Harvest Moon

Water Skiing Westies!

Images from a press release I was sent today. What fun!
These are pics from a 2008 calendar. One of which the lovely PR man is sending me.

I am very lucky....

I left my soul on a ride at Thorpe Park ...

Today I went to Thorpe Park.. and I went on a new ride. Wowzers it was fast. It went from 0-80mph in just 1.9 secs. The only way I can describe the feeling was that I had left my own soul behind as my body went flying off all on its own. I felt empty, alone, and then just as I was about to panic my soul seemed to come back. The vertical climb and drop was simply something of a relief after re gaining my soul.

Funny because when you stand looking at the ride all you can see is that huge vertical drop, but its the acceleration that is astonishing. How do rocket drivers (is that what you call them?) make important decisions whilst traveling at such speed? Obviously they are soulless. I knew it.

Blogging the Bog...

This is a picture of our 'shared' office toilets, and I have some issues with them (unsurprisingly!).
I think the picture says it all but there are also no locks anywhere, and you feel like you are in a barn..

Infact, now I come to think of it, you are in a barn.

There are 2 toilets, yet quite frankly I would not want to share my toilet time in such an "open" area. We have learnt the best way to do the mercy dash to the toilet, first we alert other office members to where we are going to be sure we do not have company, we then cross the yard checking for any other same sex members with the same idea. If the case is clear you're in and out as quick as you can. The western style barn doors are at just the right (or maybe wrong) height that if you enter the room you can not see if someone is behind them until you are on top of them.

We are yet to work out which is more shameful - being walked in on whilst on the toilet, or encroaching onto someone else's toilet time. I do not know, but what I do know is that so far I have been lucky where others have not.

My colleague walked in on someone who had just finished up and all she could see was her head bobbing around above the door. Slightly embarrassed and upon making eye contact she asked if the lady was a cleaner and apologised for disturbing her. The women replied "No, I am not the cleaner, I have just been sat on the toilet!".

Office Mother Hen...

Do all offices have an "Office Mother Hen"?

We have one and she is magical. She can also be some what of an irritant. But we do love her dearly and would not be without her.

She has so many wonderful catchphrases that we introduced a game called "Mother Hen Bingo" last summer. As our Mother Hen is part time we have the morning to come up with which catchphrases she will use throughout the day.

They generally go something like this:-

• "Good morning, good morning, good morning, how are we all this merry merry morn?!"
• "Its like the Mary Celeste in here!"
• "Cant get the staff"
• "She will be shot at dawn"
• "Good ere, ain't it"
• "I'm alright, it's the others"
• "Food glorious food"
• "I'm getting in a mucking fuddle"

The rules were simple, we all wrote down up to 3 phrases and ticked them off as they came up throughout the day. Who ever got all theirs ticked off first was the winner!

Mother Hen is also nutty about Dogs, which could explain a lot about her. If you are not familiar with the madness of the true dog nutter please click here.

Yesterday Mother Hen came into the office after being at 'yet another' dog show over the weekend and proclaimed, "Saw a black Russian at the weekend, never seen one before..."
I could not believe my ears! Mother hen is not known to be very PC at the best of times, but what on earth was she talking about!

She continued "... Huge it was, did not realise they were so big".
At this point I asked her "What do you mean? You can't say things like that...." She looked at me somewhat confused and went on "... Looked like a Schanuzer it did."
A Schnauzer!! Suddenly it all clicked, a Black Russian was a breed of Dog. Goodness me.

Today I moved the laser printer into a better position as it was taking up residence on my desk and was getting in my way. I have moved it into the centre of the room, near to Mother Hen... Today she proclaimed "This printer makes a bleedin noise, can you not move it?..."

I replied "No, and I can assure you, it does not make as much noise as you, can we not move you..." there was no response.

I do love our Office Mother Hen.

Skating and climbing....

My legs got well used this weekend, not only did I have a fantastic skating lesson, learning jolly hard T-stops but I also climbed up the Cathedral Tower in Guildford. Below are some pictures. I do not have any pictures of me skating yet, however my very kind mum has promised to come and take some snaps.

Magic September Skys ...

Tonight while driving home from work I noticed the mysterious sky above me. As soon as I arrived home I grabbed my camera and went back out, not being one to miss an opportunity.
In Guildford is a hill known as "The Mount", and once up there you can see for miles around, I posted here last year showing London taken from up on that hill.

I only managed to get one shot of them close up as the light had already moved and changed by the time I arrived, however on returning home I had the most amazing view down my own road.
I was clicking away when a hot balloon went past. Then when I had finished and packed away my things a group of Geese flying in the V shape flew across my view. I missed it.

Bruised Badger...

It would appear I have no self preservation qualities. So sympathy is maybe not deserved but all the same I feel it is required.

Plus....., Badgers legs will never again be published on the world wide web.

I cycled 45 miles to Brighton with not such much as a scratch, then on Wednesday I did not even make it out the drive without throwing myself off my bike... ouch.

It still hurts.... but it looks great! I also have a wounded elbow, but I could not bend correctly to photograph that.