Sitting listening to my music on loud volume. One minute silence by On deaf Ears. At the same time cheffing because Rosemary late back from a funeral. Sausages and Rat. Resting a mo. here is a picture of foot anc chef overalls.
This is a test blog
I am writing this blog entry on my mobile phone. Today is warm and sunny, working at home converting a Websphere 5 application to Websphere 7.
Thought I would add a photograph of the asparagus bed we picked a few weeks ago.
Jen’s 60th birthday
Jen, an old school friend of Rosemary, was having a surprise birthday party. The party was on Sunday, and was taking place in Jen & husband Bev’s pub, The Cat Head Inn, Chiselborough, Somerset. Jen and Bev have been landlords for the last few weeks, and seem admirably suited to the task in hand.
Rosemary and I drove down and stayed with Sue (another school friend) and Ken on the Saturday night. Judy (from Manchester), the fourth member of the quartet of friends, joined us. Feasted in the pub across the road. One could hardly be any nearer.
Sunday was a late start, some walks around the estate, and then a drive over to The Cat Head Inn to surprise Jen. Success!
Leave My Blues At Home
My last two days in Edinburgh are over. I am not sure when I will be back there. I had a pleasant evening exploring a number of hostelries in the city and sampling a few malts. One a small bar was called the Jinglin Geordie Bar on Fleshmarket Close.
I also managed to get home on Thursday, the ash cloud moved off to the West of Ireland, and all the airports resumed operation to allow me home. Arrived back home, picking some fish and chips up on the way. Rosemary was out working as a polling officer in a nearby village.
I watched the the ending of the poll on TV, and was dismayed to hear the Gordon Brown would be hanging on to power despite losing the election. How anyone can think that he and Alistair can get us out of this financial crisis after it was Gordon’s bad management of our economy that got us where we are. All the favourable aspects of his rule of our economy, like low inflation have nothing to do with his leadership, but much to do with the world economy, India, Brazil and China. Instead he has just squandered our money on bureaucracy in the hospitals, paying GPs and consultants far to much.
He and Tony have dithered on our power systems, and when the lights start to go out in a few years time, I expect it will be the party in power that will feel the anger of the electorate, and not the cause of the crisis, Gordon and Tony.
ASHES TO ASHES
As I booked my flight to Edinburgh, the Icelanders decided it was time to resurrect their volcano. Just before I turned the lights off at midnight, I thought I had better check my flight to Edinburgh. Easyjet was warning all flights to and from Scotland and Ireland were liable to disruption, and I should check the flight. The part of the site for checking flights was, of course, down.
4.45 am alarm, open laptop and check flights. Glasgow cancelled, but Edinburgh still open. Checked the CAA site, and the same news. So off to Luton airport instead of the station. Suffice to say, I have arrived in Edinburgh. Will I get home, am I marooned here for the foreseeable future? [Ed – If he thinks I’ll believe a word of being stranded in Edinburgh because of ash, then the Monster Raving Loony Party will win tomorrow.]
Fog on the Tyne
Arrived in Newcastle on time, and just pulling out. The Lindisfarne reference is nothing to do with the weather, but my inability to get Facebook talking to Twitter. There must be some snaffu in someone’s software. I get asked for my twitter credential, and they are rejected. Why?
I’me Mandy Fly Me
Here I am on the East Coast rail line, on a bright sunny day, meandering up to Edinburgh for three days of work. The jet planes all roaring over my head, marking their route with their vapour trails. I feel super righteous in cutting down on my carbon foot print. Like hell I do. The future came out as I predicted when I bought my return trip on the chemin de fer, The planes returned to the air on that very day.
I’ve had a cappuccino, and a a pain au chocolate, now holding off on my sandwiches until later. Have been playing with face book, trying to get my blog published there. Looks like I may have it working now. Next lets get twitter and buzz working.
You are my Little Bird
Greenfinch at the feeder
Trying out some action shots with my new Canon EOS 550 on the local bird population. (Feathered variety alas.) One wonders with all those extra pixels whether a new pro lens is in order. Looks like I will have to keep on working a while.
Some more wildlife at the local oasis.
Needless to say, as soon as I went indoors, two pairs of Goldfinches arrived, but not the Greater Spotted Woodpecker who is often to be seen on the peanuts. We’ve also had Long Tailed Tits who were charming. The Greenfinches are highly aggressive and bad tempered.
Volcano, I’m Still Excited!!
I had a short trip to Edinburgh this week. I flew up from Heathrow to Edinburgh with British Airways on Monday morning. I had tried to book a flight on the Friday evening, but found Easyjet were fully booked, and the price of Flybe from Birmingham was extortionate. Train travel is also rather slow and expensive, so was rejected. Last resort was BA. For the sum of £43.00 I received my ticket to Edinburgh, I was able to take hold luggage at no extra charge (not that I had any), I had bacon, egg, sausage and tomatoes, orange juice and coffee and daily newspaper on the flight for free, and could use the loo without charge. I did not have to go through the indignity of proving who I was before flying. Ryanair and Easyjet, you can go and get stuffed, BA is not over priced.
Terminal 5 was a good experience as well.
At work in Edinburgh, I found out how long I was staying, and booked my hotel through Last Minute dot Com. Not such a good experience, they sent me to the wrong agency to check into the apartment I had booked. Lots of walking and eventually a taxi, I was in my room.
Luckily I was there just for one night, any longer and I would still be there, stuck for lack of flights. I am meant to be flying up there on Wednesday. Will the ash cloud be being blown in another direction? Let’s hope so.
We have arrived too late to play the bleeding heart show
An addendum to my previous post. We were called, we boarded, then we sat there waiting for lots of passengers who had disappeared. Then we waited for a ground crew to unload the luggage of the disappeared passengers. Then the ground crew arrived and spent ages locating whatever luggage that should not be flying. What puzzles me is those passengers who decided not to fly must not have cared less about their luggage and left it to the machinations of Easyjet and Servisair.
In due course we left at 1.30, and arrived at Edinburgh in a sunny almost Spring like day, bit chilly for Spring, but it looked Spring like. So by the time I was in Edinburgh is was well past 3.30, so felt I was too late for work, so checked into my hotel. Good start to the week.