Let me introduce you...

...to Steve's new phone.

Where's Robbo?

Steve e mailed this link The idea being that if I log in (after registering) it will tell me Steve's location. Mmmmnn...anyway in the spirit of not taking the pee, I duly registered. It only took 15 minutes (that I'll never get back ever). I then clicked on the where am I? bit to be confidently told that I was in America.

A little bit of geekiness

Peter Davison was the first Doctor I fancied a little bit. Can't believe it was 23 years ago.

(in) Fidelity.

Along the high street is a public phone box. When I was walking Tom this morning there was a woman using it. I thought how unusual it is to use a call box these days as most people have got mobile phones. As I walked past not earwigging at all, I could her shouting and pleading. And I thought - Mmnn you're having an affair.
I have very clear thoughts on "affairs" and that is if you're fed up/fallen out of love with your partner finish with them so that you are free to pursue more interesting possibilities. Don't be scared to be by yourself and cling to someone/anyone rather than be alone. I think some people have affairs as a power trip, as a way of getting one over on your partner. It would be pathetic if it didn't have the potential to hurt so many people. it is just not a very nice way to behave.
I'm not speaking here as a smug married,. Many moons ago I was with some moron and I discovered he was shagging around on me. One of the saddest things about it all was up until then I had always believed what he had told me. I had trusted him.
BTW woman in phone box if you were in that public call box for innocent reasons, I'm sorry that I judged you. You certainly didn't sound very happy.

Things I should be doing

Weeding the front garden
Hoovering
Cleaning the cooker
Cleaning the kitchen floor
Taking Tommy on a really long walk (Tommy and I refer to such walks as "Mummy marches")


As you can see that I much more prodcutive things I could be doing that playing about with my blog format. This more fun though - and I did take Tom out for a marchette this morning.

Another 8 things

8 things I'm passionate about (with a nod to the Lurchers)

Reading.
Not being late for the train.
Red wine
My family (including the non- human ones.)
A clean and tidy house
Snagging a bargain.
Art
Writing (not doing enough of that at all.)

8 things I'd like to do before I die:

Go somewhere secluded and tropical with Mr Robbo (although he might not want to go if he can't use his phone.)
Write a novel, even if it doesn't get published.
Grow very very old, but keep my health.
Learn French (I did French for 5 years at school, got an O level in it, but can't speak a bleedin' word of it.)
Decorate the house (not a big ambition I know but Mr Robbo is not keen.)
Travel First class ( or whatever they're calling it these days)
Learn to be able to walk in high heels.
See the England football team win the World cup - ideally in my Dad's lifetime.

8 things I say a lot:

Steve...oh I forgot what I was going to say.
Stop looking for trouble ( To Tommy who is looking out for cats.)
That's ok. Take your time, ( I say this a lot at work. I'm lying.)
Do you want to go out? (To Tommy again.)
Hello its me (when I ring most any one I know)
Big bum (muttered under my breath when someone has annoyed me.)
Take them away!!!!(asking Steve to remove naughty sweets/crisps as I am unable to stop myself eating them all.)
Wish I was a dog (as I leave for work and Tom stretches out on his bed.)


That was really hard - thinking of that lot. I've even missed the start of Property Ladder.

I just love that accent....

Bbbrrrr!!!!

It is getting chilly now, which makes me love cosy lies in even more. I get paid this week so I'm going to do my Christmas shopping next weekend. This will be the first year Steve and I won't be buying Christmas presents for each other, as we've had a few unexpected expenses this year (understatement of the year.) I'm getting the Little Dudes some X box 360 over priced rubbish from Amazon. I'll probably get the rest of the presents from TK Maxx.
I know that I not the first to say this - but Christmas is such a marketing dream- the pressure to spend is irresistible. I like to think of myself as level headed but I go MAD on the supermarket Christmas shop. I think it is the only time I feel the need to buy a giant tub of Twiglets (wtf?)I really worry that we might RUN OUT of something over Christmas Day and Boxing Day and spend FAR TOO MUCH.
Usually I spread the cost of Christmas from September, but due to one thing and another I haven't be able to do so this year. Now I could do one of 2 things - bung it all on my credit card or STICK to a BUDGET*. I'm going to grit my teeth and stick to a budget. Wish me luck...

* Without turning into to one of those people who send Christmas cards so cheap and floppy they won't stand up and give those awful, awful presents where you REALLY wished they hadn't BOTHERED. I can't give any examples in case they're reading this..

Bobby

Steve and I started living together in 1998. We rented Tim's flat - it was a quite a large one bedroom flat with a balcony and if you held your head at an unnatural angle you could make out the sea. We had been living there a few months when we bought a budgie. Steve had had budgies as pets when he was a kid so he knew a bit about them. Steve bought a yellow and blue budgie and we called him Bobby. I can't remember who chose the name. We kept the cage in the living room and turned up the telly so we could hear it over his twittering. If it was warm I put the cage out in the balcony so he could get a bit of air. He loved that - and he was safe from cats. A year later we got a dark blue budgie called Percy. Percy was quieter than Bobby but they was always preening each other. When we moved to the house we kept them in the living room , but moved them upstairs when we got Penny (she showed a bit too much interest in them. Tommy took no notice) We couldn't leave the cage out in the garden as there are too many local cats. Percy died last year but Bobby is still going strong. He is the first pet we got, and I remember thinking it was bit of a commitment getting a joint pet.
Every morning we wake up to Bobby's singing. I don't think I'd ever get another caged bird - I feel guilty that he doesn't ever get out of his cage these days. Although he seems happy with his toys and mirror - and he can be a noisy bugger.

Twittering on..

Walking to work I noticed a bill board advert, it was of a young man smiling, his head half turned from the camera. I thought it was an advert for a learning disabilities charity, so I took I further look. Imagine my surprise when it turns out the young man is an actor and advertising a new shop opening in London! the tag line was Nicholas Hoult Londoner since (can't remember the date, as I was reeling from the fact I had thought Nicholas had learning disabilities.)Since then I seen quite a few of there Londoner since.. adverts. Now I have firm views on this. Either you're a Londoner by birth or you're not. For instance I've lived in Southend since 1998 but I wouldn't call myself a Southender. So I think those adverts should say Lived in London Since...
BTW its not that I think being a Londoner is superior to being born any where else. In fact I was born in a very daggy part of London.

Secret fact ...

...I get a bit scared when watching Beyond Belief and Mostly true Urban Legends. But I laugh in the face of Most Haunted.

Tommy

Tommy's food bowl is kept in the hall way (New readers- Tommy is a dog - we're not weird). Tonight Steve mixed Tom's dinner and put the bowl in the hall way. Tom went into the kitchen, stared at Steve and tapped his paw on the ground. He wanted his food in the kitchen. What a clever dog!

Sunday

I had a good time on Friday night - skipped the pills and got stuck in to the red. Well I hardly ever go out..Went shopping with Mum on Saturday and got a birthday present for Linda, Steve's Mum.
Watched a repeat of House Busters this afternoon. I love House Busters and wish they would do another series. If you haven't seen it it features a family that have some kind of problem - lethargy, bad relationships that sort of thing and 3 "experts" who have no knowledge of the house except the occupants' birth dates go round the house and diagnose the problem. Then the house owner chooses one of the experts to make alterations to the house, hoping that this will solve the problem. The experts are clairvoyants, feng shui practitioners, astrologers. And it always works! House Busters is one of my guilty pleasures. See, I'm quite innocent really.
I went to the Library yesterday and when I checked my books out they said I had an unreturned book. NOT AGAIN!!!!!They're going to look in to it and have told me not to worry...

Better

Feeling much much better and went back to work today. Thank goodness for pills. The people I work with are going for a drink after work- which I'm looking forward to as it will be the first bit of work socialising in my new job. Stupidly i looked up the pills that I'm taking on the Internet - and it is recommended that you don't have alcohol with them. Seeing how lovely it is feeling better I don't want to make myself ill- but aw shucks! I was looking forward to a nice glass of red. At least I won't have to worry about getting drunk and making a fool of myself. *sigh*

Check out the music on this. Someone has got a sense of humour..