365 Project, Week 24

This week has involved a lot of time spent with my siblings, as Mum and the Step-Dad are away with the two littlies.

We spent one evening taking advantage of the sunshine by having an outdoor movie party with Mr T’s family. It involved a lot of sweets and Charlie and I fighting over a blanket. We watched The Muppets (which was rubbish) and This Means Way (which was also rubbish, but in an acceptable, explosion filled, entertaining sort of way).

Unfortunately, I came home from Movie Night to the world’s most giant, evil moth. Complete with red-eye. The Boyfriend being the total wuss that he is, made me get rid of it before he would even get in the house, so I had to throw it out of a window myself. Gross.

Later in the week we had a barbecue and Mr T bought a 3D puzzle Millennium Falcon, which we totally failed to make before our dinner was ready. It was really, really hard – all the pieces looked the same and there were hundreds of them. We did manage to put everything together by the end of the week, but even constructing the damn thing was difficult, and I never got a ‘finished product’ picture.

And when they did get home, the little brother treated us all by making dinner. You may think that’s cute, but I actually caught him chewing on a plastic carrot later.

Not many pictures this week, as the rest of the time I’ve been sat where I am now – writing. I won’t bore you with more pictures of my desk. But hopefully soon I will be ready with some updates on the Insane Summer Holiday Project. It’s going well so far!

365 Project, Week 23

So we’ve had some fun this week.

A pipe in our living room has been leaking slowly for a while now. So slowly that in all the general sogginess around at the moment, we hadn’t even noticed. But the leak got quite a lot worse, to the point of floods in our living room. Fortunately the Step-Dad was able to fix it, and the tissues in the above picture are meant to detect any recurring leaks.

We used a lot of towels to keep things from flooding though. This is just a small collection… fortunately we have a lot lying about from the decorating we’ve been doing, so we didn’t have to use our bath towels!

Fortunately, it does seem to have stopped mostly now. I suspect the remaining damp is more the water being drawn out of the wall by the dehumidifier. It’s certainly not wet enough for it to be from a regular drip.

On a more cheerful note, Ivy graduated this week. Taylor made these delicious graduation cakes.

I bought a new pair of sandals. They gave me a nasty blister on my toe when I tried to walk them in today, but they are great because…

Tada! Blue skies. Over England. After two weeks of solid rain, this is very welcome. And I’m very pink. It’s lovely.

365 Project, Weeks 21+22

It’s been raining pretty much non-stop for the past two weeks. Our garden, already a mess, is taking on all the qualities of a quagmire, and the skip that’s meant to be full of the excess mud and broken slabs of concrete has just been slowly filling with water instead. The Boyfriend’s summer project is turning into a bit of a mission, but at least our desire to have a garden for the summer isn’t going to affect things – so far there’s been no sign of a summer anywhere.

But there’s nothing like a nice creamy hot chocolate to dispel your wet weather woes. Although it’s more of a winter thing, really, I always like going to Costa’s for a nice hot drink after the rain – it reminds me of my very first date with the Boyfriend.

We spent the weekend on our H date, enjoying a relax. The rain didn’t really matter when you were sat in a nice hot spa complex, feeling thoroughly relaxed.

With pressures at work considerably eased in the run up to the holidays, I’ve had some spare time to get on with some things I’ve been wanting to do for ages. I went to the Writer’s club in my town, and deciding it wasn’t enough to only go to once monthly meetings, Carole, Taylor, Ivy and I decided to have weekly meetings on all the weeks in between. I’m embarking on a totally mad summer project, and I need all the motivation I can get. Part of the project involved a bit of musical composition, and I’ve made a good start on that.

We haven’t been shopping properly for ages, which resulted in some interesting attempts at cooking this week. This Quorn mince had clearly seen better days, but it was quite amusing.

And no week would be complete without your little brother dressing up as a parrot…

…or a mushroom shaped like a bum…

The grim weather was out in full force on saturday, just as I needed to walk to the shops. I can practically read the opening hours of the local supermarket from my front door but I was still completely soaked through from walking there and back.

I needed another one of those Costa hot chocolates, but had to make do with a glass of smoothie. Here’s to next week being a bit sunnier. Just a bit… please?

365 Project, Week 20

What better way to start the week than with a sacrificial burning?

The sacrifice in question is an old doll of Ivy’s. A staple of her childhood, and loved to death – to the point it was re-dubbed ‘Dirty Marilyn’ – Mum had decided it was high time Marilyn had a good send off.

After the fuss Ivy kicked up about the Boyfriend’s attempt to burn her stool a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised to see her sit demurely through Marilyn’s soaking in lighter fluid. The Boyfriend got the honour of dropping the match.

Whether it was her synthetic fur wrap, or the copious amount of lighter fluid used, she went up very quickly. The fire was very satisfying to watch, though the smell quickly drove us indoors.

I am well aware that this blog is turning into a catalogue of my run-ins with mousetraps and exam desks, but I couldn’t resist a photo of my latest mishap – earned when I fell of my bike last sunday. What can I say? I’m very accident prone.

We had two birthdays this week. Carole’s and my baby brother, Dyl. I took no photos of the birthday girl, but the birthday boy’s cake was pretty impressive.

And this photo is really poor quality, but I just love the boy’s cheeky grin as he models his new bag, a present from Nan and Granddad I believe.

So, all in all a nice week. Though we’ve had plenty of the above weather. Here’s hoping for a bit of sunshine next week!

365 Project, Weeks 18+19

So, I should really stop going away at the weekend and coming back too tired to upload these… But here we are, weeks 18+19. They’ve not been good weeks for photographs…

Monday of the first week, we had our piping in the garden fixed, which means all the rubbish piping that was ripped out has been left to make our garden even more attractive… One day it will be nice, but for now, and the foreseeable future, it’s looking like a building site.

Fortunately, there were plenty of cakes left over from the party to keep my spirits up.

I decided to do a bit of cooking, after being given my weight in mushrooms by Mum. I laid the table nicely, bought posh red wine (and drank leftover Archers alcopops myself), though it was very difficult to photograph without getting the garden in the picture!

I made Mushroom Ragout with aromatic polenta, which was actually quite easy and quite fun to cook. Usually I hate cooking, but it wasn’t the sort of dish where you’re waiting forever for things to happen – while the mushrooms cooked down, you were busy making the polenta, so it kept me busy.

The Boyfriend said it looked like a river of poo on scrambled egg, but he helped himself to seconds, so I guess it didn’t taste like one.

We were away all weekend at a family do for one of the Boyfriend’s extended family. They live up north, so it was a long car ride to get there and back. I totally forgot to take any photos, as I was feeling a bit sleep deprived, and not really in the partying mood. We did have a colourful treat when we got back though – our rose bush had bloomed

Photo taking throughout week 19 didn’t go too well either. I got a few good nights sleep, but with the Boyfriend on lates, we didn’t really do much, besides the already discussed I Date. The next interesting thing that happened was Mr T’s birthday. He arrived to his own party late, drunk, and then had to put up a gazebo. It was great entertainment. After that I got too drunk, I mean, I was having too much fun to take any more photos.

Which brings us to today. Despite dancing my heart out until about 11 last night (not that late, I know, but it was really energetic dancing) I was up and ready for the triathlon challenge. The swimming went fine, but my bike riding was slightly hampered by the fact I haven’t ridden a bike in about 6 years. I know it’s something you never really forget, but my confidence wasn’t great, nor was my stamina, and the ride ended with me failing to bump up a (tiny) curb and falling onto the pavement with quite a bang.

My leg took the worst of it. My elbow wasn’t looking too good either, though the photos don’t really do either scrape justice. The Boyfriend, ever the sympathetic, on inspecting my elbow said, ‘Ooo, that looks really sore… no, wait, that’s just your eczema.’ I guess that means I’ll live.

I’m just glad I was wearing a helmet, or my face would not be looking too good right now. I had to duck out of the running after that, as I was both too shattered and too wobbly to really carry on, but I did get back on the bike and cycle the last little bit home. An achievement to be proud of, I think, though I probably won’t be thinking the same thing when I wake up stiff as a board tomorrow!

365 Project, Week 17

Despite my being on holiday, I have spent a lot of time this week with this as my field of vision.

I had always planned to get 20,000 words done before this week, and a further 20,000 done (to finish the current WIP) in the six weeks after, but I was on a roll over the weekend, and just kept writing. I’ve got five holes to plug in the manuscript, and proof reads to do, but I am very nearly done. In fact, this is what I have left:

So, two big things this week. Carole moved into her new flat, which we celebrated with alcohol, and when we got peckish, Chinese takeaway. The ‘spring rolls’ I requested weren’t quite what I was after…

In another eating disaster, the Boyfriend decided to microwave some camembert, after another failed attempt at making camembert fondue. It wasn’t very appetising.

So we got out the cookbook I got for my birthday and made african egg curry, which was decidedly more tasty.

The other big thing to happen was Taylor turning 18. Mum made a zillion cakes, and we did our best to eat them. I helped to make the butterfly cakes pictured below. Well, I helped put the jam in them. It was something, okay!?

We were all a little caked out when it came to the lighting of the birthday candle, but the candle was pretty spectacular, so that was something.

And the Boyfriend got a bit trigger happy with the chiminea and nearly burnt a piece of Ivy’s childhood. Which she rescued just in time to save the seat, but its legs had already gone on the fire…

She guarded it with her life for the rest of the night.

365 Project, Week 16

We started the week with a re-run of port and cheese night, sans port and cheese. The weather this time was much more appropriate, and we didn’t really need the roaring fire to stay warm in the balmy heat.

After that I took no pictures for four days, so who knows what happened?? Oh yeah, I worked. A lot. Not much of interest. But on friday, the Boyfriend and I went round Mum’s for dinner, which involved a boat load of chips, and a rather over enthusiastic game of volleyball. The Boyfriend got a little too excited and decided to show off his climbing prowess. Mr T couldn’t resist the temptation or challenge, and was soon up there too.

Poor Charlie was on the receiving end of some more of the Boyfriend’s enthusiasm, and, rather foolishly, pushed him, which resulted in the Boyfriend trying out some of his police manoeuvres in a little wrestling match. Charlie put up a good fight, but undoubtably came off worse.

They weren’t very good at volleyball either (part due to an inappropriate ball, but also a complete lack of skill) and the ball went into the neighbour’s garden and up really tall trees a number of times.

On saturday, I finally got my piano tuned and voiced. They fixed my sticky F key, but it will need tuning another couple of times over the next year before it really sounds how I want it to. You can’t voice it too much without risking damaging the strings. Apparently we need to get the humidity level down as well, as that can do damage too, so the dehumidifier has been running non-stop. Unfortunately the dreadful weather means I can’t get the windows open.

Later on Saturday, the band played a small set for the Party in the Park celebrations in a local town. It was very windy, and our music kept blowing away, but I think we did okay.

Then it was back to Mum’s again for Jubilee dinner. Which meant using up all the old chips from the day before. Mum decided to make ‘Sausage and Chip Curry’, an unusual concoction that was strangely delicious.

Mum made us sing a rousing chorus of God Save the Queen before we could eat, which bemused Ad and terrified Dyl. Also, Taylor and Ivy didn’t know the words. Shocking behaviour.

365 Project, Week 7

The fact that another week has passed without post tells you almost everything you need to know about this week. The fact that I’ve only managed to take 6 bad photos tells you the rest. This week has been defined by absences mostly – an absence of time to do anything interesting, and in the later stages of the week, an absence of energy to do anything with. Most notably, there has been an absence of a piano, which after ringing and complaining for the second time, I was told it would be delivered tomorrow. It better, or I will be driving back to the shop to put it in the back of my convertible. Don’t try and out logic me, dammit, this is rage speaking.

On Monday, Mum and I started our Zumba class and were impressively not completely terrible. We both survived and went home feeling buoyant and energised. At least, we did until I realised I’d left my handbag behind and I had to run back, resulting in the worst cramp I have ever experienced in my life. But we’re still excited to go back again tomorrow, which has to count for something. (p.s. excuse the bad photo editing – I only had iPhoto blemish remover, but I didn’t think the instructor would appreciate her contact details posted on the internet…)

I’ve had a few late ones at work this week, but the boyfriend fared worse when a near riot kicked off in his usually quiet area over the petrol scares. Fortunately, we have otherwise not really felt the pinch – mostly due to it all blowing over fairly quickly, but also in part due to a fortuitously timed fill up. The above photo is the Boyfriend’s record for Fuelly, which he dutifully fills in every time we fill up, and proceeds to analyse my inability to improve my fuel economy.

I won’t be having any other late ones at work for a while now, at least, as my holidays officially started on Friday. My jacket won’t be slung over the back of the chair like this for a while, retiring instead to its place in the wardrobe. Or at least, it will, as soon as I can find a coat hanger.

Saturday was a productive day, spent catching up on some much neglected cleaning. The Boyfriend did the kitchen, leaving me the clothes washing and the bathroom. I got tired of fighting with his t-shirt drawer and sorted that out as well.

It’s not easy to see on that photo, but this is evidence that I am glad we never got round to decorating the bathroom before we moved in – the Boyfriend’s leaky shaving foam has eaten through the gloss paint on the windowsill, leaving a series of slightly sticky circles that I did my best to clean up, and just ended up scraping away more paint. The sill is an attractive yellow underneath the more tasteful white. Lovely.

Today was spent with the family. Ivy is back from Uni, and agreed it was high time we did a bit of band practice. The littlest Gilmores have both been poorly, but Addy was well enough to pose for me in her robot/alien pyjamas. I seriously want a pair.

Next week: an excess of photos to make up for this week’s pitiful effort, and some blog posts that aren’t photo summaries. And hopefully a piano. Hopefully.

365 Project, Week 5

Another week, another epic to-do list.

That is my desk at work. You may notice I have tidied it (it is usually a mountain of paper, precariously piled) as that was one of the things on my epic to-do list. I couldn’t think of a sensible place to put the candle in the corner (don’t ask) and the big red pen is primed for crossing off more of the list (not that I couldn’t find the lid… nope) so yeah, take that item 14: tidy desk!

So, each time I come to write this post, I realise I suck at taking photos. I suck at taking photos in the literal sense (though my old-skool iPhone doesn’t do me many favours with it’s pathetic camera) but also I forget to take them every day, and then take ten on one day… but I figure this is more about giving a flavour of my week than sticking rigidly to the 365 rules. The following photos are a jumble of events from this week.

I come home from work on Monday to find the radiators missing and that the Boyfriend and the hedge have had a rather major falling out. The Boyfriend won by quite a margin. I’m not convinced the hedge will recover.

Things are starting to move forwards, and though each job we do creates more jobs (that skirting board behind the old radiator needs some serious no-nails on it to get it attached to the wall again) it’s nice to see some big changes taking place.

I’m banned from my mothers as a health precaution because the smallest sister has Chicken Pox, and I’ve never had it. On a long catch up phone call while in Morrison’s, Mum suggests I make mushroom and haloumi burgers for dinner. I do, and the Boyfriend isn’t particularly impressed by the ‘squeaky cheese.’

We decided to go away for the weekend, as part of a piano-buying expedition. We sorted it as our G Date and headed up to the Peaks. It was a most welcome break after completing the aforementioned epic to-do list. I will do a proper write up in the week, but for now, here is the abridged version:

We bought a piano

Enjoyed some spectacular countryside.

And ate a boatload of chips to celebrate Mother’s Day when we came home.

365 Project, Week 4

This week started off badly with a to-do list that didn’t fit on my ‘to-do list’ pad.

I realised about halfway through the week I was never going to get it all done without working myself to death and not enjoying the hen party I was going to on saturday, so I made some choices and prioritised certain things, and got done everything that was most desperately needed.

Incidentally, one of the things that desperately needed doing was the clothes washing. I hate sorting black socks. Is there some foolproof way of finding their true pair? If there is, I haven’t found it yet.

I also got fed up of the pile of jumpers the Boyfriend has been keeping on the top of his chest of drawers and found him a box to put them in so they could be stored in the bottom of the wardrobe. He has now replaced the pile of jumpers with a pile of other clothes. Clearly some battles I am never going to win…

It was a week of drinkies and seeing friends, which made a nice change from the epic to-do list of doom. Thursday was spent in the pub with our best friends, drinking whisky that tasted like hot cross buns.

For the hen do of my super crafty friend, we were challenged to make garters. Above is the picture of the ‘ingredients’, below the finished product. I was quite pleased with the result. We were very naughty and wore them all night on the town. Fortunately, my dress was reasonably long, unlike the Hen, whose short dress meant it was peeking out all night!

We started the night with drinks, followed by pizza in a really good italian restaurant in Bath, followed by clubbing at a place we used to go to when we were all at Uni. It still smelled vaguely of urine and had a sticky floor, despite being totally empty when we arrived, but for nostalgia points, and general good times, there wasn’t anywhere in town better.

Today was the Bath Half Marathon, which made getting home a little more interesting. I took the train down (to allow myself time to do a bit more of my work…) and walking back to the train station to catch my train home this morning, I was met with crowds of runners and supporters. There was a real buzz in the air, and it made me miss running a little.

With my work done on the ride down, the slightly longer ride back was spent reading my book, which I got quite a long way through in the time:

That’s one I can cross of my March reading list at least!