches to be done - like finishing off re-painting the shed green instead of that hideous orange / red colour - but essentially this is it. My lovely new decking! I think it's amazing personally - it's huge, but it's at the right end of the garden to get the sun for most of the day. And the covered part is perfect for shade in the middle of the day, and getting the sun in there in the late evenings.

Hmm. OK. So I've finally set up this blog thingy (that I've been meaning to do for aaaages but not got round to). I guess there's quite a lot to catch up on for those that were reading the other blog. I'm not quite sure how much to document really. If you're really interested you probably know already, and if you don't, you're probably not that interested!

The short short version is that I am still in my house in St Ives, doing it up as quickly as possible to sell as soon as I can. (Ideally spring next year). I also seem to have acquired a co-habitee along the way (not planned, but these things never are, and if there's one thing I've learned over the last couple of years it's to jolly well enjoy life while you can!). More on him later...

For those that want to know (and I'm sure there are a few of you) Tim is doing well. He's living in Penzance and loving the high-life. We're still good friends, and meet up every so often for beer and chats etc. Just in case any of you were wondering whether it's awkward between us and whether you should / shouldn't stay in contact with him - go for it if you want to. Neither of us has any issues - we're fairly philosophical about the whole thing - we just grew apart and weren't meant to stay together. No dramas, nothing hectic, just progression and a fair degree of growing up on both our parts.

Hmm - what else can I tell you? My current life's highlights seem to be around the new decking (photos will appear soon), going to work, coming home again, and going for walks on the beach (frequently regardless of weather conditions!).

Enough waffle for today - but hopefully that's enough of the short version to keep you updated for now....

Sx

P.S. Just in case any of you have tried - my normal email still isn't working so I'm just using my hotmail one at the moment. My fault entirely, but that's how it is unfortunately. Life seems to be running away with me and exciting projects like reinstalling software just don't seem to get a look in at the moment!

Hello!

I thought it was about time I started up one of these things again. For those of you that were linked into my old one, I didn't really think it was a good idea to carry on with that, for fairly obvious reasons! So here I am. The new me in my new life. I'll probably post lots of random stuff again about life - but this one's just to say hi.

Sx