Novelist Supermum has been designing some book covers for her novellas (there's a couple of examples at the top of her blog, and another on her other blog.
I think they look rather good, considering the tools that she has to work with (and the constant interruptions).
Tuesday 31 October 2006
Monday 30 October 2006
Clock Change and Hallowe'en Vegetables.
My Uncle, who is a farmer, used to say "They change the clocks, but nobody tells The Beast" - Meaning that the cows don't realise that they've turned up an hour early to be fed.
Similarly nobody tells the children. It was a long day for Frodo and Samwise on Sunday.
Took them to the Aztec themed Children's Play Area again. Samwise was feeling a bit under the weather, which he demonstrated by throwing up just after he got in the car. Luckily my jacket and his car seat cover caught most of it before I whipped him out of the car, so both of these were washed and the car doesn't smell any worse than usual.
It's Hallowe'en tomorrow, so I bought a pumpkin from ASDA. My attempts to carve Scooby Doo's face on this hollowed out gourd have resulted in a truly evil effigy that bears little resemblance to the talking Great Dane. Should keep the nasty spirits away tomorrow night.
I've been using pumpkins for a few years now, rather than the turnips (or "bagies") that we used in my youth (Southerners would call these "Swedes"). Turnips are really tough to hollow out and carve so this always resulted in colourful language and bleeding fingers, whereas pumpkins are fairly soft and quicker and easier to scoop out and carve.
I've just Googled "Turnip or Swede" and came up with the Swedish word "Rutabaga". I wonder if this where the Northumbrian / North East word "Bagies" comes from?
Similarly nobody tells the children. It was a long day for Frodo and Samwise on Sunday.
Took them to the Aztec themed Children's Play Area again. Samwise was feeling a bit under the weather, which he demonstrated by throwing up just after he got in the car. Luckily my jacket and his car seat cover caught most of it before I whipped him out of the car, so both of these were washed and the car doesn't smell any worse than usual.
It's Hallowe'en tomorrow, so I bought a pumpkin from ASDA. My attempts to carve Scooby Doo's face on this hollowed out gourd have resulted in a truly evil effigy that bears little resemblance to the talking Great Dane. Should keep the nasty spirits away tomorrow night.
I've been using pumpkins for a few years now, rather than the turnips (or "bagies") that we used in my youth (Southerners would call these "Swedes"). Turnips are really tough to hollow out and carve so this always resulted in colourful language and bleeding fingers, whereas pumpkins are fairly soft and quicker and easier to scoop out and carve.
I've just Googled "Turnip or Swede" and came up with the Swedish word "Rutabaga". I wonder if this where the Northumbrian / North East word "Bagies" comes from?
Friday 27 October 2006
Demolition Man
Spent the best part of the day doing an impression of an Imperial Storm Trooper as I donned Mask and Goggles and removed 15 roof panels off the old shed/garage roof.
Unfortunately my blaster let me down, and I had to resort to claw hammer and mole grips to prise the panels off, rather than disentegrating them with a burst of laser fire.
I also had the added danger factor of having to wave to children who were looking out of their bedroom window, whilst balancing atop a ladder.
Another danger factor was the fogging up of my glasses and goggles, until I remembered the old trick of polishing them with washing up liquid. This means that the moisture is spread out to a thin film, rather than condensing, resulting in wet goggles, but at least you can see.
Unfortunately my blaster let me down, and I had to resort to claw hammer and mole grips to prise the panels off, rather than disentegrating them with a burst of laser fire.
I also had the added danger factor of having to wave to children who were looking out of their bedroom window, whilst balancing atop a ladder.
Another danger factor was the fogging up of my glasses and goggles, until I remembered the old trick of polishing them with washing up liquid. This means that the moisture is spread out to a thin film, rather than condensing, resulting in wet goggles, but at least you can see.
Half Term
Half term this week, so I've taken 3 days off work to spend quality time with children. So far this has involved mopping up pools of puke and disinfecting the house - since Frodo has fallen ill with some sort of "tummy-bug".
Trip to Ikea today, followed by the usual fun of flatpack furniture assembly. Who needs to read the instructions anyway? As Bob the Builder once said "Instructions are for people who don't know what they're doing".
Trip to Ikea today, followed by the usual fun of flatpack furniture assembly. Who needs to read the instructions anyway? As Bob the Builder once said "Instructions are for people who don't know what they're doing".
Tuesday 24 October 2006
Wasting time.
Don't tell me there's a problem with the environment - first check your code!
Wasted my second day on this "issue" today.
Wasted my second day on this "issue" today.
Monday 23 October 2006
Quality Time with Children
Novelist Supermum has blown some of her first sizeable royalty check on a Dana Alphasmart Wireless portable computing laptop alternative. (It's a palmOS based device with built in keyboard that a lot of writers and journalist use).
Whilst she was out on Friday with her writing buddies, I had a go at configuring the wireless connection. I managed to do it in an hour and a half, which must be some kind of record for me! I discovered that in fact I'd got the configuration right first time, but had forgotten to set the Wanadoo 'Livebox' wireless router into "pairing mode" before making my first connection.
All diy plans for the weekend went out of the window, as Grandma Gandalf wasn't available for baby-sitting.
Saturday morning I called the old friend, who gave me the stunning news a couple of weeks ago, and we've arranged a visit in a couple of weeks. We're going to take a Ferry 'cross the Mersey with her kids and ours for a trip to the Dr Who Up Close Exhibition at the Spaceport at Seacombe on the Wirral.
Took the hobbits for a bike ride in the park. No accidents this time - I've started to teach Frodo about the back brake, he knows how to squeeze the lever but hasn't quite got that this helps you to stop yet. He still wanted to try the hill that he crashed and burned on last time. I held the handlebar for him this time until he was almost at the bottom.
Frodo had another sports party in the afternoon. He played indoor hockey and football. At the age of 5 or 6 this is a mob of children chasing a ball - no concept of passing so I was impressed that Frodo managed to get a quite a few swipes and kicks of the ball in - since the odds were against him.
Sunday morning took the hobbits Aztec themed Children's Play Area at Grandma's - Adventures in the Lost Kingdom in order to wear them out, as it's half term next week. This worked, with the side effect of wearing me out too, chasing after them to make sure that they were playing safely, and stopping them so they could get a drink.
Whilst she was out on Friday with her writing buddies, I had a go at configuring the wireless connection. I managed to do it in an hour and a half, which must be some kind of record for me! I discovered that in fact I'd got the configuration right first time, but had forgotten to set the Wanadoo 'Livebox' wireless router into "pairing mode" before making my first connection.
All diy plans for the weekend went out of the window, as Grandma Gandalf wasn't available for baby-sitting.
Saturday morning I called the old friend, who gave me the stunning news a couple of weeks ago, and we've arranged a visit in a couple of weeks. We're going to take a Ferry 'cross the Mersey with her kids and ours for a trip to the Dr Who Up Close Exhibition at the Spaceport at Seacombe on the Wirral.
Took the hobbits for a bike ride in the park. No accidents this time - I've started to teach Frodo about the back brake, he knows how to squeeze the lever but hasn't quite got that this helps you to stop yet. He still wanted to try the hill that he crashed and burned on last time. I held the handlebar for him this time until he was almost at the bottom.
Frodo had another sports party in the afternoon. He played indoor hockey and football. At the age of 5 or 6 this is a mob of children chasing a ball - no concept of passing so I was impressed that Frodo managed to get a quite a few swipes and kicks of the ball in - since the odds were against him.
Sunday morning took the hobbits Aztec themed Children's Play Area at Grandma's - Adventures in the Lost Kingdom in order to wear them out, as it's half term next week. This worked, with the side effect of wearing me out too, chasing after them to make sure that they were playing safely, and stopping them so they could get a drink.
Saturday 21 October 2006
No Comment?
I've heard that comments aren't working on my blog, so I've just republished the entire blog to see if this fixes it.
Wednesday 18 October 2006
Tyred
I appear to have been driving on a rather smooth tyre on one of my front wheels for the past few hundred miles.
(Which may explain a slight skid whilst leaving a very wet car park last week).
Shopped around the usual tyre centres, and the cost of buying and fitting it seemed to be coming in at about 80 to 90 quid.
Then I remembered my good old local cash and carry - Costco. 58 quid.
For some 'Michelin' reason they swapped the rear tyre to the front, and put the new one on the rear. They didn't replace the wheel trims though, and I had to put them back on myself (maybe this is the 30 quids worth of work that the others charge for?). I was told that this was to remind me to check that the wheel nuts are still tight after 25 miles.
Costco won't do a wheel alignment or "tracking" adjustment though, which I think is needed given the pattern of wear, and only on one tyre. All they do is fit tyres. I'll have to get this done elsewhere.
(Which may explain a slight skid whilst leaving a very wet car park last week).
Shopped around the usual tyre centres, and the cost of buying and fitting it seemed to be coming in at about 80 to 90 quid.
Then I remembered my good old local cash and carry - Costco. 58 quid.
For some 'Michelin' reason they swapped the rear tyre to the front, and put the new one on the rear. They didn't replace the wheel trims though, and I had to put them back on myself (maybe this is the 30 quids worth of work that the others charge for?). I was told that this was to remind me to check that the wheel nuts are still tight after 25 miles.
Costco won't do a wheel alignment or "tracking" adjustment though, which I think is needed given the pattern of wear, and only on one tyre. All they do is fit tyres. I'll have to get this done elsewhere.
Tuesday 17 October 2006
BMB Sales
Novelist Supermum has found out that in September initial sales of her book Buying Mackenzie's Baby totalled 377, so no doubt she'll be "yay'ing" about this on her blog later (she just rang me at work to tell me).
This is pretty good for a book that she thought she'd be lucky to make 40 quid on.
This is pretty good for a book that she thought she'd be lucky to make 40 quid on.
Monday 16 October 2006
Thomas the Tank Engine
Visited Grandma Saruman this weekend.
Took us about 5 hours to get there on Friday night. A lorry had crashed into the central reservation on the M62 causing massive tailbacks in both directions. I know that you shouldn't laugh at others misfortunes, but the lorry was called "The Flying Fridge".
On Saturday morning we took Frodo and Samwise to see the REAL Thomas the Tank Engine, who was visiting the wensleydale railway that day.
They took it all pretty matter of factly (well of course he's real). Even the Fat Controller was there, who for political correctness now prefers his actual name of "Sir Topham Hat".
In the afternoon we went to Whitby. Saw Whitby Abbey in the fog (but no vampires) Then went to the beach to skim stones and pick up some decorative pebbles.
Got back home in good time today - everybody's knackered.
Took us about 5 hours to get there on Friday night. A lorry had crashed into the central reservation on the M62 causing massive tailbacks in both directions. I know that you shouldn't laugh at others misfortunes, but the lorry was called "The Flying Fridge".
On Saturday morning we took Frodo and Samwise to see the REAL Thomas the Tank Engine, who was visiting the wensleydale railway that day.
They took it all pretty matter of factly (well of course he's real). Even the Fat Controller was there, who for political correctness now prefers his actual name of "Sir Topham Hat".
In the afternoon we went to Whitby. Saw Whitby Abbey in the fog (but no vampires) Then went to the beach to skim stones and pick up some decorative pebbles.
Got back home in good time today - everybody's knackered.
Thursday 12 October 2006
Donkey Ears
More emergency patching last night. I was in work until 00:30 and got to drive home along the waterfront late at night - which is always quite pleasant.
Got the patches done and prevented a delay on an important project, so I'm in the good books at work. Even remembered to take a back up so they don't lose my changes.
Short lived celebrations of self-importance though. Received my first "Donkey Ears" award today for a mistake I'd made when setting up a scheduled database refresh (so it wasn't actually refreshing) =:)
Devised an emoticon for Donkey Ears
=:)
I'm printing one off and sticking it on my PC every time I get another Donkey Ears award (a bit like a WWII fighter pilot marking his kills).
We're taking the Hobbits to Grandma Saruman's this weekend for a visit. Also popping in to see YoungerBruvva on the way.
Got the patches done and prevented a delay on an important project, so I'm in the good books at work. Even remembered to take a back up so they don't lose my changes.
Short lived celebrations of self-importance though. Received my first "Donkey Ears" award today for a mistake I'd made when setting up a scheduled database refresh (so it wasn't actually refreshing) =:)
Devised an emoticon for Donkey Ears
=:)
I'm printing one off and sticking it on my PC every time I get another Donkey Ears award (a bit like a WWII fighter pilot marking his kills).
We're taking the Hobbits to Grandma Saruman's this weekend for a visit. Also popping in to see YoungerBruvva on the way.
Tuesday 10 October 2006
Late Night Patching
Volunteered to return to work tonight to do a little late night environment patching. Now where's my electronic needle and thread gone?
Waiting for a restore to complete so I took the opportunity to take a look through the team binoculars at the 18 metre high yellow neon question mark on the Cammell Laird shipyard doors that was put up recently as part of the Liverpool Arts Biennial.
It looks best at night
Waiting for a restore to complete so I took the opportunity to take a look through the team binoculars at the 18 metre high yellow neon question mark on the Cammell Laird shipyard doors that was put up recently as part of the Liverpool Arts Biennial.
It looks best at night
Kites
I took Frodo for an Educational trip to the rubbish tip on Sunday i.e. he hadn't been to a rubbish tip before, and he enjoys watching diggers and lorries, and hearing things go crash! thump!, plus he gets to learn about recycling. I also got rid of a rotten old garage door that I've just dismantled.
We noticed loads of kites flying above Otterspool promenade. The kites were all sorts of different shapes and sizes. Parachutes, teddy bears, dogs, snow flakes, stunt kites, 2 sets of 5-at-a-time stunt kites, box kites, japanes fighting kites etc. Otterspool prom is just opposite the tip site, so we drove over for a look.
The Northern Kite Group were hosting an event. Apparently it was some sort of international kite day, on which kite groups from all over the world gather, fly their kites, record how many they've flown and then tot up the score to make some sort of world record.
We spent a pleasant hour walking under all the kites, looking up and avoiding the strings (many were staked into the ground). One particularly nice bloke gave Frodo a go at flying his kite - which was shaped like an Octopus. I was a little worried that Frodo would let go, but he held on OK.
I didn't have a camera with me, but I've found some pictures of the sort of stuff that we saw on the group's website.
Bought a couple of ice-creams and sat munching them, watching the kites. Lots more arrived whilst we did this, as people were being encouraged to bring their own and join in. I noticed that a lot of the amateurs were getting their lines tangled with "the professionals". Decided not to nip home and bring our as yet unflown Dragon kite, but made a mental note that the prom looks like the ideal spot for it's maiden flight, when there's not so many other kites about.
We noticed loads of kites flying above Otterspool promenade. The kites were all sorts of different shapes and sizes. Parachutes, teddy bears, dogs, snow flakes, stunt kites, 2 sets of 5-at-a-time stunt kites, box kites, japanes fighting kites etc. Otterspool prom is just opposite the tip site, so we drove over for a look.
The Northern Kite Group were hosting an event. Apparently it was some sort of international kite day, on which kite groups from all over the world gather, fly their kites, record how many they've flown and then tot up the score to make some sort of world record.
We spent a pleasant hour walking under all the kites, looking up and avoiding the strings (many were staked into the ground). One particularly nice bloke gave Frodo a go at flying his kite - which was shaped like an Octopus. I was a little worried that Frodo would let go, but he held on OK.
I didn't have a camera with me, but I've found some pictures of the sort of stuff that we saw on the group's website.
Bought a couple of ice-creams and sat munching them, watching the kites. Lots more arrived whilst we did this, as people were being encouraged to bring their own and join in. I noticed that a lot of the amateurs were getting their lines tangled with "the professionals". Decided not to nip home and bring our as yet unflown Dragon kite, but made a mental note that the prom looks like the ideal spot for it's maiden flight, when there's not so many other kites about.
Sunday 8 October 2006
Stunned.
An old friend called this morning to let me know some rather depressing news. I've not heard from her since last year. Still a bit dazed to hear that she's got what could be a terminal illness - diagnosed this summer. Sounds like it's been caught early and she's battling against it. Gutsy of her to ring up out of the blue and let me know - glad that she did. We still managed to joke about it - don't know how she can be so positive, but good for her. Makes my problems pale into insignificance. Hope she beats it. Still a bit stunned.
Saturday 7 October 2006
Virgin Trains - Indian Attack
This post is for people like cha0tic, who do not have access to the medium known as "telly" and are therefore missing out on one of the greatest TV adverts of all times - the
Virgin Trains - Indian Attack
Virgin Trains - Indian Attack
Friday 6 October 2006
Lotto
Both Lotto and the Euromillions are on a rollover, so I've had a go at both.
This is just about the only gambling that I ever do.
I usually only do the rollovers for two reasons:
1) Greed - If I win, then it's likely to be a big win.
2) Thriftiness - By limiting myself to rollovers I'm not forking out every week.
The most I've ever won is 43 quid on Euromillions, and I've definitely put more into the Lottery than I've got out.
This is just about the only gambling that I ever do.
I usually only do the rollovers for two reasons:
1) Greed - If I win, then it's likely to be a big win.
2) Thriftiness - By limiting myself to rollovers I'm not forking out every week.
The most I've ever won is 43 quid on Euromillions, and I've definitely put more into the Lottery than I've got out.
Wednesday 4 October 2006
Sunday 1 October 2006
Busy Weekend
Swimming with Samwise on Saturday morning, who's still throwing himself into the big pool and expecting me to catch him. Like Frodo he swims better out of his depth, but can't do it without assistance yet - he kicks his legs, but doesn't move his arms much so ends up rolling in the water.
Visited Borders bookshop to buy the O'Reilly DBA pocketfor me and The Hippo-Not-Amus for Samwise, as well as a birthday present.
Frodo had another sports party on Saturday afternoon, so two hours of helping out with this.
Whizzed the hobbits around to Grandma Gandalf's and then headed back home again so that we could catch a bus into town to meet up with impworks and another member of "Write Club" at Weatherspoons, followed by an Eyetie meal at the Casa d'Italia restaurant on Stanley Street. Food was tasty, and the waiter can be forgiven for giving me ice-cream instead of cream with my banoffee pie - since the ice-cream was delicious.
Finished off with a beer in The Head of Steam then a taxi home.
We both fell asleep in the front room, each on our own settees.
Novelist Supermum found her way upstairs to bed before I did.
I woke at 02:30 am to the sounds of Judas Priest on TOTP2 bashing out "Living after Midnight". Unlike Rob Halford and Co I was too tired to stay up "Rockin' till the dawn" and "Lovin' 'till the morning" was definitely out so went up to bed and crashed.
This morning was another trip to take all of the scrap wood and other junk that I'd found stored under the roof in our soon to be demolished garage/garden shed.
Round to Grandma Gandalf's this afternoon and retrieved the hobbits.
Just finished updating Novelist Supermum's website www.romancefiction.co.uk with the ' as published' excerpts from her books, plus some other updates. Buying Mackenzie's Baby is still at Number 1 in her publishers (Samhain) best sellers list. Must be the well-constructed website that's helping to keep it there ;-)
Visited Borders bookshop to buy the O'Reilly DBA pocketfor me and The Hippo-Not-Amus for Samwise, as well as a birthday present.
Frodo had another sports party on Saturday afternoon, so two hours of helping out with this.
Whizzed the hobbits around to Grandma Gandalf's and then headed back home again so that we could catch a bus into town to meet up with impworks and another member of "Write Club" at Weatherspoons, followed by an Eyetie meal at the Casa d'Italia restaurant on Stanley Street. Food was tasty, and the waiter can be forgiven for giving me ice-cream instead of cream with my banoffee pie - since the ice-cream was delicious.
Finished off with a beer in The Head of Steam then a taxi home.
We both fell asleep in the front room, each on our own settees.
Novelist Supermum found her way upstairs to bed before I did.
I woke at 02:30 am to the sounds of Judas Priest on TOTP2 bashing out "Living after Midnight". Unlike Rob Halford and Co I was too tired to stay up "Rockin' till the dawn" and "Lovin' 'till the morning" was definitely out so went up to bed and crashed.
This morning was another trip to take all of the scrap wood and other junk that I'd found stored under the roof in our soon to be demolished garage/garden shed.
Round to Grandma Gandalf's this afternoon and retrieved the hobbits.
Just finished updating Novelist Supermum's website www.romancefiction.co.uk with the ' as published' excerpts from her books, plus some other updates. Buying Mackenzie's Baby is still at Number 1 in her publishers (Samhain) best sellers list. Must be the well-constructed website that's helping to keep it there ;-)
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