Spread your wings and fly away

So there we are, cuddling in bed watching film this morning.

Me: Eric Estrada hasn't changed much has he?

Him: Who?

You know Eric Estrada!

No

Chips? cops on motorcycles with David whatshisname?

No never watched the programme.

So I point him out to him.

No he says, no idea who he is.

Bit later on:

Have you noticed that women in adverts only ever have small tits?

On the internet, chat forums were awash with Jackson tributes from people who were convinced he was a pervert and wanted him strung up, but who were now desperate to tell the world that he was a victim of the media and that Thriller was a ground-breaking work of genius.

here

The hype surrounding Michael Jackson is so totally ridiculous.

A shame he died so young, no one would want that, and it must be hard on his family and children.

However, he wasn't the greatest ever musician. He had a couple of good songs, he was an entertainer, but he obviously had a very unconventional childhood which caused him to behave the way he did as he got older. Inviting children to his bed was stupid, the parents of the children that allowed it were stupider still. Michael Jackson set himself up for ridiculed, to be vilified, and for a big major fall. He didn't know how to live and even if it was because of his upbringing that made him act like a big kid, there is no reason what so ever to put him on a pedestal and blow his death out of proportion.

I woke up to the news this morning. It is like nothing else has gone on in the world. All day long there has been celebrities, Uri frigging Gellar and any one else who claims to have known him personally, been best buddies with him singing his praises and making out that due to his untimely death it will be a sadder world without him.

It will not.

He was never the greatest. No one deserves that title. Some people were not fans and don't need to hear about it 24/7.

I am just waiting for all those 'fans' that got their tickets on the internet, from various touts to start bemoaning about money they have lost as there is no longer any show to see and they can't get them refunded.

Please before you slate me, remember this:
it is my blog,
it is my opinion
I can write what the hell I like, if you don't like it don't read it!!

I am so fed up.

Yesterday I walke 1/4 of a mile to another school to collect 5 children who had been visiting as part of their transition. I walked them the 1/4 mile back.

10mins after getting back, my eyes start itching like mad.

3.30 and children were asking "Are you alright miss your eye is very red!" or "Miss your eye is swollen, have you got hayfever?" or "Have you been crying miss?"

Get home and one eye has calmed down the other is still very red, very sore and very weepy. I bathe them both several times and add some eye drops that sting like mad. I eventually go to bed I can't take it anymore.

This morning I look like I have been badly beaten. One eye is itchy the other is swollen and very very red. It took 5 mins of bathing to get it to unstick and open. It is very sore.

I am so fed up with it all, daren't go outside and so want to after wanting some sun all year.

I really could cry if I thought it would do any good.

This is where my youngest son has gone for the week. He will love it.

I will miss him it is so quiet here, each doing their own thing without the chatterbox!

Edest son is currently online researching universities.

He already has us booked in for an open day at Aberystwyth in October which means I will have to ask for time off work to get him there.

I have no idea what he wants to do yet but he has always wanted to go to Wales and sees this as his chance. Mind you if we wrangle it right and are nice to my aunt and Uncle when we go to visit them in July, he may be able to stay with them which will save on residency fees I hope. If not, on top of tuition fees and everything else I can see us going bankrupt in the near future!

He is going to have to get a job!

My mother is a great believer in Manuka honey. She uses it for everything - you have a cough have some Manuka, there is a boil on your neck - have some manuka.

My eyes are still sore, my throat hurts, my nose drips, I feel rough. Yesterday I slept most of the day in between packing a case and ironing. Today I take more medication, drop youngest off at school and say goodbye as he heads off on the coach to Kingswood for the week and then go shopping. I found some Manuka honey all £12.99 of it for a small jar and desperate for anything to work now buy it.

I have had two teaspoons so far and realised why I hate honey so much. THough very sweet it has an aftertaste. But I shall persevere, yes I am that desperate. Hayfever I may have but I think I may have an infection as well as I am so lifeless, and feel fluey though I have none of the symptons of flu (if that makes sense). Mind you it is probably too late to do anything about the hayfever but if it eases the soreness and metallic taste in my throat when I cough then I will be pleased with that.

Right enough rambling better do something more constructive!

Have a good day xx

In a few weeks time the quiz group are getting together to do a Murder Mystery evening.

We have the game and are in the process of sorting out parts.

Yesterday the women picked their parts out of a hat.

It is set at a golf course and I have the part of the barmaid, Ivana Tip who gets angry if she doesn't get a tip.

I am awaiting instructions for costume ideas, though am trying to get ahead with that, something sexy to accomodate my large frame.

Any suggestions?

So I come home from work and find a letter waiting for me.

Or rather hubby but he never opens anything addressed to him.

Anyway I have been nagging hubby for ages about phoning Virgin and having our system upgraded to V+ but as he has no idea what I am talking to and the bill is in his name therefore they will not talk to me, it has never happened.

So the letter today informs hubby that he is a VIP customer (in other words we pay the bill on time not difficult to do as it is one of the few things on direct debit) so we qualify for a V+ box, an upgrde to our broadband and unlimited talk time (as long as I put the phone down after an hour and redial) on the phone for the princely sum of £88 per month. Ok we have to pay an installation charge and I will have to put up with the sports packages for a year, but at least I get my V+ box and, surprisingly, even looking at the small print I will still save money our phone bill is astronomical!!

So hubby phones them, clutching the letter in his hand.

"Hello I would like a V+ box please"

He waits with the occasional oh and ok and yeah thrown in.

"What's our password?" he asks - I tell him

"Hmmm yes Isee hold on" He looks at me "He says it will cost us £150"

"no it won't"says I "Tell him about the letter"

"Err well it says here that we can have it for £88" he says back into the phone.
I am getting impatient - Tell him about the letter I mutter to him

"Err yes but it says £88"

Make it clear what you are talking about!

"No the letter says VIP package £88"

FFS let me speak to them will you!!!

"Hold on a minute!" turns to me and says "I am trying to concentrate stop shouting at me!"
Turns back to the phone "Sorry about that, not this letter says I can have the V+ box for £88. Yes with broadband, errr yes, umm, yes, er Yes we want that as well please, err yes, um yes please, Saturday? Yes that will be great"

He then starts telling them about the second line we no longer want because all we get are those silly people who try to sell you something but when met with the answer machine they hang up. Today 10 messages each one blank, it is frigging annoying. They are going to remove it and put a barr on the other phone.

A result there then.

So he hangs up.

"Are we going to get all the package?" I ask

"Yes" he says "V+, broadband, phone and we get to keep our other box so we can put that upstairs isn't that great?" He says.

So I got there in the end only taken a year to get this far hooray!!

Kissed any one of your blog friends? No

Been arrested? No

Kissed someone you didn't like? No

Slept in until 5 PM? No

Fallen asleep at work/school? No

Held a snake? No

Ran a red light? Yes

Been suspended from school? No

Experienced love at first sight? Yes

Totalled your car in an accident? Yes

Been fired from a job? No

Fired somebody? No

Sang karaoke? No

Pointed a gun at someone? No

Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? No

Laughed until something you were drinking or eating came out your nose? Yes

Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes

Had a close brush with death? Yes

Played spin-the-bottle? Yes

Sang in the shower? Yes

Smoked a cigar? No

Sat on a rooftop? No

Smuggled something into another country? Does Scotland to England count? No

Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes? No

Broken a bone? Yes the one in my nose

Skipped school? No

Sleepwalked? No

Walked a moonlit beach? No

Rode a motorcycle? No

Dumped someone? Yes

Forgotten your anniversary? No

Lied to avoid a ticket? No

Ridden on a helicopter? No

Shaved your head? No

Played a prank on someone? Yes

Hit a home run? No

Felt like killing someone? Yes

Cross-dressed? No

Been falling-down drunk? No

Made your girlfriend/boyfriend cry? No

Eaten snake? No

Marched/Protested? No

Had Mexican jumping beans for pets? No

Puked on amusement ride? No

Seriously & intentionally boycotted something? Yes

Been in a band? Yes

Knitted? Yes - well tried unsuccessfully

Been on TV? No

Shot a gun? No

Skinny-dipped? No

Gave someone stitches? No

Eaten a whole habenero pepper? No

Ridden a surfboard? No

Drank straight from a liquor bottle? Yes

Had surgery? Yes

Streaked? No

Taken by ambulance to hospital? No

Tripped on mushrooms? No

Passed out when not drinking? No

Peed on a bush? No

Donated Blood? No not allowed to

Grabbed electric fence? No

Eaten alligator meat? No

Eaten your kids' Halloween candy? No

Killed an animal when not hunting? No

Peed your pants in public? No

Written graffiti? No

Still love someone you shouldn't? No

Think about the future? Yes

Been in handcuffs? No

Believe in love? Yes

Sleep on a certain side of the bed? Yes

Well lack of blogging from this parish at the moment. Got presented, on Friday, with 3 assignments to do before this Friday - ok they are short ones and make you think about your own practice but you! You do things so automatically that it is difficult to think about what you actually do. One was a short presetation on learning styles and how they affect learning as well, only taken 4 days to do that one alone and still not convinced I have done it correctly lol

Busy evenings as well, not done the exercise and really need to get back to it but between courses, cooking and meetings it has been a bit difficult to fit in. Youngest goes to Kingswood on Sunday so there is a meeting about that tonight and Saturday he is interviewed by the high school though I think that will be more of me reading them the riot act and making sure he gets support.

RIght pointless Meme time stolen from many

1. I've come to realize that my last kiss ...
This morning

2. I am listening to ...
Radio 5

3. I talk ...
too much

4. I love ...
life

5. My best friend/s ...
are organising a drink up

6. My first real kiss ...
Was very sexy

7. Love is ...
great

8. Marriage is ...
all about compromise

9. Somewhere, someone is thinking ...
of sex

10. I'll always ...
be me

11. The last time I really cried was because ...
I felt like it I had had enough!

12. My cell phone ...
I a sony

13. When I wake up in the morning ...
I wish I had a couple more hours in bed

14. Before I go to bed ...
I brush my teeth and pee.

15. Right now I am thinking about ...
going to work

16. Babies are ...
cute

17. I get on Myspace ...
once in a blue moon

18. Today I ...
will be working

19. Tomorrow I will be ...
working

20. I really want to be ...
slimmer and fitter

Right that's all folks will try and keep up with you all

Have a good day x

My eyes are hurting again. Hayfever is the pits. If I can't wear make up because of my streaming eyes I don't want to go out tonight. Not that I am looking forward to it anyway. However Nigel's niece is 21 today and is having a birthday party to which we have been invited and he says we must go despite not having seen her for 10 years!! I don't want to go my eyes are too sore!! HLTA course is going ok, if a tad boring at times. I have a presentation on learning styles to do for next Friday, needless to say I can talk about learning styles till the cows come home, unfortunately I have to fit what I know into 2 minutes EEEKKKK!!! The union sent details of a Foundation Degree in teaching and learning. Debating doing this one, though I am not so sure. It is online with 6 days of the year being in university. Would be a good degree to start with and though my hubby and line manager are very encouraging I don't feel I am good enough. Stupid I know, but I will never have the chance to do this again especially as the union is subsidising it. hmm may have to have a word with HT about it. Right better go and get ready!!

1. Look out your window(s), what do you see?
My washing line, some trees and an umbrella on the table

2. Last three DVD's you watched:
Sense and Sensibility
Azumo
Mansfield Park

3. Last three songs you listened to:
American Idiot - Greenday
Rockstar - Nickleback
Unforgiven - Metallica

4. Last meal:
Pasty, potato wedges and sweetcorn

5. What you are doing right now:
Blogging

6. What hidden talent(s) do you have:
None

7. Do you speak with a national or regional accent:
National

8. Job title:
Senior Teaching assistant

9. Like your job:
Yes

10. Religion:
Mother nature

11. Favourite meal to prepare:
Lasagne

12. Something people may not know about you:
I have a scar on my thumb

Inputting data into the computer at work. Basically one TA sits with the class tests in front of her and question by question reads out the mark that each child has got for each question while another TA sits at the computer inputting the data against the child's name.

So set the scene, one TA reading out the scores while I input in.

1,1,1,2,0,1,3,1,1,1,1,2,.........

Then

"Doesn't this remind you of that scene from friends/2

Cue hysterical laughter, we couldn't stop. We laughed so much staff were popping their heads round the door to see what we were laughing at and we couldn't get enough breath to tell them!

Ok it may not seem so funny written down but trust me at the time it was

Will you.....

EVER MEET SOMEONE FAMOUS?
I have met Roy castle before he died, Paul Daniels (who I had a disagreement with) and stood next to Sean Connery who was talking to Michael Caine though I wasn't aware I was next to them until after I sat down with my drink and my friend told me!

EVER BE SUCCESSFUL?

I can try

STUDY OR LEARN SOMETHING NEW IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?

There are always possibilities....

WILL YOU GO ON A DIET THIS YEAR?

I am a compulsive yo yo dieter

WILL YOU CHANGE SCHOOLS/JOB IN THE NEXT YEAR?
I don't plan to but anything can happen

WILL YOU DO VOLUNTEER WORK?
No

WILL YOU GO ON HOLIDAY THIS SUMMER?
Yes though it is visiting family

WILL YOU BUY AN ITEM OF CLOTHING IN THE NEXT WEEK?

There is a possibility I might

WILL YOU BUY ANY ELECTRONIC GADGETS?

No

WILL YOU MAKE ANY MAJOR PURCHASES THIS YEAR?

I hope not

WILL YOU MOVE TO A NEW TOWN THIS YEAR?
No

WILL YOU VISIT A RELATIVE SOON?

Yes my aunt and uncle

WILL YOU GO TO A MALL THIS WEEK?

yes in town they call it a mall though really that is just a fancy name for it

WILL YOU GO TO A PUB?

Yes quiz night

WILL YOU SHOP FOR FOOD IN THE NEXT FIVE DAYS?

More than likely.

WILL YOU WATCH A FAVOURITE TELEVISION PROGRAMME THIS WEEK?

Only if I hide the remote control

WILL YOU WEAR A FAVOURITE ITEM OF CLOTHING TOMORROW?

That would be asking me to plan ahead lol

WILL YOU EAT AT HOME TOMORROW?

Yes

WILL YOU GO TO A CONCERT THIS WEEK?

No
WILL YOU GO TO A CINEMA THIS WEEK?

No

WILL YOU GO TO A MUSEUM?

No

WILL YOU READ A BOOK?

Probably

WILL YOU EVER HAVE SOMETHING YOU'VE WRITTEN PUBLISHED?

No

WILL YOU EVER HAVE SOME ART WORK YOU'VE DONE, DISPLAYED PUBLICLY?

No

WILL YOU EVER HAVE SOMETHING ELSE YOU'VE CREATED DISPLAYED PUBLICLY?

No

WILL YOU WIN SOMETHING?

Probably not but as they say you have to be in it to win it

WILL YOU GET MARRIED IN THE NEXT YEAR?

No

WILL YOU HAVE SEX THIS WEEK?
Possibly depends on the mood I am in

WILL YOU HAVE A BABY IN THE NEXT YEAR?
God I hope not!!

WILL YOU GET DRUNK THIS WEEK?

No

WILL YOU TAKE DRUGS?

No

WILL YOU VISIT A FRIEND THIS WEEK?

Friday

WILL YOU PASS THIS MEME ON TO ANYONE ELSE?

No, but go for it if you want to do it

From here

1. Are you always late for things??
A: Not normally, I'm usually early

2. Do you set your watch/clock to be a teeny bit fast so that you are never late?
A: No

3. Can you ever get the dinner on the table at the time you told everyone it would be ready??
A:es

4. If you were the White rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, would you wear that silly waistcoat?? If not, what would you wear??
A: Yes

5. If you were Alice would you be so stupid to drink or eat any of that stuff she found??
A: No I always err on the side of caution

Two years ago, I saw a woodpecker in our garden, yet no one at home believed me and I didn't have photographic evidence. I haven't seen it since until today when Hubby spotted one on our fence before it went to the trees and then another, smaller one appeared.

This time I did get photos of them

According to hubby they are great spotted woodpeckers

Back at work today, all went well even though my eyes were sore, one red and watery the other itching like mad.

There are fields nearby, one has rapeseed in. Sunday while driving to the garden centres we passed fields of rapesed. Once upon a time they used to make my throat itch now it seems they cause my eyes to itch, get sore and watery. Well that is what I am putting it down too anyway.

Chemist has given me some hayfever eye drops if they dont work I am going to the hospital, not much point going to the doctor you have to book an appointment 2 weeks in advance lately!

Done day 8 of the EA Sports challenge, feeling good so far. Been eating well as well and stopped the unnecessary snacking. Let's see if I can keep this up.

Right off to stick some beconase up my nose, make another drink of orange squash and relax with a book - oh forgot supposed to plan a lesson for tomorrow oops!

See you later x

Is anyone else peed off with the circus that is surrounding Susan Boyle and Britain's got talent at the moment?

Anyone?

Or is it just me that is fed up with hearing about it. Fed up with hearing about any of these reality shows, none of which I watch but sick to the back teeth of listening to phone ins, discussions, etc about BGT and Susan frigging Boyle.

The fact that the Prime Minister is also involved is sickening.

There are far more serious and pressing news items that should be mentioned but lets forget about that, let's concentrate on some talent show and it's effects on the contestants.

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Pottering in the garden yesterday, enjoying the sunshine. Came in and had something to eat and within the hour my eye was swollen, red and itchy. Thought I may have something in it, gave it an eye bath (good old optrex) but this morning it is still very sore, itchy and runny. I suspect the hayfever is kicking in - serves me right for enjoying the garden yesterday, though hubby says if it hasn't cleared up by the time he comes home from work he will take me to hospital to get it checked just in case.

Bathed it again this morning, still weeping.

Shoulders are hurting as is the back of my neck. very red.

I love the summer but not the hayfever, or the redness that is involved when I show my skin to the sun. Ok I know you should cover up but I am usually a hot person anyway and inevitably wear t-shirts and vests normally.

Oh well, the joys of summer

Last day off work, go back tomorrow. Just got youngest out of bed as he goes back today. Eldest has an exam at 1pm. Will do some ironing before it becomes mount Everest and then back to the exercise. Must pop out later and get some salad as well

Right enough of this rambling better get moving

Have a good day x