The Plan

Today is Bank Holiday Monday - and that is always a good thing in itself, however, this holiday marks the start of a week off work and a very welcome break from all that is going on in that place at the moment!

It is also half term at school, but since I have to pay my childminder regardless, I will still pack Little Dude off there every day. He doesn't mind though as he gets to play with his friends. This means that apart from Big Dude - who is either in his room or out somewhere, I'm all on my own and able to do what the hell I like!

This week I am going to have a plan. I have three assignments left to do for my degree and intend to get as much of them done as I can at this stage. I also have a very dirty kitchen. Not quite a health risk but it is starting to get on my nerves. Ideally I would like to rip the whole thing out and put a new one in but I guess that's a litle extreme when all it needs is a damp cloth and some Mr Muscle!

I also have a few jobs to do in the garden, which weather permitting, will involve staining my bench and tidying up the borders.

The dogs will be getting their daily walk but as time isn't so restricting I want to go somewhere different with them. Maybe to the woods, or beach or somewhere.

I need to clean my car - inside and out. As much as I despise doing it, I do like driving a clean and tidy car, so will just grit my teeth and get it out the way at the end of the week when it's full of dog hair and dog slavers all over the windows.</DIV

It's time to get into 'the zone' with shaping up for summer, before summer is over. I have a Wii Fit that is comatose at the moment. I am going to dust it off and start using it again while I have peace and quiet.

So there we have it. My basic plan.

Now I need to do another to prioritise my plans.

Carry On Camping!

When Little Dude asked if he could join the local Sea Scout Troop as a Beaver, we immediately said yes. Big Dude had three happy years as a cub/scout and as Little Dude is much more outdoorsey than he is we knew he would love it.

Being Beavers, they aren't allowed to camp out overnight with the Cubs and Scouts - probably because of insurance or something, but they will have a sleepover in their Scout Hut in the summer holidays - AND and family weekend camp in a few weeks time.

So....being 'family' we are going to the Family Camp!

and..... being more of a trip to Florida and nice comfortable hotel kind of family, we have to get 'kitted up' for camping. Today we are going to look at tents and all the other paraphenalia that goes with one. It was suggested that we borrow one seeing as we haven't done camping since we were in the Scouts and Guides ourselves, but being us, the thrill of searching and shopping for bargain buys was too much of a temptaton.



I'm thinking along the lines of one of these!





and I'm taking one of these so that we have lot's of family fun!





But thinking this may be more like it!




Actually I am quite looking forward to going out into the countryside to get closer to nature. I don't mind shower blocks (as long as they are clean and reasonably warm), I don't mind being woken by demented birds and am more than happy to just sit or walk and enjoy the peace and quiet. I might even do some sketching!

So today we have a plan. An outdoors/camping place has a sale on this weekend. They have a 6 man tent (OK so we will only be 3 most of the time but I need space) that is a pretty good deal. I also have a list of extra's, to make my camping experience more comfortable. Who knew you could even get carpet for tents these days!

Will keep you posted!

The plan went to plan and we came home with one of these, two airbeds, sleeping bags, footprint, carpet (yay - not quite Axminster but better than grey plastic!), a gas stove, whistling kettle, two lanterns and some gas cannisters.

Now we have another plan.

Our neighbours have just gone off to Wales for a week leaving us to look after their guinea pigs, rabbits and tortoise. They have a lovely back garden with plenty of room to assemble a tent like what we bought. Unlike ours which resembles Chesil Beach (pebbles!)

The thing is, can we resist the urge to set up camp there for a few days once it's up? No-one would know and we would still have the luxury of hot baths and decent food! Hmmmmm.........

No More Heroes?

OK so I know that during the summer people tend to go out and do things other than watch telly, but some of us don't have social lives and continue to look forward to a night in front of the box.

Recently we have been rivetted by some really entertaining programmes, particularly from my point of view!

Chris Ryan's Strike Back for one. Usually one who picks fault at military type programmes tutting at irregularities such as a Wren driver wearing brown leather gloves when she would only be allowed to wear black (brown are officers issue only!) in James Bond. However, this one was pretty accurate from what we could tell, although neither os us are ex SAS of course! (or maybe we are...........!). Anyway, a man like Richard Armitage in uniform does it for me - AND the storyline was pretty good too.

True Blood also went and finished so now I will have to get my vampire fix elsewhere. Although Bill wasn't really my type - bit on the pale side for me!
I did enjoy the music and the fast, raunchy storyline, but the name Sookie being pronounced 'Sucky' kind of grated.

This morning I resisted the urge to get up at 5am to watch the last two episodes of Lost. I watched it tonight though. I almost didnt want to watch it, didnt want it to end. I've loved it right through, to the point that Jack, Kate, Hugo and Sawyer feel like close friends. I cried at least 10 times tonight - or was it hayfever? Yes that's what it was. Maybe I need to get the boxed set and watch it all again?

Jack is definitely 'The Man'. I sometimes wondered what I would do if he came and sat next to me on the bus. Part of me would be braced ready to flee from some terroist ambush and yet I would feel safe knowing Jack was there. Maybe I think too much, but anyway, that's the end of 24 now. OK so there's a film in the pipeline, but it's not the same is it. Another boxed set?

Olivia, Peter and Harold. I love this show almost as much as Lost and 24 but it's still quite new in comparison. Took a few episodes to get my head around it but I'm well hooked now. Think JJ Abrams is up there with Tim Burton as far as favourite film makers go.

I guess I will just have to sit out on the patio and drink cold beer until the autumn sets in and someone comes up with suitable replacements? And if they have hunky men, preferrably a little on the rough/unkempt side wearing leather or uniform, that'll be even better!

Not Your Average Saturday

No, definitely not our average Saturday.

Firstly, by 9am I could sit out in the garden with my coffee and imagine I was on the hotel balcony in Florida. Yes it was hot. VERY hot for Northumberland, like "bugger me,
it's hot" kind of hot.

Secondly, I had to dig out the bottle of P20 I had stashed away in the cupboard to stop me and the rest of the family ending up like lobsters by the end of the day. If you've never used it, it's brilliant. Apply it once a day before you go out and that's it. AND it works!

Thirdly, Little Dude had his first look inside an old historic jet. Sorry can't remember what it was but it was part of the annual 'Battery Day' held on Blyth seafront where people get dressed up, and act like there's a war on. Did get a bit of a blast from the past looking at all the dials, guages and levers - not unsimilar to what I used to see in Naval aircraft.


Fourthly, although Blyth has more than it's fair share of strange people, they don't usually look like these two. Normally it's a combination of Kappa tracksuits, Supa-Dry coats and several sizes too small micro skirts.
















Fifthly, You have to watch out for who is standing behind you in the ice cream queue.

Sixthly, despite the heat, two big hairy dogs, and a couple of beers on the patio, our resident blackbird is still sitting on the nest that she chose to build in possibly the most unsafe place in the garden.

It's now 8.30pm and still Florida hot outside.

Like I said - not the usual Saturday

Summer Suitcase

Would you believe that today, in Northumberland I actually spent the whole day without my cardie - including walking up to the main building a couple of times. The temperature was in the 20's - bloody scorching by our standards!





Of course there are many others who, at the first ray of warm-ish sunshine get out their mini skirts and shorts (some never put them away!) bikini tops and start to lather on the coconut oil.



Not me. I'm the one with a jumper 'just in case' and the one wrapped in a beach towel beside the pool. I'd rather be sweating me cobs off than cold. However....



Tomorrow I intend to get out my summer suitcase. The treasure chest of shorts and tops in bright happy colours. Every year I get a surprise when I find there is something in there I'd forgotten I had. Last year it was a pair of leather trousers from back in the 80's!



Now if I had a larger wardrobe to hang ALL my clothes in I wouldn't have to do any of this.



So tomorrow I will carefully unfold and iron my new wardrobe and carefully fold and pack my winter woolies and coats.



Hopefully the ice age won't return any time soon.

Some Things Get Right Up My Nose

I often drive up the coast road between Ashington and Alnwick and always find the view particularly beautiful, especially on a sunny day like yesterday.

It's not the view that bothers me at the moment though, it's the bloody rape seed fields that pretty much line the route.

Bright yellow fields as far as the eye can see.

So off go the air vents and on goes the a/c.

I don't generally get hayfever but rape seed pollen gets me big time. Within seconds the eyes start to water, throat clams up and nose gets itchy. I sympathise with you hay fever sufferers out there who have to live with this all summer - like my little dude who has to take medicine every day from April to September.


As much as I adore my iPhone, on days like this I wish I'd brought a decent camera to take pictures. Although you probably get the jist!

Little Dude

Here he is practicing his moves.

Big Dude, Little Dude

This was my breakfast this morning, eaten in style at the local skatepark! This is becoming a bit of a Saturday morning ritual. Thank goodness it is almost summer.

Why am I eating bagels and drinking coffee at a skatepark you may ask. Well it's like this.

• "Mu-uuum, can I go to the skatepark today?"
• "Ask if Jordan will take you."
• "Jorrrrrrrr-daaaaaaaaannnnnn - will you take me to the skatepark?"
• "No."
• "Muuuu-uuuummmmm, Jordan won't take me!"
• "Jordan - why won't you take your brother?"
• "Cos he's a pain and annoys everyone"
• "You mean he cramps your style?"
• "No - he's just annoying".
• "Muuu-uuummm will you take me then?"
• "If I take you for an hour will you promise not to ask to go again later?"
• " I promise."

Here we are at the skatepark - the big dudes are telling Alexander how to do a 'Nollie' properly and also telling me that he is 'mint' for a little dude and if he keeps it up will be really good.

This is Jordan his big brother doing 'his' stuff. Pretty good photo I think. I'm going to have it enlarged as a surprise for his bedrom wall.

and this is the little dude, posing with his 'death' board at the skatepark.

• "Muuu-uuuumm - can I go to the skatepark tomorrow?"
• "Ask Jordan to take you!"
• "Jorrrrrrr-daaaaaaannnnn - will you take me............."

Three guesses where I will be tomorrow morning!

We are off to Florida again in August and have agreed to let them have a few trips to the Vans Skatepark - and buy them each a new board as a treat. Something tells me this could be expensive, but at least it gets them to spend some time together which is nice.

By the way, does anyone have "The Idiots Guide to Skateboard Language"??

Fishy Wishies

It was one of those days where 'we' decided to take a day off together and do the things you do without kids pestering you. Things like wandering around camping sales rooms (just because you can) - and in our case strolling hand in hand around the local garden centre admiring the plants and huge variety of garden accessories.

And things like buying a 230 litre fish tank!

No, we didnt set out to buy it, but it was a BARGAIN so instantly became desirable in the eyes of my man.

It came with a filter as big as a Fiat Panda and a nice stand.

Being 'us' we then proceded to spend a small fortune on things to make it look nice. Like a 'Marie Rose' style shipwreck (being ex Navy and all that!).


And then we were told not to put any fish in it for at least a week! A week!! Someone really needs to start selling aquariums 'ready to go'. Like how on earth would 'we' have the patience to wait a week before enjoying the delights of fish swimming happily in our new tank!!

I think it was day 4 that we decided the fish experts didn't know what they were talking about and bought our first fish. We now have about 30 in there. We have lost a few but we are learning that Black Mollies love to play in the jet stream, and that we have a zebra danio that thinks he's a surfer dude. 'Leo' the Bristlenose likes to out-suck 'Sticky' the loach on the bogwood and one of my Blue Rams looks like Alvin Stardust.

I now have a permanent crick in my neck from watching them, and have started to do daily headcounts incase any try to die inside the shipwreck without telling me.

We have also made a decision not to take days off together as we really can't afford it! and I will now need to find somewhere else to put the Christmas Tree!

Yoo Hoo - I'm Baaa-aaack!

So where was I? Oh yes, so as I stepped out of the shower I realised it had all been a dream.

Did I really have a blog for over two years called 'Squared Off' or was it all in my mind?

Anyway, my studies are almost complete - I'm into the last module of my degree and feel that as long as I do my work first I can afford to spend some time blogging too. My unhealthy obsession with the internet has subsided and I no longer have Facebook/Twitter/MSN etc to distract me from my family and chores.

So this is my sunrise, my dawning of a new day - my blog (season two). I decided to bin Squared Off as I fancied a change and new identity. Unfortunately the content will be the same old guff as before unless I come up with some fanciful idea that fires me into the upper realms of blogdom like XBox - although conceiving and going through childbirth again is definitely NOT gonna happen on THIS blog!

Irritatingly Optimistic is what I am now. Despite the challenges that life has decided to throw at me right now I will be forever optimistic that things will work out ok. Nothing as challenging as what Jo is going through thankfully, but enough to give me the occasional tense, nervous, headache.

Ahhhhh so now you'll have to come back and read my blog more often to find out what they are won't you?