OMG - The idiocy.......

Sorry about lack of recent blogs for those who occasionally wander onto my site.

Here is a quick recount of what I saw during my lunch break yesterday.  I have bullet pointed for added effect....if any......

• In car, just passing Bryn Bach park – piddling down rain
• See approaching car coming up the road, at speed, veering towards my carriage way
• Then note that the car is being used by a cyclist as a towing mechanism
• Cannot believe eyes and pull over further to my left
• Pass the car and then see it start to swerve
• Look back in my rear mirror and see the bike and its brain dead occupant bouncing up the road
• Towing car carries on
• See un-mounted cyclist limping back to collect mangled bike from other side of road
• Eddie Stobart lorry then coming towards him……then lost sight.

What the hell?

I loves working in Tredegar.....perhaps the idiots concerned know the new celebrities of "The Valleys?........

What? No dog poo?

Having just returned from a lovely long weekend in Barcelona, I have to mention, other than the rate sighting of the sun which I have not seen since 1976, that during my stay in the beautiful gothic quarter of the city, I sighted absolutely NO dog mess on the city streets for the entire time spent there.

Now this I find unbelievable, given the high number of dogs that I saw being walked (on leads) around the city and it also makes it one of the most parent friendly destinations in the world but I am at a loss of how they manage to ensure that no dog mess is left presented for the unwary sole of a flip-flop?

I have a few ideas:
• All Barcelonian (or Catalonian) dwellers take pride in their beautiful city and know that it is totally unacceptable to allow their dogs to leave mess on the pavement.
• City dwellers inform on those who are guilty of breach of the above and lock them up in one of Gaudi’s purpose built chimneys – many of which are dotted around the city
• The municipal vans that squirt water over virtually all stone walls at high pressure each night, have aimed at offending animals and washed them away….along with their owners who are micro-chipped.

I know I have a major hang up on the issue of dog mess (see my letter to the local newspaper back in the March posts) but it really was delightful to be able to skip around the city, confident that it was unlikely to step into mess.

For a city of its size and street layout complexity, I am now totally at a loss as to why Crickhowell or any place in the UK are unable to keep their pavements clean…….

Stoat sighting!

Following a hideous day at work, where each hour felt like a week watching paint dry, I felt the need to get out into the open country as soon as food was placed on the table for the children.

I headed up towards the Darren Mountain and did a semi-jog past Gwern Vale Farm, heading upwards towards the Twyn and then onwards towards the old village settlement.

As I nimbly danced up the mountain (I am allowed to exaggerate) suddenly, up between the path that runs between two stone walls, I glimpsed a really long tail, then saw a stoat dancing about in the grass and furrowing amongst the wall.

At first I thought I had seen some sort of mutant squirrel but the tail was quite long, (not the filament fluff of the usual squirrel) and then I caught sight of a flash of white throat as it dashed between the walls and then disappeared.    A great way to end the day and well worth the nettle stings I endured as I picked my way back down towards the table mountain!

Lemon "Drizzle" Cake

In an attempt to ward off an overwhelming desire to jump off a cliff due to the usual bank holiday torrential rain, I instead reached for a tray-bake tin and created a Lemon Drizzle cake with #2. 

#2 enjoyed using the electric whisk for this recipe which is a Mary Berry special, as I am avidly watching the Great British Bake Off series again.

Other than the odd piece of egg-shell which was lovingly crushed into the bowl, the cake turned out really fluffy, moist and the sugar coated lemon juice mix which was tipped over the top, was also licked off the work surface and pronounced “Mum….this is Yum!”

You always know when a cake is good, when silence (other than the sound of what sounds like cows chewing cud) reverberates around the table.

Mummy - Who is in charge of the world?

This was one of those questions asked by #2 at about 0715, before I headed off to work towards the end of this week and to be honest, I had to stop imbibing my coffee to consider my response.

#2 took my pause as an opportunity to provide her own thoughts on the matter and came up with two options for me.

1. Is it the Weatherman?
2. Or God?

We have been berating the weather forecasters recently which #2 has decided are now very naughty as they are spoiling our summer holidays with consistent rain showers.

As for God - I can only think that my cunning plan to send both #1 & #2 to the first week of "Champions Club" ( a 2hr session run by the local church to help beleaguered parents, and my nearest and dearest with the first week of holiday activities, has obviously worked in the favour of the church.       

Anyway, I asked #2 if she has seen God yet, to which she naturally answered No, so we then settled that the Weather people are probably in charge of the world, as they tell people what to wear to go outside.  

I even remember to pick up my umbrella on the way out to work a few minutes later :)

Olympics 2012 - Day 4

We came, we saw and we enjoyed Day 4 of Olympic action this week in the Olympic park.

The joy of the Megabus took us straight from Newport to Victoria and was well worth the £30 return for the two of us.....what a bargain!!   Saved the hassle of driving, the cost of diesel and we could also nose into the lives of the rich and ridiculously affluent as we coursed through London through Kensington on the double decker.

We had tickets for the early morning Hockey Morning session between Japan V Netherlands and later, South Africa v New Zealand and enjoyed watching the games.  Thoroughly enjoyed taking in the atmosphere in the Olympic Park which was really friendly.....(at one point I did wonder whether we had been transported to another city) and can honestly say that the day is certainly one that will cherish and say...."I went to support it!"

50 Shades of Boredom

Yes - I know I am amongst the minority here but dear God - what a tedious read.

I am nearly through Book 2  but its proving hard....(darn the pun which has raised its head (oops!) again).

If you like these 50 words - you will probably enjoy the book....


Lip           Hot                    Dark             Submissive        Dominant
Bite          Whip                   Red              Room                Spank
Grey         Christian             Ana               Baby                Laters
Foil           Subconscious     Spreaders       Audi                Tousled
Touch Copper              Food Fuck                Orgasm
Jeans Fingers              Taylor Pain                 Packet
Shades Control              Steele Seattle              Virgin? (C'mon!)
Inner         Goddess              Piano            Childhood         Love (?!)
Sex           White                  Shirt             Sculptured Blush
Chest         Rolling                 Eyes             Repetition         Repetition

In the words of the new to sex but strangely expert Ana.........   "Oh My!"

I wonder if the popular Baby Names will change over the next 9-18 months?