Arf Arf

Yesterday, I got two flat-pack bookcases from Argos with my nice £25 Reward Vulture from work.  I coulda sworn the catalogue indicated these weighed about 3.5 kg each - ha!  Try 11.75 kg!  Borrowed a trolley (£10 deposit) to get them back to the car park.  The trolley was related to Del-Boy's Reliant Robin (two wheels back, one wheel front - piece of crap all round) - negotiating the VERY narrow pavement up to the Priory Car Park, the thing swerved and was about to fall off the kerb into the path of an oncoming car when a nice chap walking in front of me with his wife, turned round and grabbed the thing before it could do any damage.  He then pulled (and I pushed) it all the way back to my car.  Bless the Kindness of this Stranger.

So, today, I started to try to assemble one of these items - sheesh!  After two hours' struggle, I had three pieces joined shakily together and blisters all over my hands from trying to get the screws in.  Time, I thought, you lost your fear of power-tools and got a cordless drill.  And here it is - what a little cutie.  Arf Arf*

*Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor™ :)

Frohe Weihnachten

to all my reader

Deck the Halls

Tra-la-la-la-la

Indolent Slob

Slave!  Tummy-rub NOW!

Fire! I beg you to burn!

Whoda Thunk!

Jewish Vampires BEWARE!

War of Legends

New update on WoL - many more things to do including 1-2-1 battles in the Feng Tower - I particularly enjoy the departing ghost of one's opponent :)

Munky Win!

Supermarket's re-stocked on Special Munky boxes of PG Tips.  Although a great devotee of TEA, this is not my favourite brand - but in this instance worth the expenditure :)

Hope kittehz are kind to him.

Snorfle Torchlight Carnival

A few snaps of the procession as it went past the end of my road; heard one or two Naysayers opining "oh, it's not as good as Bridgewater" http://www.bridgwatercarnival.org.uk/ - well maybe not, but it was still pretty good and people were actually Having Fun!  Good turnout as well - let us hope this bodes well for the regeneration project (still no word on when the new Eden cafe/arts venue will be open - fingers crossed).

All Time Greats

and it has my name in it an' all :)

Camouflage Cat

Spot Teh Lol

Hallowe'en Henotheism

Courtesy Pearlie Pigge from the Eastern US of A.  Note especially Caspar the Holy Ghost :)

The Carlyon Coven

featuring

Nosy, Dozy, Blondie, Smiley & Snoozy

Good & Bad News

The replacement Buffy dvds arrived - and still won't play properly on my computer.  Checked them out on someone else's dedicated dvd player - perfect.


Good:  dvds are not defective


Bad:  dvd drive is fecked 


However, by way of cheer, I was delighted to see this pretty amazing video, courtesy a facebook link:


Glass harp-Toccata and fugue in D minor-Bach-BWV 565

Bargain!

As I was walking back from the dentist earlier, I passed a new second-hand emporium offering, in the window, the complete DVD set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for £125.00. I would have bought it since the last time I looked it up, it was around £180.00 on amazon - but the shop was closed. Greed for an early pasty cost them a sale as I just found it on offer at £53.97 - RESULT!!!

The coolest thing about Buffy, I think, is the fearless way she despatches ghouls, vampires and other assorted Critters From Beyond in such a matter-of-fact, all-in-a-night's work manner - an excellent role model :)

IKEA KITTEHZ

OK, the reward for watching through the purgatorial experience of some chi-chi ad for IKEA crap as background information is the second ROFLPMSL parody.

For your enjoyment:

Bizet Dream

Last night, I dreamed that I was staying in a hotel and Lolly fell out of the 12th-floor window; he survived, although somewhat shaken, and the management gave me two tickets to the opera by way of compensation.

But it was Carmen so we didn't go.

Moon over garden

Looking strangely full, tho' it's only just over the half.

The Church of England

was good for this, at least - the recipe for a rather delicious fruit stew given me by a vicar's wife.

Ingredients:


Tin Morton's Black Cherry Pie Filling (as scarce as hen's teeth, alas, these days - Hartley's Red will do)
Packet Dried Apricots (real ones, not hedgehogs)
Tin Mandarin Segments


Turn the pie filling into a bowl
Add the drained mandarins
Simmer dried apricots in the mandarin juice for 12 minutes until soft
Pour over the pie filling & mandarins
Stir, adding extra liquid to taste.


Serve over vanilla ice cream scoops.


Looks fabulously sophisticated but so simple.

Apricot III

I've been putting out the food the cats turn their noses up at and leave for Mr Tiggywinkle as he lays up energy reserves against his hibernation period - not that that's likely to be any time soon as we're currently enjoying a real Indian Summer!  Tonight, though, I'd not put anything out and, on wandering out to see what the cat noises were about, found him waiting for service beneath the table while next door's kittens gingerly investigated this strange creature.

Mini-Me Magmit

Next-door neighbour has acquired two 4-month old boy kittens, one of whom is the spit and image of Maggi-Mittens.  New kittehz are not yet allowed out but M-M is taking every opportunity to inspect her *reflection* through the glass door :)

WWJD

And now, live from the Vatican All Nite Bar'n'Grill -

Eye Scream

Most of *Test Week* done - then the computer system collapsed into meltdown so more to finish on Monday.  TGIF!

New paint for the bedroom is called *Spring* - looked good in B&Q tho' on the wall it is distinctly reminiscent of 

Can I live with this?  Will I respect myself in the morning?  

Ratsaga II - Fin

This morning, Ratty had moved back to the living room where I managed to confine him under the TV stand.  Maggi-Mittens frantically, but ineffectually, dabbing between the slats with her paw, Ratty squeaking piteously the while.  Eventually, Ratty was caught in a small bag and, seeing as how he'd put up a brave fight for life, was released unharmed on the river bank.  The rather blurry (speed action!) photo just shows his tail and lower body disappearing into the foliage.

Cats are cross :D

Ratsaga

Maggi-Mittens (who is rather larger than this now)

last night presented me with her first rodent - one adolescent ratling - alas, not as cute as this fella.

 Unfortunately, her skills did not extend to dispatching the critter which ran under the sofa.  After half an hour or so of sniffing about, M-M decided it was time for a snooze and promptly lost interest.

Sofa got pulled out - no ratty to be found.  Awoken last night by scrabbling - damn thing's in the bedroom now, hiding behind very heavy furniture and under-the-bed boxes.  Cats know it's there but seem incompetent to deal with it.  Rats!

Arranged to borrow mousetraps and walnuts tomorrow.

Vroom Vroom

While waiting for my car to be serviced yesterday (all the free coffee you can drink + Obama v. Jones the Nutter on the plasma screen), I took these photos of the veteran motorbike collection housed at the showroom.

What IS it that makes motorbikes so sexy - even when stationary??

Good News for Snorfle

Just read about this - just what the town needs (apart from a few more shoe shops).  Particularly looking forward to comedy nights - the new rock'n'roll :)

Afternoon Out

Polridmouth (Pridmth in local :) ) beach was not unduly crowded despite the bright, warm, sunny day, possibly because you have to use your legs for about a mile to get there from the nearest car park and there are no fast-food outlets in the vicinity, thus naturally excluding lazy, greedy emmets.

Went for a paddle and picked up some slate for garden ornamentation purposes - not as much as I'd have liked even though it was to be had in abundance but would've been too heavy a load since we came back the long route along part of  The Saints' Way.  A good 10-mile hike in all - pleasantly tired and only one small blister.  Ah, how I've missed this!

2 weeks holidyay!

One of my favourite things

The Wall - Hapshash and the Coloured Coat

Alas, while there are quite a lot of google hits for this obscure band of psychedelic poster designers plus Mike Batt of Wombling fame, it appears impossible to track down the actual song lyrics.

Dead Spook

BBC news report

Police alerted only when the guy's colleagues hadn't seen him for 10 days!

What the hell sort of attendance management policy do they have at MI6??  I was an hour late getting in one day and had the boss peering thru my kitchen window to check I was still alive!

Apricot Redux

Our small, prickly friend turned up again this evening - back door is firmly shut against further incursions this time

Factoid

All porcupines float in water

We built this city ....

Cool song and a fascinating little video by Kaiser Chiefs with, amazingly, John Peel on keyboards, one of the Gallagher brothers on guitar and Nigel Tufnell on drums 

In other news, interesting to see the Lib-Dems shedding the remnants of the Dionysian, the only thing that made them appealing, for the Mission Apollo power-trip.  

How do you

turn a duck into a soul man?

Stick it in the microwave until its bill withers

Idle thought

Is Dennis Norden Wayne Hussey's dad?

It might as well rain until September ...

... and probably will.

A week that started badly and got progressively worse; work impossible, technology issues, mental meltdown, market computer bloke doesn't sell mac-compatible keyboards, too many people in the quick-trim hairdresser's booth, called round to see someone who wasn't in, potential sausage disaster en train BUT red flahs can make a lot of difference :)

New Guinea impatiens

Irritating Service Provider

A whole week of arguing with ISP to try to get a MAC reference. 


"We are unable to generate it because of the kind of contract you have"


"Eh?"


"You have MPF"


"Eh?"


"Metallic Path Facility; a MAC number cannot be generated"


So because the ISP has stuck me with MPF (Whatever TF that is and is a matter I was given no choice about), I am unable to change providers with a simple MAC ref but would have to cancel the existing broadband and start from scratch with a new provider (which would take about 3 weeks apparently).


A truly fiendish stitch-up.  Not a Happy Bunny.