Pearlie on the pop

Click to enlarge , its worth it to see the look on her face ....


D sent this to me when I was away , Pearl ( missing me possibly ? I like to think ....) situated on top of the wine rack , right next to the guinea pigs where she can keep an eye on things .

Herriot Watt uni .... staying in halls made me think about what it would be like to be a first time away from home student . My room was fine but one of my colleagues was "down the grim end " of the block where some wit had been making large with a sharp instrument . The walls were graffiti d and when she looked closer at the etchings in the varnish on her room door , she was less than amused to read " Knock Here for Sex " . Later when recounting the story she saw the funny side . Just as well as I was near hysterical by that point ....

The conference was as conferences are . My presentation was scheduled for the Thursday afternoon which meant I had all week , potentially to fret about it . I managed to push it from my mind and enjoyed the first two days , though for someone who prefers a more solitary existence its hard work being surrounded by people all day every day . Some people thrive on that and I enjoy it up to a point , then ... suddenly the thought of home and my own space becomes very tempting .
I escaped after my thing yesterday and drove home in stunning sunshine , some rain showers and a brilliant double rainbow , and was home by seven . To walk back into the house and snuggle under a duvet on the sofa with N , who was feeling under the weather , was sheer bliss .
The cats swarmed round me , the pigs squealed even as I opened the front door . What a welcome .

Still no laptop . Im not really back in my stride blog wise and fear I won't be until I get that phone call from John Lewis. Dont give up on me ?

Without my laptop...

So hard saying goodbye to my laptop yesterday . Has been my constant companion for well over a year , but yesterday it all got too much . the lid hinge was getting looser and looser and almost impossible to get the screen to focus . Typing was a one finger only business , with the left hand used to hold the lid tightly on , pressing at an angle to get a connection . Using the mouse whilst doing this was nigh on impossible . I never knew I knew so many swear words , juts as you were about to perform some delicate operation the image on the screen would start vagueing out and then woosh , disappear in a puff of smoke .

So back to the " service desk " at John Lewis , as instructed by Judith , on the phone on Saturday afternoon , in one of those its now or never moments . What Judith didnt tell me was that no one on ground floor would have heard of the "service desk " nor indeed that they would snigger somewhat nastily when I asked where it was , then set off to find another employee who would flounce back doing the " which lady wants the "service desk" " whilst loooking me up and down like some kind of idiot .
However Judith was right and there was indeed a service desk , lurking in the corner of audio whatsits , ( maybe everyone has to bring their laptop back ??? ) and , oh , the heart sinks , there is a whole queue of people waiting there with their broken thingies . Its not as if I can just throw my beloved laptop at her and run . No , I have to wait whilst a family divest themselves of their little ipod , all the while feeling more and more panicked at the thought of no laptop , no blogging .

I cant write about the deed , but afterwards I said to Nat " I felt like giving my laptop a goodbye kiss " and she just looked at me . Though to her credit she didnt ring the store psychiatric facility .

We had lunch in pret a manger to ease the day onwards then took off to Laura s ( see the house above ) , where we overate dangerously and played Scrabble . Some tense moments indeed when the Supreme Champion ( on the throne since the demise of Grandma Batey) looked like and then , horrors , was beaten by her thirteen year old neice ( my daughter ). Go for it Nat, not a battle I would have dared to win . Nor had the skills I hasten to add . I always come last .
To be fair Laura coped magnanimously , and after a few moments alone in the bathroom all was well .

And now Ive discovered that D is quite happy to let me Blog from his pc .
I'm off to Edinburgh tomorrow to a conference . Wish me luck for my presentation on Thursday afternoon , and I will be back on Friday . And who knows maybe the laptop will not be much longer away .

Bracelets from New Mexico

The new bracelets are the two at the top and the older one which Jo brought back from a previous trip is at the left . I couldnt resist photographing them .

Toby , our big seal point Birman boy , has appointed himself Guardian of the Newspapers . Settled between us on the bed this morning as we have breakfast in bed , he hears the arrival of the papers ( a loud bang , followed by a squeak then a shuffle as they all push through onto the floor. Toby starts awake and then dives out of the door and downstairs . When I go down to collect them about ten minutes later , he sits beside them , bolt upright , self important . We have noticed him doing this most mornings this week . When we come down and get on with things , the papers arrive and he flies out to sit and watch them .

THis my last blog before the laptop goes off to be fixed . the lid is hanging off, there is nothing visible on the screen , so touch typing it is . Hopefully I can use D's pc to keep myself going , though it wont be the same .

I feel bereft . but have the walk to the waterfall and a picnic to urge me on . I can live without my laptop . I know I can .

Albequerque

Three years ago this Sept I went to a conference in New Mexico , thanks to the Day Job , which does have many positive spin offs though few of them would be apparent to a reader of this blog . At the time Jo ( my colleague ) and I worked out that being at the bottom of the pecking order , the real reason we were offered the trip was that no one else really fancied Albequerque . Little did they know . We had a great conference , but we had an ever better holiday before and after hours , enjoying the October sunshine , swimming on the hotel roof ( the pool was up there ) , and breathing in the wonderful mountain air . Our final day enabled a coach trip to Sante Fe and we sampled downtown clubbing and a plethora of amazing restaurants all week. Everywhere we went people spoke to us and asked us about our business , many of them assuming we were there for the soap powder conference which was in fact in a neighbouring hotel . I had hardly known Jo before but we got on like a house on fire on the trip , sharing a love of shopping , swimming , food . And was there shoppping ?? Jo adores jewellry and we explored all the jewellry outlets there , or at least it felt like it , and I even I came back laden with native american stuff . During our stay we both fell in love with the place and it was no surprise to me when Jo gave up her job here and took off back to the States , initially for a job in Texas but finally being offered a job not far from Sante Fe .

She returned to Uk this week to sort out her visa and I met her this morning for coffee , catch up , and for her to bring me a bracelet she had chosen for me . She has done this twice before for me . I describe roughly what Im looking for , colours , style etc and each time she has chosen me a fabulous piece .

Today as we sat down with tea and breakfast in Cafe Royal , she brought out two bracelets , very different , both beautiful , and after trying them both several times and looking at the prices ( wow , what a bargain , they were each half price , blah blah ) , she finally asked if I wanted them both . Of course I did and realised I just about had enough cash ..... so , that was a wonderful way to spend the morning . I sit and drink tea and the jewellery stores come to me . I then drove her up the coast to her house there which is now up for sale , as shes planning to re locate completely to New Mexico . And the even better news , flights there are cheaper than they used to be so it may be possible for us to plan a visit at some point in the next couple of years .

And now I'm planning for the picnic at my sister's tomorrow .I'm baking a poppy seed cake , and a cheesecake is formulating in my head , and all the while Im thinking of New Mexico . The heat, the desert , the food , the atmosphere ... I can't wait ! But just thinking about it will keep me going for a long time .

Yesterday

Im cross and grumpy with today's Times Codeword ( and a few other things besides ) . It features a word Orc which Ive never heard of , and the whole thing defeated me . And now Im irritated beyond words with that and the fact that my laptop is dropping to pieces but I cant hand it in to be repaired as I need it every day , and it shouldnt , in my book , have failed after just after one year's use . I'm in a bad mood .

Hopefully tomorrow will be better .

And , finally , I desparately want to speculate about what happened with Madeleine McCann but I wont because how does the endless speculation help anyone . It annoys me there is so rubbish printed masquarading as Truth .....as you may have guessed Im very grumpy indeed .

Normal service tomorrow hopefully .

The Birds

Stressful day today for D and as there was little I could do to help , I did the next best thing and went to town , booking myself a facial and massage on the spur of the moment . If in doubt , do something special ! And special it was , wrapped up in towels and under a blanket covered in oils and trying not to engage with the therapist about my satisfaction with my current " cleansing products " . All I wanted to do was lie there and doze but she wanted to investigate my cosmetic habits .

What do you like and dislike about your current products ?

Theyre fine . I say in a very definite " no one home " voice . Silence as she presses with her thumbs and she starts to breathe heavily . Later I discover she has some kind of problem with breathing and the session takes place with a heavy breathing in the background motif . It doesnt take long before she gets the message and realises I'm there for the massage and the hard sell is likely wasted on someone like me . Bliss.

Later I go for tea ( I have temporarily given up coffee , argh , in an attempt to cut out anything which might contribute to the migraine problem ) in John lewis , and a woman is feeding a baby sitting up in a high chair . the baby is still quite tiny , and very pink , but old enough to eat solids and indeed I notice how well she is tucking into a pot of something white . After the white pot , she eats a pink pot . I get my ginger tea and a piece of cake and sit down . Baby demolishes a pot of something greenish now . I watch in amazement . Nat was never a big eater and a quarter of a pot was her best effort even when a year old . This baby was nowhere near that age .

Green pot scraped out . There now ! says Mother happily and wipes her hand . Her friend looks on with interest . Baby looks round , as it turns out , looking for the next pot . No more ! says Mother and Baby s mouth opens in disbelief . No More ! the mouth opens and she starts to scream . I'm sorry, says Mother , looking slightly panicked . Youve had three ..... I didnt bring any more . Baby is not impressed .

I am fascinated with all this , remembering how thrilled I used to be when Nat ate anything very much . I can't recall any occasion when she asked for more than we had for her .

This afternoon , we take off to St Mary's island again . Stress cant survive long against the bashing of the waves and the seabirds , and the proppect of spotting a seal in the waves ( we didnt , this time ). A coach trip of German people arrive and it is wonderful to see them all hurrying back across the causeway and noting that the tide is threatening to cut them off . they assume we are part of their crowd and include us in the merry chatter .

L suggests we visit them for sunday tea so I buy poppy seeds and plan a cake which N has been asking for . A picnic is on the cards though the forecast is bad ... oh well a picnic in the house will have to do .

so hard to write

Its so hard to write on the days Im at the Day Job . Not that there isnt anything , in fact my fingers itch as I notice things , interactions between people , stuff I find funny that other people seem to take for granted as part and parcel of how people treat each other . Blah blah . I'm in danger of getting into it all . But Ive learned from the blogging giants who have gone before us and trying to write about what wont get me into trouble .....

So I 'll be back later todaywhen its all over , or for real tomorrrow , when I have my life back ....