This morning I left the house at 7.20am to jog in the sunshine. 7.21am, at the end of my road I saw a rainbow. 7.25ish I was on the rain parish boundary road. I chose the non-raining side for as long as I could. 7.30-7.50am I ran through 2 rainstorms. 7.55am I arrived home in sunshine.
Bah.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Thursday, February 22, 2007
you couldn’t make it up
So, last Wednesday my Estate Agent told me the reason for the latest delay, that of obtaining the final signature to transfer the share of the freehold into my name. Unfortunately, they had died…...last March. As this latest setback involves a death I couldn’t really be angry. However I do now need to go ahead on a leasehold basis and swap over to Freehold later on after probate lawbahhumbugsomething or other is sorted. I was a little numb but totally unsurprised. The poor man that the wicked witch is buying from will be in Canada for 10 nights from Sarurday. I have been assured that the exchange can happen on his return. So, please still keep them crossed for me.
Luckily I was staying here
…….when I received the news, with MM, N, 1 year old Phoebe and 2 ½ year Louie. So that cheered me up.
Of course we spent a lot of time reminiscing. The parties that we had there in the early 2000s were legendary.
Stuck to one of MM’s bedroom wardrobes I found an AAA sticky dated 24.12.01 with the name ‘Tiddly Pest’, written in my own fair hand. I had quite forgotten that I had issued all their guests with my own handwritten passes. Everyone apart from one poor man was issued an AAA. He only got a Guest pass, and was banned from certain areas. Well, he’d obviously done something to annoy me. I remember seeing someone trip on the step into the house and putting white gaffer down to prevent any further mishap. Later I went around the whole house gaffering and muttering something about Health & Safety. It was also that night that I ran up and down the back garden screaming “I’m a licensee. I’m a licensee”. Ha ha. Those were the days.
I think that Christmas was the first time that I met N&D and in order to overcome my shyness and get to know them better, I suggested pretending that we were on telly and that I was interviewing them. Naturally [?] I was an Australian presenter. I used a hairbrush as a microphone. At first N thought that I was taking the micky out of her and asked MM (in a thick Kiwi drawl) if I was for real. Once reassured, the interview continued, N got into role and we got on like a house on fire. She even helped me with the H&S improvements.
Christmas dinner the next day was very late and was eventually served at 10pm after an all day long attempt at bar-b-quing it. All I had eaten throughout the day were some very extravagant truffles, along with litres of vodka and diet coke. Somewhat unsurprisingly I got the most appalling constipation ever and after a 20 minute struggle I was convinced that I would die there and Elvis Presley style.
MM, having now completed her nutrition course, would know how to deal with that situation now. Something to do with an enema bucket! Nice, but thankfully it was a one off. She is now studying reflexology and had a go on our feet. It’s all pretty scary really. As she gently massaged my toes in oil she asked various questions: do you have a wisdom tooth on that side, do you grind your teeth etc? All spot on. She has already freaked me right out before we started. I had told her that she’d have a field day with my feet as they are in a right mess and come complete with a deformed toe. She looked me up and down, feet to head, and asked if it is my left foot. Yes. Is it the toe next to my big toe? Yes. God how predictable am I? She could guess as she knows me so well. It signifies my feelings towards myself. Awwww. There is also a dry patch on the same toe, which reflects that my love life seems dried up to me. Further more my heart area is yellow.
I’ve got absolutely no chance have I? And now I realise that I grind my teeth.
Luckily I was staying here
…….when I received the news, with MM, N, 1 year old Phoebe and 2 ½ year Louie. So that cheered me up.
Of course we spent a lot of time reminiscing. The parties that we had there in the early 2000s were legendary.
Stuck to one of MM’s bedroom wardrobes I found an AAA sticky dated 24.12.01 with the name ‘Tiddly Pest’, written in my own fair hand. I had quite forgotten that I had issued all their guests with my own handwritten passes. Everyone apart from one poor man was issued an AAA. He only got a Guest pass, and was banned from certain areas. Well, he’d obviously done something to annoy me. I remember seeing someone trip on the step into the house and putting white gaffer down to prevent any further mishap. Later I went around the whole house gaffering and muttering something about Health & Safety. It was also that night that I ran up and down the back garden screaming “I’m a licensee. I’m a licensee”. Ha ha. Those were the days.
I think that Christmas was the first time that I met N&D and in order to overcome my shyness and get to know them better, I suggested pretending that we were on telly and that I was interviewing them. Naturally [?] I was an Australian presenter. I used a hairbrush as a microphone. At first N thought that I was taking the micky out of her and asked MM (in a thick Kiwi drawl) if I was for real. Once reassured, the interview continued, N got into role and we got on like a house on fire. She even helped me with the H&S improvements.
Christmas dinner the next day was very late and was eventually served at 10pm after an all day long attempt at bar-b-quing it. All I had eaten throughout the day were some very extravagant truffles, along with litres of vodka and diet coke. Somewhat unsurprisingly I got the most appalling constipation ever and after a 20 minute struggle I was convinced that I would die there and Elvis Presley style.
MM, having now completed her nutrition course, would know how to deal with that situation now. Something to do with an enema bucket! Nice, but thankfully it was a one off. She is now studying reflexology and had a go on our feet. It’s all pretty scary really. As she gently massaged my toes in oil she asked various questions: do you have a wisdom tooth on that side, do you grind your teeth etc? All spot on. She has already freaked me right out before we started. I had told her that she’d have a field day with my feet as they are in a right mess and come complete with a deformed toe. She looked me up and down, feet to head, and asked if it is my left foot. Yes. Is it the toe next to my big toe? Yes. God how predictable am I? She could guess as she knows me so well. It signifies my feelings towards myself. Awwww. There is also a dry patch on the same toe, which reflects that my love life seems dried up to me. Further more my heart area is yellow.
I’ve got absolutely no chance have I? And now I realise that I grind my teeth.
Monday, February 19, 2007
mother earth
I have been advised by my new backgammon buddy to think positively. Generally, I only need telling the once, so I am going to try my best to relax and really enjoy having the week off work. I was slightly worried about filling the time now that I won’t be moving into my flat just yet but as luck would have it my friend N is off work too and she has invited me on a 2 night trip to see Meeshy Moo in the countryside.
Cor, now I haven’t seen MM for a few years. She’s my original MF buddy. Hand picked by Mr Ed Smith, I was slightly nervous that she was chosen for her looks rather than her ability. But for a hair and make-up artist who couldn’t type, she learnt quick and had a great attitude. Somehow, out of nowhere, we immediately became the best of friends and she ended up staying at my flat on the nights when she didn’t go back to hubby in the country.
MM was always a Mother Earth figure and very into her alternative medicine methods. She even diagnosed a previous kidney ailment from the blown up eye of our MF curator, which featured on the promotional material. This freaked him out no end. It was from her that I learnt to play hard, as well as work hard and we were pretty damn wild while doing a brilliant job. Working that festival is hard work but if you party just as hard as you work it can be the most amazing time ever. Cough, playing was restricted to out of office hours. Somewhere, no doubt in one of her massive alt-therapy textbooks, MM had read that in order to relax adequately, one must play for every hour that one had worked. So, every night we relaxed until approx 4 or 5am, somehow managing to rise again at 8am and do it over and over again.
Our favourite story was the time we were ‘relaxing’ after a very demanding gig. We had an unusually late start the next day: 1pm and it was a beautiful hot summer night. Somehow we ended up in the park with colouring in books and pencils at 8am. The next day at work was torture, but luckily the pain only had to be endured for a few hours. Since I last saw her, MM has had not 1 but 2 children and by all accounts really is mother earth now.
Cor, now I haven’t seen MM for a few years. She’s my original MF buddy. Hand picked by Mr Ed Smith, I was slightly nervous that she was chosen for her looks rather than her ability. But for a hair and make-up artist who couldn’t type, she learnt quick and had a great attitude. Somehow, out of nowhere, we immediately became the best of friends and she ended up staying at my flat on the nights when she didn’t go back to hubby in the country.
MM was always a Mother Earth figure and very into her alternative medicine methods. She even diagnosed a previous kidney ailment from the blown up eye of our MF curator, which featured on the promotional material. This freaked him out no end. It was from her that I learnt to play hard, as well as work hard and we were pretty damn wild while doing a brilliant job. Working that festival is hard work but if you party just as hard as you work it can be the most amazing time ever. Cough, playing was restricted to out of office hours. Somewhere, no doubt in one of her massive alt-therapy textbooks, MM had read that in order to relax adequately, one must play for every hour that one had worked. So, every night we relaxed until approx 4 or 5am, somehow managing to rise again at 8am and do it over and over again.
Our favourite story was the time we were ‘relaxing’ after a very demanding gig. We had an unusually late start the next day: 1pm and it was a beautiful hot summer night. Somehow we ended up in the park with colouring in books and pencils at 8am. The next day at work was torture, but luckily the pain only had to be endured for a few hours. Since I last saw her, MM has had not 1 but 2 children and by all accounts really is mother earth now.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
the law is an arse
Well at least solicitors are!
I still have not exchanged. I am in bits.
The one great principle of the English law is to make business for itself. There is no other principle distinctly, certainly, and consistently maintained through all its narrow turnings.
BLEAK HOUSE
I still have not exchanged. I am in bits.
The one great principle of the English law is to make business for itself. There is no other principle distinctly, certainly, and consistently maintained through all its narrow turnings.
BLEAK HOUSE
Saturday, February 10, 2007
life is sweet
It’s not all bad though. I always said that it would be my friends who would get me through this difficult period, so you’re gonna have to forgive me for getting a bit sentimental here….. Cheers to anyone who invited me round (especially these last few nail-biting weeks) while I’ve been living with my lovely, but teetotal, bro (special tip of the hat to Shark & TH for having me for over a week). Cheers to Catster, Shark, Mafling et al who understood how I felt when I lost my book collection and who clubbed together to replace my entire! reading list from last year. Cheers to anyone that’s been through their stuff and given me their duplicates. Cheers to anyone who has trawled round the shops with me. Cheers to the Vixen for becoming a private dick with me. Cheers to Catster for going to the park again to take more lovely pictures for me. Cheers to those at work who all clubbed together for loads of Habitat vouchers. People really have rallied around and I really have been rather spoilt.
And of course I have been helping too. Thanks to my interim payment, I have been practising a Keynesian method: buying my way out of depression. I have the best excuse ever for buying anything “mine got burnt in a fire”. I can barely get into my bedroom for boxes and after Thursday night’s second trip to IKEA I have actually spilled out into the hallway. There are stacks at my parents, a bag and couch at Perry’s and tonnes of new pots and a huge lantern at Papa Nicole’s. I have so much stuff now I will have to hire a van to move.
It’s been my routine every weekend this year to trawl around the shops at the weekend. Shopping, reading and being rather spoilt have kept my spirits up, especially the shopping. Take today. I bought myself a lovely old school Bush radio, a disco rope light, a par can (to go with my disco glitter ball), 2 second hand books, some fairy lights and some bits for my (soon to be) over equipped kitchen. I mean how could that lot not raise a smile?
I PROMISE THAT MY SENSE OF HUMOUR WILL RETURN WITH THE POSTCODE SE24
And of course I have been helping too. Thanks to my interim payment, I have been practising a Keynesian method: buying my way out of depression. I have the best excuse ever for buying anything “mine got burnt in a fire”. I can barely get into my bedroom for boxes and after Thursday night’s second trip to IKEA I have actually spilled out into the hallway. There are stacks at my parents, a bag and couch at Perry’s and tonnes of new pots and a huge lantern at Papa Nicole’s. I have so much stuff now I will have to hire a van to move.
It’s been my routine every weekend this year to trawl around the shops at the weekend. Shopping, reading and being rather spoilt have kept my spirits up, especially the shopping. Take today. I bought myself a lovely old school Bush radio, a disco rope light, a par can (to go with my disco glitter ball), 2 second hand books, some fairy lights and some bits for my (soon to be) over equipped kitchen. I mean how could that lot not raise a smile?
I PROMISE THAT MY SENSE OF HUMOUR WILL RETURN WITH THE POSTCODE SE24
Friday, February 09, 2007
boo hoo
I’m in hiding with a bottle of red wine as there have been no reports of flying pigs today and I don’t want to hurt an innocent bystander. But I can always talk to you.
It simply beggars belief that I found my flat at the end of September, there is no chain and yet I have still not moved in. It’s all down to the incompetent advice of the witch’s solicitor. And of course the witch won’t be rushed. I had better not run into her on the street until I’m very in place and very happy.
Without going into the long and boring detail I have been in the same position since 20th December to the Monday before last: her waiting for answers from the council and the results of the local searches. Her solicitor has been stringing me along and lying to me for weeks. But at last we were getting somewhere and were supposed to be exchanging today and completing next Friday. Today my heart was in my mouth all morning as I waited anxiously for news that we had. Alas, when news did finally come, almost inevitably it was bad. Her solicitor had not checked the witch’s mortgage offer, despite having had it for weeks and inevitably there was something wrong. There is still the very slightest possibility that I may complete next Friday as the witch has got her stuff all packed up and has booked a removal firm. By all accounts she was tearing her hair out all day trying to sort out the problem. How I laughed. “Good” I told the Estate Agent, “now she knows how we have all felt for months”. I will not be holding my breath though.
Bro is bearing up well considering. Actually I think that he may miss me when I go.
Coming soon: it's not all bad........
It simply beggars belief that I found my flat at the end of September, there is no chain and yet I have still not moved in. It’s all down to the incompetent advice of the witch’s solicitor. And of course the witch won’t be rushed. I had better not run into her on the street until I’m very in place and very happy.
Without going into the long and boring detail I have been in the same position since 20th December to the Monday before last: her waiting for answers from the council and the results of the local searches. Her solicitor has been stringing me along and lying to me for weeks. But at last we were getting somewhere and were supposed to be exchanging today and completing next Friday. Today my heart was in my mouth all morning as I waited anxiously for news that we had. Alas, when news did finally come, almost inevitably it was bad. Her solicitor had not checked the witch’s mortgage offer, despite having had it for weeks and inevitably there was something wrong. There is still the very slightest possibility that I may complete next Friday as the witch has got her stuff all packed up and has booked a removal firm. By all accounts she was tearing her hair out all day trying to sort out the problem. How I laughed. “Good” I told the Estate Agent, “now she knows how we have all felt for months”. I will not be holding my breath though.
Bro is bearing up well considering. Actually I think that he may miss me when I go.
Coming soon: it's not all bad........
Sunday, February 04, 2007
i can't wait to have a garden 530,421
I simply cannot wait to have a garden. Last night I went to see my old friend Papa Nicole. It was a lovely clear night and venus was huge and bright in the night sky. Wrapped in blankets beneath burning fuel we braved the freezing conditions and stayed in the garden playing cards until 10.30.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
red heads in literature
“What he coveted was the odour of certain human beings: that is, those rare humans who inspire love. These were his victims”
Perfume, Patrick Suskind
To be continued..........
Perfume, Patrick Suskind
To be continued..........
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