Changing Gear

You dance to Earth energy, KAREN, and your routine gets a big burst of adrenaline on Tuesday, thanks to the entry of Mars into a fellow Earth Sign, busy Virgo. You are thought of as a rock by your associates, so get ready to have requests for help and advice pour in now that Mars is trine to your personal sign of the steadfast Mountain Goat. Your associates know to whom to go for support, and it's you! You might decide to change gears and walk a new path in an important area of your life on Wednesday as the New Moon takes place in capricious and changeable Cancer. You do like your own routine and enjoy keeping to your schedule, so it's not often that you are willing to modify your plans for yourself. Now you are encouraged to look around the borders of your life and see what's available for you. You don't have to make any quick decisions, but you will be open to new ideas. You may decide to stick to the tried and true or consider experimenting with jazzing up your life. Go with whatever lifestyle makes you happy because it's important that you please yourself.

Or

Negative facemask

Face mask

A blog of note...

If you like food - lobstersquad

On the rails

I suspect

least said soonest mended...



however keeping stuff in isn't helping....

New meter

No power this am. Joy!

Release of Pressure

Now that Pluto has temporarily moved out of your sign, KAREN, and back into Sagittarius, you may feel a sense of relief as though a pressure has been removed. Others may notice that you are not quite as intense as you used to be and a little easier to be around. You may not have noticed how much Pluto has been affecting you or how on-purpose and determined you seemed when it was in your sign. From now until November, you will be plunged back into an exploration of your inner thoughts and feelings. Your dreams may be bold and colorful and will have plenty of guidance for you if you care to write them down. You also get a big opportunity to transform those thought patterns that have been holding you back. They are often very subtle, and it requires an almost constant awareness to catch them. Once they have been released, you will find that areas of your life with which you have had ongoing difficulties will become more and more successful. Then you will know that you have succeeded in changing yourself at the deepest levels. Your love life looks very positive and uplifting. Take time to enjoy being together.

My Weekend

'Think Twice' Groove Armada
close your eyes and lose the feeling that's been sinking
close your eyes and count to three
close your eyes rewind, I know just what you're thinking
close your eyes and think of me

Larger than life niceties
bigger than you, more than me
I've got the Monday morning blues
and oh my god I've got the home for you

and give the everyday morning you...use
there's things right here I can't afford to choose

CHORUS

sincere, caramel, champagne, down drain, tell him, no gain
it's so damn physical it will sustain
and too damn technicolor to refrain
and much too taxing for my little brain

why do we never know enough of happy ends?
why do they never show?
all the times that we have been so good and caring
how many times we'll never know

CHORUS X2

Packed it like a punch out to lunch
I got a little hunch that stood out from the bunch
as if that's not a enough I need another reason why

that god damn bitch of life she made me cry
so I'd like to poke her squarely in the eye
and it hurt so much I feel like I could die
yeah
-------

I left work on Friday so messed up. My head in turmoil. I wanted to scream. To break down and let it all out. My work. My blessed selfish neighbours. My 'friends'. My Friday solitude. This is the most vibrant place in the world. Me? Nowhere to go. No-one to be with. It was compounded by Radio Five alluding to 30+ single women never being happy... read the originating article here. (sorry it's in the Mail. yuk.) Sadly I feel echos.

I contemplated beers, ciggies and pills. Instead I bought a Burger King...there's anger for you. The most rebellious I can be now is crap food.

I switched off all means of contact.

Saturday I got up and out. It drizzled. I kept going.

I broke down in front of someone Saturday pm. Sadly he was too away with the coke fairy to be of use. I took it. It was there in my hand. There for the taking. To take and become someone else. To forget today.

I gave him the choice. Me or it. He left. I went to bed fairly soon after Doctor Who Confidential.

I spent the rest of the weekend not thinking. Trying to not noticing that for all the moments of care I take for others it was not there when I need it.

I immersed myself in Grand Prix, Moto GP, Athletics, football. Immersed myself.

So even in my anger I am still too bloody strong to do anything radical which brings me out from under the shade. Am hoping if I stop thinking and just plough on I can get through the Monday morning blues and hope that the moon and the stars set me free. I am tired of feeling so lost. So a lone. I also know the only one to change it is me. But I keep saying it and keep failing to do anything about it.

How desperate do I have to get? How much further into my doubt must I go to be heard.

To help myself.

To stop thinking twice.

Hail Bowie...

Next Sunday - free stuff in hehem Mail on Sunday..

Its coming....

Its coming

Look at the weather

This amused me...

Capricorn (Dec22-Jan20) A behind the scenes power struggle could affect your health. Nervous ailments like headaches, stomach pains, or back trouble could take a toll on you. Find an outlet for all of your nervous energy. Gentle exercise can ease your stresses and strains. If you really want to rid your life of trouble, stop getting involved in work related dramas. Let other people worry about promotions and raises and just focus on doing your job. Call Capricorn line to hear why if you believe you have a chance to make changes that will benefit your world you should talk to those around you and work out which way you want to go.

keep walking gal.

Cry me a river

Yummy

Veggi lasagne :)

Slimatee

I bought these teabags out of curiosity...
I followed the instructions to the letter
I wondered how it worked.

Next morning I was quite sure I knew how...

They should come with a warning - 'more Loo Paper may be required. Drink with extreme care!!'

Wish I had read this review first!!!

May have some use if I ever get constipated again!! Or if my upstairs neighbours pop in for a cuppa. Hee hee.

Fixtures!

And the great news that Gary Mulligan is STAYING!! Hooray!!

Have to admit though it took me a moment before I could navigate all the way over to Division Four to see our name in that list... my Swansea mate is relishing his fixture list slowly. Lucky git!!

Ah well 9th August normal service resumes away at Bournemouth - have never been and if its sunny may be worth a day out... UTG!

Newest Fairbrass Member...

Yup my brother and sister in law have decided children are a no go, so my 'nephew' has four legs and a damp nose. Says a lot. Not so sure about being Auntie Karen to a dog but Fletch - soon to be renamed and christened Nugget does look rather cute!! No doubt this cuteness lasts until he pees on the carpet!! Hopefully like all good children he will be trained to be seen and not heard by his erstwhile parents, and by the time I get to meet him this will not be an issue!

Welcome to the family Nugget...!

Retreat And Relax

You want to get away to a quiet retreat to think and reflect this week, KAREN. On Wednesday, the Full Moon takes place in your sector of seclusion, and if you can't afford the expense of a few days away, you may decide to turn your living quarters into your own personal sanctuary. You might take the phone off the hook, unplug the TV, and listen to meditation tapes for a while. If your residence is too noisy to allow you any peace and quiet, consider going to your local library's quiet room for a while. You need to put order into your thoughts and emotions so you can cope with all the changes taking place in your life right now. Think about making your mental health and emotional well-being your highest priority. On Friday, your vitality may sag a bit as the Sun enters Cancer opposite your personal Zodiac sign of Capricorn, the Mountain Goat. You have a lot of inner strength, but you may need to shore up your physical stamina right now. You might want to investigate with your doctor if incorporating vitamins and nutritional supplements into your diet will give your immune system a boost. Try to rest if possible.

Books etc

Does anyone use the Richard n Judy list as a guide?!

As for me I am currently reading Patrick Hamilton's 'Hangover Square: A Story of darkest Earl's Court'. Yes I have returned to London based fiction having read Vendela Vida's 'Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name' in a week! Too much snow for me I'm afraid.. So now I am following the love lorn George as he clicks his way round Earl's Court in pursuit of Netta. Set in 1938 it feels damp and dark. But will George ever get his way??

I started this book by coincidence during the week my City Dairy used a passage from Patrick Hamilton's 'The Slaves of Solitude'. Which because it has such resonance for so many reasons right now I quote below:

'London, the crouching monster, like every other monster has to breathe, and breathe it does in its own obscure, malignant way. Its vital oxygen is composed of suburban working men and women of all kinds, who every morning are sucked up through an infinitely complicated respiratory apparatus of trains and termini into the mighty congested lungs, held there for a number of hours, and then, in the evening, exhaled violently through the same channels.The men and women imagine they are going into London and coming out again more or less of their own free will, but the crouching monster sees all and knows better.'

Well time has raced by. I sat down at 6pm and it's now 9.45pm. I have missed Ray Mears and Doctor Who on Beeb 3... I suspect as experience tells me I need to sleep in readiness to be breathed in by that weird force tomorrow morning...only tomorrow maybe I'll be better prepared for the exhalation...maybe.

Let's hope I find some peace at least.

Walkabout...8th-14th June

Sunday - Miles (M) 6.31 Steps (S) 12507
Monday - M 7.90 S 15654
Tuesday - M 4.74 S 9404
Wednesday - M 5.71 S 11313
Thursday - M 6.02 S 11926
Friday - M 6.40 S 12677
Saturday - M 6.41 S 12692

Total miles walked (Sun-Sat) - 43.49
Ave per day - 6.21

Gosh!!
Must remember to always carry a bottle of water tho - felt very odd yesterday pm when out...

That was the week that was...

I just stuck my weekly horoscopes onto scheduled publish. Strange. The prediction pretty much fits how I felt by the time I left the office Wednesday evening.

My week should have started OK. I was in a fairly okay mood. Then several minor things happened and I plummeted.

Monday. Early in. Starts well. Then late arrivals, misplaced assumptions and my heart and head sink. I go for a walk Monday lunchtime. Over running meetings prevent my monthly weigh in. Perhaps just as well. So I go for a walk round the block. Maybe to clear head. Maybe to enjoy good weather or more likely to escape. I spend an afternoon listening.
Monday evening I find myself in need of a long and aggressive walk home. I get as far a Balham. I am tired and hot.

Tuesday. I spend a morning listening. I spend a jovial lunch with a Known Admirer. I chew on a chicken tikka filled baguette - certainly not the best option from Tiffins. I can't stop looking out the window at the passers by and I suspect I am rude in the process. I can't settle. All morning I have had a dry sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I feel unnecessarily uneasy about things at work and my usual solid mindset has deserted me. Lunch with AKA at least means I can talk about Euro 2008 and books and what I should do about my future. We go to get a set of keys cut. The afternoon is spent catching my breath and getting my head round the corner I am in. At 5.35 I leave - to pick my Mum up from Blackfriars station. I was glad to have bumped into Camilla on the way down. Mum has such affection for my friends and they seem to feel the same towards her.

Mum had come up for a few days respite. That's a slight joke - how she can stay with me, when in the past I have been totally unreasonable I do not know. However we start on a good foot by eating seared tuna and drinking prosecco at Carluccios. We even treat ourselves to desserts. Mm.

Wednesday. I leave Mum at home and free to potter the streets of Merton. My escape plan @ work today - as many meetings as possible. Lunch dissolves into a sarnie at my desk and before I know it its gone 5.30pm and by 6.30pm I am finally ready to trot home. The Apprentice final and tops fodder lovingly prepared by my mum. Yummy paella and roasted fruits for dessert.

Thursday. Day off. Mum and I potter. Hear the dreadful news of a man murdered at Merton Sainso's on Tuesday pm. Go into town on wills mission. Meet Pops and drink and eat. (Spot a theme here?!)

Friday. I walk. I buy vitamins. I buy new boots. I cleanse. I doze. I cook. I iron. I try desperately to switch my brain off to everything. Not so easy.

Saturday. Over sleep. Again. But Euro 2008 Fighting Talk and aeroplanes keep me going... Cook dinner for a friend and sleep like a log.

Today. Sunday. Oh it's like not doing homework until the last minute. The same sick feeling at the pit of the stomach. The stifling panic. Can I pass this test? What will my score be? But this isn't an exam or a test anymore. It's 8 hours of my day for 5 days a week and somehow I have to reconcile myself to what it means. How I fit into it. Whether I do fit into it anymore. And that's just the work part. What of the rest of my life. There are only so many miles you can walk. (Though in my case - not sure that's true either). So today - walking and listening to the Archers, trying not to think just drink up the sunshine. Cook a tops breakie. And settle down for the tennis finals.. interrupted by noisy pigging neighbours.. really must check out the council website... I need help - it's driving me INSANE. No respite here. Anyway - this is really a taster... gonna add a few extra entries.

Go Rafa!

Never really watched Queens before - but today and yesterday I got completely hooked. A diversion from footie! Well it is the summer. First the semi's and watching Nadal outwit Roddick and then to see Djokovic totally obliterate Nalbandian I knew that today's final would be close. Swayed by Nadal's rather cute bum and unassuming manner I wanted him to win.. and he did - but Djokovic gave him a run for his money! Glued to the TV my only criticism - the commentators... roll on the big guns for Wimbledon on the 23rd June for a fortnight! Thanks Beeb for the coverage!

1pm - 14th June 2008

Not my best photo - but a digital flavour of the flypast. Happy Birthday Your Majesty and Happy 90th RAF... the rest of my snaps are on celluloid!! Remember that kids!!

55 areoplanes in all - though the variety is not what it once was... very poor. But 16 F-3's all in formation at once is quite something as were 9 Typhoons. Surprisingly few spotters on Waterloo Bridge and the old Prakticas kept going for another year. Sweet.

Wish I had has this view mind you!!

Friday 13th

My stars instructed I not use a hair dryer. So I did not. However some other poor Capricorn was having trouble with appliances - as I walked back from stomp there was a trail of water coming out onto the pavement. I expected to see a person scrubbing their pathway. Fraid not. The water was coming out under the front door. All warm and foamy.

That's one clean floor and pathway....

My day past by with little incident. The precaution to defrost fridge using only warm water paid off. Took bl00dy hours mind you...

Blood Ties

I have thought about the events of Thursday long and hard. I have also questioned how much or how little to write about it. I have though concluded that I must write as much as possible so that as a family we can take what we need and help each other work out these niggles which are unsettling us all. Whatever I love ya Mazza. I wish I could give you the answers you seek.

-------------------------------------------

My Mum's roots are fractured to say the least. She had a very close relationship with her Dad but sadly the same can not be said for her Mother. I have several vivid recollections of my grandparents on Mum's side. My Grandad was a scream. Flicking spoons across the dining room table, pulling faces and generally making my brother and I sick with laughter, back when faggots where round and Brains. My Grandma was always a grey figure in the background not really taking part and quietly scornful of such frivolity. Nevertheless Grandad made sure that as kids we knew he was with us - even though they lived miles away in Worcester. He sent postcards, letters and boxes of fudge. There are photos of him in walking boots on the top of Tors across the country. As I write I see where Mum gets her walking spirit from - and I too have gained that love. He was a jolly man and we all loved him dearly. Sadly he passed away in April 1986.

My Mum has tried often to reconcile her relationship with her Mother. But it has been seriously impeded by her brothers turning a blind eye and very much leaving Mum out in the cold. My friends always comment we are a tight foursome but as time passes I recognise that my Mum was always making sure we had the childhood she did not and I know she fears my relationship with my brother will go the same way as hers with her brothers.

Her frenetic twin married a god fearing woman and moved to Sweden. We saw them little as we grew up and I recall seeing my cousins Helen & Rosie all of a few times. I am the eldest grand child on that side of the family so should have taken greater responsibility maybe. But we were never that sort of family. Mum's eldest brother moved to Stafford and had three children whose names now embarrassingly I cannot recall. I lie it has come to me along with the memory of the week they stayed at our house. Kerry, Tara and Phillip. The youngest was a blond haired boy. I remember that week more for the acquisition of my Duran Duran 'Rio' cassette and playing it non stop on my cassette Walkman. Being told it would affect my hearing as I got older. I'm 35 and it seems fine for the time being. Grandad had died by them and my Uncle had bought his kids and Grandma down for the week. It was a sunny week and we visited several of Mum's aunts and uncles. They always welcomed us with open arms and Mum was always comfortable around them. I never really sensed much tension between my Mum and her Mother - but I suppose it became clearer as the letters and postcards dwindled. My cousins became faded ghosts and any sort of family get together was more likely to come from my Dad's very minute family. Years have passed - face it 22 and my Mum has rarely seen her twin brother who now lives in Canada even though she often hears that he has been in the country. I met his wife once as her parents live in Morden. She wanted me to help trace the family tree. I declined to help as it felt false. The family I did know of I had not seen so why track down more to be ignored by? This took place in 2001 and I was living the life of Reilly in London (smoking, drinking and sporting a tattoo!) - but her attitude was odd. I was well educated yet her daughter coming to London as part of her nursing course did not seem reason enough to exchange details and make a point of meeting as cousins. It was as though I was not quite good enough. I may have got defensive as I was told of a family life which had not included me since 1986 and more importantly had not included my Mum either. I do remember being told that Mother was not well mentally and could not help the way she was. I found this hard to take. I know my Mum has tried many times to make good the relationship with Mother but has always been pushed away. It felt as if everyone was tip toeing around Mother at the cost of my Mum's feelings. I have not heard from Monica since.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The years keep rolling by and with age comes self analysis and the yearn to repair. Understand. Find peace. Mum wants answers to so many questions. Naturally she wants to know what she did (or did not do) that has caused such pain for so many years. Mum is a tender flower who blooms for those she deems worthy despite her past having made her fairly hard hearted too. I know - I have inherited some of that inner resolve. So Thursday was the day for answers.

---------------

Curious to know how and what the situation was when her father died she had heard you could obtain copies of people's wills. So we trudged the length of High Holborn in search. Without a street number of building name that can be quite tiresome. But with hindsight I take full blame for making the sensitive situation even more painful. We came out by the Bung Hole pub - had we turned left we would have found the Probate Office straight away. Sadly my nose went right and we ended up at New Oxford Street. 2 policeman and a postman later we are heading back towards the Bung Hole.

A less pleasant trait that I have is impatience in the face of what I perceive to be incompetence. I was close to exploding. I can't explain why. Maybe it was seeing Mum so helpless. So in need of answers. To me she is always so strong. It was the day when the baton was finally passed over. Mum needed me to be strong and I was failing. Miserably.

I called a friend to get a road number and can reveal its 42-29 High Holborn. I was cross with myself too. I should have checked before we left the house. But I have had my head so far up my arse with work I did not.

So we go through the x-ray machine and delve into the Probate registers. Huge books which record alphabetically the probate number of those wills logged so you can order a copy.

1986 - Sw-Ve no luck. We check all through the books up to 1991. No luck. Then as a sanity check I look for my Dad's Dad entry. No entry for Henry either. So Herbert and Henry are not listed. Mum is crestfallen. My brain assumes lawyer mode.. did they go through probate? Would it be the same if all passed to a wife etc etc. At this point I must stress this is not a mission to discover hidden millions - it is the last ditch hope my Mum had of getting in touch with her Dad to see what his wishes were. She always believed he wanted things split between the grandchildren. If he did, I suspect it is a wish that will not happen now. I so wanted it to be easy to obtain so my Mum could read his words and understand she was loved by him at least. She does already know that - but the lack of affection or acknowledgement from the rest of her clan is a deep scar she carries.

I finally realise my role and give Mum a big hug. It's not enough. She is hurting. Has hurt for a long time. Seeing Stu in another a world does not help her soul either. But life is to a degree about the here and now and we must make the best of it.

We meet Dad. I am glad. I realise I love Dad for so many reasons but mainly because he always so wise and takes care of Mum and I in ways we tend to take for granted. I buy us all a coffee and try to get Mum smiling again. I do not succeed. I suspect a deepening dark mood will descend. A lot of inward analysis and self questioning. The next last chance saloon. Meeting her eldest brother and trying somehow to repair what is still here. More strength.

The really sad part - for years and years I have only ever considered my family as us four. But its not really the truth. We have indeed been the people who have shaped each other. But blood ties are with us no matter how hard we fight them. I am always heartened when in the past distant relatives have said I look like my Dad's sister - Brenda a woman I never met for she had died before I was born. And I relish the fact Dad's Mum was Labour through and through. She'd be spinning now I suspect. But these are notions. For Mum there are memories of a childhood with 2 brothers to whom she looked up and cared for. There are the good days and the bad dark days when she wished to be anywhere else. Then there was Mum meeting Dad. They said it wouldn't last. Well 38 years would say that was incorrect. So where's the apology and forgiveness now? I hope Mum finds the answers she seeks. I hope her brothers in their old age also are thinking like she is and want to have conversations and reconciliations such that my Mum can stave off this sense of loneliness. Failure. Which of course she is not. Failure is a crass word for exam results, not life and being a tops wife, dedicated mother and most importantly self assured big hearted woman.

--------------------------------

Hugs to you Mazza. This is your journey but Dad and I are both here for you. Please stop beating yourself up. Let's reset the expectations and try to make this less painful. I learnt a lot about myself on Thursday. I am scared too. You and Pa are so much the back bone of my life. I wish I could provide more for your bucks! A hubby, a big house for you to stay at, front row seats at Wimbledon, maybe even grandchildren (as opposed to dogs).

I can though try to more patient and understanding and learn the lesson of the art of sharing that you have in bundles... don't stop talking to me... xx

The Apprentice

And so the final finally came round. In a twist from the usual final this consisted of 4 contestants. Sir Alan unable to decide who he wanted to eek out after the interviews. He gave us a few fairly loud clues in his initial groupings.. Lee and Claire versus Alex and Helene. From the off you sort of knew no matter how it went Lee and Claire would win and then the suspense of who out of the two was the winner would keep viewers gripped.

SO men's fragrance. It is fair to say a pleasant smelling bloke is a rare find. They either don't bother or go the other way and dunk themselves in sickly sweet smelling liquor and you can smell then for 5 minutes after they have passed you. Perhaps not an ideal task for TV as guess what - we can't smell it. All we can go by is bottle shape and erm Brand. So 'Roulette' (Claire/Lee) which was Old Spice for the Noughties vs 'Dual' (Helene/Alex) for the man who is everywhere. It should have been 'Duel' as the team began to fray and forget they were supposed to be working together! Ah well. Gambling addictions and men who 'smell of men' did not win over the critics. But the dual functioning bottle of 'Dual' priced it out of the game, nor did Helene's dour face or Alex's sulky mug exactly help in selling the product or themselves.

So it came down to Lee - the Spurs fan - nice touch mate, and, Claire who could probably sell ice cubes to Eskimos. I have wanted Lee to win since he led Lucinda et al to win in a way which meant people wanted to be part of his team. There was a raw honesty about him (okay apart from his CV fibs which ordinarily would have him off my list - but I have heard interview panellists who are obsessed by educational qualifications above and beyond the common sense of whether a person is actually able to do the job. Trust me qualifications are not the be all and end all and yes I worked jolly hard for mine so don't need to lie - but I can see why someone without would try their luck. Foolish boy. But he fessed up. Eventually.) and also a natural charm which meant everyone felt equal. No hierarchy. A selfless side which ensured he got the best out of people which in turn got the best for him. It's a fine line and it often gets lost or forgotten in an office environment.

Anyway Sir Alan picked Lee. I don't do all this male preference stuff. He deserved it - he will learn and for the first time finish and pass his apprenticeship. Good luck to you mate. You know what I'm talking about!

Claire was on Radio Five Thursday am saying she was glad she lost as she would never fit into Sir Alan's organisation. Yeah right. Sometimes graciousness in defeat speaks volumes. She is in the News of the World today - nice.

The big problem now - WHAT to watch on Wednesday evenings?! Help!

Happy Fathers Day

Have a good un Pops....
:-) Big hugs xxx

Another departs...

My friend Lisa left London today to set up home down in Tunbridge Wells.. here's wishing her all the best in her new abode and surroundings. Probably a step up from Croydon. But these days who can say!?

And then there was one!

Defrost me!

I cant get no

Sleep. Grr

Culture!

Queen's BD Flypast

This Saturday at 1pm - is said to include the following:

'with it being the 90th RAF anniversary, they are pulling out the stops for this one.
After a bit of research, and with thanks to information provided by the Lowestoft Aviation Society, you'll get the timings and groupings on www.mcquat.co.uk.
First formation over the Palace will be BBMF Lanc plus 2xSpit and 2xHurri, other sources quote the Dak as well, these will form up over DX, and probably as they did last year, try to remove the roof off my house, they don't form over Southwold and pass over East Anglia with the jet formations, they take a shorter route.
Jet formations.
1) C-130 + 2 Kingairs
2) 9xTyphoons
3) VC-10 + 2 Tornado F3 + E3 Sentry
4) 11 Tornado F-3
5) C-17 + 2 F-3
6) Nimrod + 2 F-3
7) Tristar + 2 HS125
8) 16 Tornado GR-4

If that lot don't make your eyes water, nothing will.
If you watch it from the Tower of London, you'll get the bonus of a 62 gun salute as well.
I'm sure Moggy will enjoy watching it from his usual vantage point in Southwold with a pint of Adnams, though Tower Bridge sounds a good spot to me.'

I am naturally excited and shall be stocking up on film for my Praktica's annual day out!! More so after hearing the Biggin Hill experience via someone's mobile from a supermarket car park yesterday...plus Pop texting me his experiences on Saturday!

Reviewing Your Daily Routines

Your work and health continue to be of importance, KAREN. Mercury is retrograde until later next week. You just need to be patient for a while longer before you get moving on new deals and contracts. After this, it will be safe to go ahead. In the meantime, get everything organized, and continue to clear out the clutter. As far as your health goes, you may have to wait awhile to hear the results of tests or any lab reports that are due. This is a good time to talk to experts or consultants about what you want to achieve in terms of your overall fitness. If you need a personal trainer, don't hire one just yet; instead, get a variety of opinions about who is available in your area and what they can do for you. If you are thinking of starting a diet, again, read around, and get a selection of reviews before you decide the best way for you to go with your eating plan. Ultimately, the best way of eating is one that is tailored to your needs. You will need to experiment to find out what works best.

???

Germany 2 - Poland 0

Here we go! Here we go!! - Yup got them in the sweep at work and as someone said at the time well they do begin with G too..
I think its about time I understood what it feels like to support a winning team....heheh.
Pity about Federer and Hamilton today... great day for sport on TV/Radio though.... tops in fact.

Summer Party - Old Billingsgate

June 6th 2008 - Old Billingsgate - The Ground Floor!

The Main Course...fillet of beef with aparagus n spuds. Tasty.

My Alan Hansen forehead (not quite an Albino Elephant knee)
THE glass of red which ensured a sore-ish head Sat am
The dessert...too creamy
The three ladies of the team. Spot the odd one out...me of course. Spinster in the middle!
And me clinging on for dear life to my colleagues of nearly 8 years ...

Haircut...

And post party vanity... or something...

And the dress as found on the M&S website..

Just

watched Part II of the latest Doctor Who story. Truly brilliant. How uncomfortable for all of us to meet someone from his future who he hasn't met yet... and shadows and books and hard drives and virtual-ness... inspired. Thanks Mr Moffat.

3 nights

on the razz have taken their toll!

My eyes feel sooo heavy and don't feel like I have eaten real food for days... anyway no lost limbs or broken teeth. No misguided snogs and no phone numbers exchanged... More to the point at least today I managed to be up and about before noon!! That said I am only now going for a shower - so pleased I removed all make up before falling into bed at 2am.. lots lots more soon!

Minx?

Old Meter...

Jolly June!

Well - okay - it is June but the weather thus far is none too jolly...and late night footie does not help early birding on a Monday.

My horo's seem to be stressing my propensity for an expanding waistline at this time and I have to say I agree - a minor worry as I stepped on scales this morning.. oh well time to re-sharpen the will.

Look - see:

Month Ahead
Never was there a better time to start a new health and fitness regime than on the 3rd. Get your heart and your head together, make a firm resolve and get cracking. There'll be plenty to occupy your time and though you won't always feel appreciated for everything you're doing, you'll be pleased at your conscientiousness. Your well chosen words will help shift difficult discussions along so you'll reckon you're making headway in private wrangles. Then Uranus will send you scattering in all directions around the 13th. Sometimes the less you attempt, the more gets done. So trim it down to essentials. Pluto then reverses into the sign before yours for the final time mid month to stay till late November. So you'll be less obvious in your demands but will be pulling strings behind the scenes. Have another care with cash towards the 21st since you won't be concentrating as hard as usual, indeed may be panicking slightly. Thereafter you'll find affection and support comes from your significant other and you'll be much in demand socially. Though the background rumbles about one unresolved issue won't disappear till July begins.

7 years...

not sure how we managed it, but that's how long we've known each other - keep smiling Sparky!

GFC go Geek!

A-ha - they have emailed to their fans the new season ticket details... £285 will get me 'top class' Div Two football @ home for 2008-09... please feel free to quote this back at me in deepest winter when I am moaning about our performances!! Provided I get my ticket pre August... ah England have scored ... and the neighbours are all back. How unfortunate - just as I was getting used to a certain degree of peace.. oh well back to the ear plugs and loud radio. Night. Oops hang on - England have scored again! Trinidad... 0 - England 2... and they have only been playing for 15mins.. :-)

Think Positively

Don't worry, KAREN - everything in your little corner of the world is fine. Saturn is your ruling planet, and Saturn has a tendency to make you feel very anxious about yourself, your life, and your current circumstances. Saturn is just being cautious and wants you to make sure your roof isn't leaky and your basement is waterproofed. Because you know you've already taken care of the important issues in your life, you don't need to worry so much. Don't forget that the mind, body, and spirit are all connected, and the more stressed out you get, the worse you will feel physically. On Tuesday, the New Moon in Gemini takes place in your sector of health, and you start a new regime with your health and well-being in mind. You may actively try to de-stress yourself and maintain a positive viewpoint. If you can relax a bit, watch your tension headaches and upset stomachs start to ease. You may even find that your skin starts looking better as you tend to break out in a rash when you are nervous or agitated. On Saturday, the Sun conjuncts Mercury retrograde in Gemini, and you will spend a lot of time developing your power of positive thinking.

---
Odd as when I was walking this morning, head still slightly sore and my left shoulder in pain from the weight of my bag on Friday's pm walk - I passed the funeral directors. 'Have you provided enough for your eventual end point?' OK not exactly worded like that but similar!
It dawned on me that as time runs its course and I fail to secure myself to anyone I could possibly die with no-one left alive to bother burying me. Well apart from the local council etc.
Think positively. Yes. Will do. Sometimes walking and thinking is a little too intense for such a small head.
Best walk and sing ... latest tune in my head 'Burning Up'... cheers Kylie! Getting me in a party mood...LOL. Wot a wake!

Weekend

Walked home Friday pm. In record time. Felt tops.

The natural buzz... saw me in the pub. I should have gone after 3. Oh well it was 5. I was genuinely in a good frame of mind though.

Saturday - can't say I did much. Survived. Sweet tea n toast. The best Doctor Who so far...

Sunday - do the stuff of 2 days in 1....maybe a day in bed Saturday was needed though as today has been OK. Washing & ironing all done. Washing up, hoovering all done. Walk. M&S purchases... oops I appear to have bought another dress. Come Dine with Me. Good Ol Ray Mears and the Bush Tucker Man.

And now the rare pleasure of going to bed now and listening to the England game....