Late night blogging on the 'puter and I've just remembered that I've got to put out the recycling bin tonight.
We only got this a couple of weeks ago. It takes card, cans, plastic bottles, glass jars and bottles.
It's surprising how much "throwaway" stuff we generate that can be recycled - we easily fill a wheelie bin full every fortnight.
Monday, 30 April 2007
Friday, 27 April 2007
Fighting off Ninjas in the Workplace
Every week I recieve a couple of "professional" magazines Computing and Computer Weekly
This weeks editions both have an advert for a Microsoft Anti-Virus product, that contains advice for fighting off a Ninja attack in the workplace.
1. Avoid Ninjas in the first place
Ask yourself - why have Ninjas chosen your company? Did you do something to offend a powerful warlord? Answer this question and you'll be ready for next time.
2. Use your phone (to call for help)
Ninjas are tough, and no one will judge if you call for help. Reinforcements from branch offices, even the warehouse crew, can make the difference when Ninjas attack.
3. Use office plants as weapons
Those dusty-looking palms around your office may look harmless, but they can make formidable weapons. Use the fronds as pokers; aim for the Ninja's sensitive spots. Cacti are useful for the Ninja-beseiged enterprise. Throw them, pot and all, like grenades.
4. Use your whiteboard as a shield.
Ninjas love throwing stars, known as shuriken. They are sharp, and pointy, and when thrown they stick in deep and hurt a lot. Grab the nearest whiteboard and use it as a shield. Yes, it'll ruin the whiteboard, but you can explain later.
5. Find a weapon, any weapon
Ninjas are deadly. In an office setting, however, their Ninja skills are at a disadvantage. Use what's at hand to take them by surprise. Hot coffee flung at a Ninja will get his attention. Or simply dump your wastebasket on his head - both disabling and humiliating.
I guess that it's funnier with the pictures (which I don't have the ability to reproduce at the moment).
Of course this is teaching your grandmother-to-suck-eggs for those of you office workers who regularly have to fend-off the Crimson Permanent Assurance :)
Could come in handy. I'm doing my first major system release all on my own tomorrow evening, which means stopping, patching and (hopefully) restarting the system. Naturally I'm feeling a litte nervous about this, but at least I don't need to worry too much about an unexpected Ninja attack!
This weeks editions both have an advert for a Microsoft Anti-Virus product, that contains advice for fighting off a Ninja attack in the workplace.
1. Avoid Ninjas in the first place
Ask yourself - why have Ninjas chosen your company? Did you do something to offend a powerful warlord? Answer this question and you'll be ready for next time.
2. Use your phone (to call for help)
Ninjas are tough, and no one will judge if you call for help. Reinforcements from branch offices, even the warehouse crew, can make the difference when Ninjas attack.
3. Use office plants as weapons
Those dusty-looking palms around your office may look harmless, but they can make formidable weapons. Use the fronds as pokers; aim for the Ninja's sensitive spots. Cacti are useful for the Ninja-beseiged enterprise. Throw them, pot and all, like grenades.
4. Use your whiteboard as a shield.
Ninjas love throwing stars, known as shuriken. They are sharp, and pointy, and when thrown they stick in deep and hurt a lot. Grab the nearest whiteboard and use it as a shield. Yes, it'll ruin the whiteboard, but you can explain later.
5. Find a weapon, any weapon
Ninjas are deadly. In an office setting, however, their Ninja skills are at a disadvantage. Use what's at hand to take them by surprise. Hot coffee flung at a Ninja will get his attention. Or simply dump your wastebasket on his head - both disabling and humiliating.
I guess that it's funnier with the pictures (which I don't have the ability to reproduce at the moment).
Of course this is teaching your grandmother-to-suck-eggs for those of you office workers who regularly have to fend-off the Crimson Permanent Assurance :)
Could come in handy. I'm doing my first major system release all on my own tomorrow evening, which means stopping, patching and (hopefully) restarting the system. Naturally I'm feeling a litte nervous about this, but at least I don't need to worry too much about an unexpected Ninja attack!
Thursday, 26 April 2007
I wonder how much of my life is spent...
Watching counters creep up to a certain value, and little bars increase in size from left to right until they've filled 100% of the available space.
Currently carrying out a data fix validation run, and checking the progress of the records being processed yawn...
Currently carrying out a data fix validation run, and checking the progress of the records being processed yawn...
Wednesday, 25 April 2007
Logic of a Three Year Old.
"Don't play with that pen Samwise, you might spill the Ink".
"Ink Daddy?" "That's the same as Monsters Inc, isn't it?"
"Ink Daddy?" "That's the same as Monsters Inc, isn't it?"
Tuesday, 24 April 2007
Annual Appraisal and Pay Rise
It's that appraisal / pay-rise time of year again.
Had the appraisal meeting with my boss first thing this morning, where he went through my contribution to the team, progress against objectives, strength's and weaknesses, communications yada yada yada yada...
On the whole the appraisal was good, with mostly positive feedback. I was only partially listening towards the end.
This was mainly because he was reading from an appraisal form. Written in biro on the back sheet, facing me, was my current salary plus an additional figure.
This of course was the info that I really wanted to know i.e. my pay rise for this year.
As usual the appraisal itself has little to do with how they carve up the cash. I'm convinced they set this during budgeting at the start of the year and stick with it. So much for perfomance related pay and meritocracy!
Got a better rise than most that I know of, but not the greatest increase I've ever had.
Had the appraisal meeting with my boss first thing this morning, where he went through my contribution to the team, progress against objectives, strength's and weaknesses, communications yada yada yada yada...
On the whole the appraisal was good, with mostly positive feedback. I was only partially listening towards the end.
This was mainly because he was reading from an appraisal form. Written in biro on the back sheet, facing me, was my current salary plus an additional figure.
This of course was the info that I really wanted to know i.e. my pay rise for this year.
As usual the appraisal itself has little to do with how they carve up the cash. I'm convinced they set this during budgeting at the start of the year and stick with it. So much for perfomance related pay and meritocracy!
Got a better rise than most that I know of, but not the greatest increase I've ever had.
Monday, 23 April 2007
St George's Day
It was pretty noisy on and around the Mersey earlier today. Between 13:00 and 15:00 all the ships and ferries going passed were sounding their hooters like crazy - plus the nearby churchbells were ringing away.
This was all in aid of St George's Day - at least somebody is celebrating the event. Now why aren't we allowed a day off work for this?
Mind you, looking up St George on Wikipedia shows that he's a bit of a patron Saint ho - being the patron Saint of everywhere-else too.
Apparently Moscow has more statues of him than any other city.
Perhaps we should go back to St Edmund?
This was all in aid of St George's Day - at least somebody is celebrating the event. Now why aren't we allowed a day off work for this?
Mind you, looking up St George on Wikipedia shows that he's a bit of a patron Saint ho - being the patron Saint of everywhere-else too.
Apparently Moscow has more statues of him than any other city.
Perhaps we should go back to St Edmund?
Sunday, 22 April 2007
Let them eat Cake!
Food and Drink with some pals in the Everyman Bistro on Friday.
Couldn't resist following the main course with a slice of Burgundy Chocolate Cake, which meant that I was so full I could barely walk to the taxi afterwards.
Sister came over on Saturday - so manic cleaning and tidying of the house (it only gets cleaned when we have visitors) followed by food, wine and falling asleep on the living room furniture on Saturday night.
Samwise's cousins came over early Sunday morning, so that we could take them all for a post-Birthday treat at the Aztec temple themed play area.
Then a walk in the park, followed by more cake. Birthday cake number 3 for Samwise - who demonstrated the principle of the flip-top head when trying to devour a piece of chocolate cake larger than his face.
Couldn't resist following the main course with a slice of Burgundy Chocolate Cake, which meant that I was so full I could barely walk to the taxi afterwards.
Sister came over on Saturday - so manic cleaning and tidying of the house (it only gets cleaned when we have visitors) followed by food, wine and falling asleep on the living room furniture on Saturday night.
Samwise's cousins came over early Sunday morning, so that we could take them all for a post-Birthday treat at the Aztec temple themed play area.
Then a walk in the park, followed by more cake. Birthday cake number 3 for Samwise - who demonstrated the principle of the flip-top head when trying to devour a piece of chocolate cake larger than his face.
Thursday, 19 April 2007
Tooth Fairy
Frodo lost his first baby tooth yesterday.
He left it under his pillow - in an envelope - and found that the Tooth Fairy had replaced it in the morning for a pound coin and a playmobil footballer figure.
He says that he saw the Tooth Fairy, and that it had wings.
Strange? - I don't remember dressing up in a costume last night.
Perhaps he had a visit from the real Tooth Fairy after I left?
He left it under his pillow - in an envelope - and found that the Tooth Fairy had replaced it in the morning for a pound coin and a playmobil footballer figure.
He says that he saw the Tooth Fairy, and that it had wings.
Strange? - I don't remember dressing up in a costume last night.
Perhaps he had a visit from the real Tooth Fairy after I left?
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
Samwise Birthday.
Samwise had a good third Birthday yesterday.
He had a cake and sweets at his nursery school and the kids sang "Happy Birthday" to him.
He then came home for a Birthday feast with us. His Thomas the Tank Engine cake was adorned with "Happy Birthday" in the form of candles, so we almost incinerated the cake before he blew them out.
His main presents were two Playmobil vehicles plus figures, - a
Fire Engine and a Caterpillar Track Digger.
Guess what his favourite present was?
Two pencil erasers from a Dr Who pencil case that came free with a 2 quid Dr Who magazine!
I suppose it's a step up from the cardboard box that the presents came in (which also got a good bit of attention later in the day).
He had a cake and sweets at his nursery school and the kids sang "Happy Birthday" to him.
He then came home for a Birthday feast with us. His Thomas the Tank Engine cake was adorned with "Happy Birthday" in the form of candles, so we almost incinerated the cake before he blew them out.
His main presents were two Playmobil vehicles plus figures, - a
Fire Engine and a Caterpillar Track Digger.
Guess what his favourite present was?
Two pencil erasers from a Dr Who pencil case that came free with a 2 quid Dr Who magazine!
I suppose it's a step up from the cardboard box that the presents came in (which also got a good bit of attention later in the day).
Sunday, 15 April 2007
Growing up Fast
It's Samwise' third Birthday tomorrow.
He's celebrating with cake and sweets at his nursery in the morning, so I'm taking tomorrow afternoon off work to light the candles on his Thomas the Tank Engine cake*, sing Happy Birthday and see him open his presents.
* Had fun buying this. Samwise was with me, sitting in the shopping trolley - so I had to grab the cake when he wasn't looking and slip it into the trolley under cover of a pack of kitchen rolls. Going through the checkout I lifted him out of the trolley, and allowed him to sit and wait on the seats by the store window, whilst a helpful Tesco's checkout lady helped me smuggle the cake past him, hidden in a double layer of carrier bags.
He's celebrating with cake and sweets at his nursery in the morning, so I'm taking tomorrow afternoon off work to light the candles on his Thomas the Tank Engine cake*, sing Happy Birthday and see him open his presents.
* Had fun buying this. Samwise was with me, sitting in the shopping trolley - so I had to grab the cake when he wasn't looking and slip it into the trolley under cover of a pack of kitchen rolls. Going through the checkout I lifted him out of the trolley, and allowed him to sit and wait on the seats by the store window, whilst a helpful Tesco's checkout lady helped me smuggle the cake past him, hidden in a double layer of carrier bags.
Saturday, 14 April 2007
And here's one I prepared earlier...
Frodo has been harping on about wanting some " 'noculars when I'm older" after seeing binoculars in use on several TV programmes.
Having been brought up watching Blue Peter we've made him some by taping two toilet roll tubes together.
He's been carrying them around all day. We went out to B&Q in the car; he spent the journey peering through them out of the car window "spotting things", and wandered around the store holding them to his eyes.
We've just him to bed after the weekly family fix of Dr Who. He's holding couple of bricks of lego - which he says is a flying car from tonight's episode, being caught by a giant crab - and is still clutching the cardboard binoculars.
Having been brought up watching Blue Peter we've made him some by taping two toilet roll tubes together.
He's been carrying them around all day. We went out to B&Q in the car; he spent the journey peering through them out of the car window "spotting things", and wandered around the store holding them to his eyes.
We've just him to bed after the weekly family fix of Dr Who. He's holding couple of bricks of lego - which he says is a flying car from tonight's episode, being caught by a giant crab - and is still clutching the cardboard binoculars.
Thursday, 12 April 2007
Wednesday, 11 April 2007
Car Park Nazi
Swiping my car park pass into the machine this morning I got a "Ticket Blocked" message. Pressed the button to speak to the Car Park attendant who told me that my company hadn't paid the bill, and could I please leave the car park.
Spotted the boss on my way out, who told me to park in a nearby NCP for the day, and claim the fee back on expenses.
It turned out that the fault lay with the jobsworth who had decided to bar us from the car park until the bill was paid. He'd sent the invoice to a different part of our company - somewhere in Blackburn, rather than the office building opposite the car park, thus delaying the processing of the payment. He's been doing this every 3 months - despite repeated requests for him not to do so.
Looks like today he finally snapped.
So did our area head, who also found himself locked out of the car park. He's sending a stern letter or two to the directors of the car park company.
I've just had a text to say that we should be OK tomorrow. Maybe I should go green and get the bus.
Spotted the boss on my way out, who told me to park in a nearby NCP for the day, and claim the fee back on expenses.
It turned out that the fault lay with the jobsworth who had decided to bar us from the car park until the bill was paid. He'd sent the invoice to a different part of our company - somewhere in Blackburn, rather than the office building opposite the car park, thus delaying the processing of the payment. He's been doing this every 3 months - despite repeated requests for him not to do so.
Looks like today he finally snapped.
So did our area head, who also found himself locked out of the car park. He's sending a stern letter or two to the directors of the car park company.
I've just had a text to say that we should be OK tomorrow. Maybe I should go green and get the bus.
Tuesday, 10 April 2007
Demolition Man
Spent Easter Sunday/Monday knocking down the walls of the old garage/shed in our back yard in order to turn it into a garden / playspace.
Managed to get the whole thing down armed only with a lump hammer and a bolster chisel. Quite enjoyable smashing out brick after brick.
Of course I got carried away and created a huge mess of brickwork which I then had to clear out of the way and pile up neatly brick by brick at the back of the garden - in order to leave a safe space for the hobbits to play in. "Aaaargh! - Me backs knacking!".
Worst part was the huge, heavy concrete lintel that sat above what was once a set of double garage doors, but had been bricked up. Had a tricky time removing the brick work one row at a time beneath this monolith, without it crashing onto my head. I tried using my 1100W drill at this point, but it barely dented the concrete, so I used it to drill out the cement beneath the lintel instead. It came down with a thump, taking a small upper part of the garden wall with it - but nothing that can't be repaired.
Now all the bricks and rubble need to be removed - and somehow I've got to break up that lintel. Novelist Supermum has suggested an ancient method which involves vinegar. Hannibal did this when crossing the Alps - I reckon he probably heated and rapidly cooled the rocks as well.
Managed to get the whole thing down armed only with a lump hammer and a bolster chisel. Quite enjoyable smashing out brick after brick.
Of course I got carried away and created a huge mess of brickwork which I then had to clear out of the way and pile up neatly brick by brick at the back of the garden - in order to leave a safe space for the hobbits to play in. "Aaaargh! - Me backs knacking!".
Worst part was the huge, heavy concrete lintel that sat above what was once a set of double garage doors, but had been bricked up. Had a tricky time removing the brick work one row at a time beneath this monolith, without it crashing onto my head. I tried using my 1100W drill at this point, but it barely dented the concrete, so I used it to drill out the cement beneath the lintel instead. It came down with a thump, taking a small upper part of the garden wall with it - but nothing that can't be repaired.
Now all the bricks and rubble need to be removed - and somehow I've got to break up that lintel. Novelist Supermum has suggested an ancient method which involves vinegar. Hannibal did this when crossing the Alps - I reckon he probably heated and rapidly cooled the rocks as well.
Sunday, 8 April 2007
Week in Wales
Got back yesterday from a thoroughly enjoyable weeks holiday in Snowdonia in Wales.
We stayed in a 17th century holiday cottage, in the village of "Ysbyty Ifans" (literal translation "Evans Hospital" - there used to be a hospital there, run by the Knights Templars).
This is a tiny village, about 7 miles outside of Betws-y-Coed, with very little in the way of amenities, i.e. a telephone box, and a post office that only opens on Wednesday afternoons. There's a children's playground and a rugby pitch at the back of the cottage which meant that the boys had somewhere relatively safe to play in the evenings.
I say relatively safe. Frodo befriended a local lad, who was staying next door. Welsh was his first language, so this meant that their level of conversation in English was just about the same. Frodo learnt how to ride a go-kart down a very steep hill, balance on a high wall, jump off the wall avoiding the rocks and sneak into a cemetery to run around the gravestones. I heard screams and crying one evening and had to rescue Frodo's friend, who had managed to topple a gravestone onto his legs, and got them trapped underneath it. He was fine afterwards, so I guess that he won't be playing in the cemetery for a bit.
We arrived on Saturday evening. Sunday was spent shopping in the nearest supermarket - 11 miles away in Llanrwst, and then bumming around the cottage, playground and playing field.
On Monday we crossed the Menai Straits to the Isle of Anglesey and visited the town of Beaumaris and it's Castle.
The castle is considered to be the most perfect example of a concentric castle (castle, within a castle). It's defences certainly looked excellent. It has a water filled moat, and you can get walk around the walls, both on top and internally. The castle doesn't stand out much, since it isn't built on raised ground, and it was never completely finished - not enough money to put the top level on it, so the turrets and battlements do look a little "short".
I discovered afterwards that we'd entered Anglesey via the Britannia Bridge - originally built by Robert Stephenson (wor Geordie's lad). We'd spotted the better known Thomas Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge on our way to Beamaris, so decided to go back across this bridge.
We snapped a shot of the bridge as we crossed it. Also the chimneys of a rather gothic looking house on the way to the bridge.
On Tuesday we visited Criccieth Castle, and the nearby beach.
This castle is a bit of a ruin, but it does stand out impressively on a high hill at the end of the beach.
Wednesday was a trip to Carnaerfon Castle, and then Llandudno West Beach. Caernarfon is a walled town, and the castle is in really good condition - which is probably why they use it for investing the Prince of Wales.
Thursday we went shopping in Conwy. Parked by Conwy Castle. We were specifically visiting a toyshop that sells Edix Modular Mediaeval Village components. We bought a keep to add to the castle that the boys already have, plus some more figures - a jousting knight, a king and a saracen mounted on a dromedary.
We also visited a sword shop, but decided to leave it until our next visit in August to buy a sword. Prices looked good, and much cheaper in the shop than on the website e.g. you could get a "Braveheart" sword for 75 quid, whereas it's 175 quid on the website.
The last castle of the week was Harlech Castle on Friday. This year we drove into Harlech up the gentle incline of the top road, rather than approaching from the bottom road and having to negotiate the impossibly steep 1 in 4 hill that we had to get up last year.
We had to visit the Cemlyn Tea Rooms, since Novelist Supermum had included them in a novel, and wanted to know what they looked like. We had some delicious toasted hot cross buns there. We drank latte's, and the boys had milk. I was tut tutted at as I helped Frodo draw a face and write his name in the condensation on the window, which overlooked the castle.
Afterwards we went to Harlech Beach, which is the best beach in the area, and launched our dragon kite for the first time. Not enough wind to start with, since it was a bright, sunny, still day. However it picked up enough to get the kite aloft and give both Frodo, and Samwise a turn at controlling the kite in the air - although they preferred to chase it and try to catch it's tail.
One feature of the cottage is that you have to watch out for mice, which come in from the field outside. One night I heard a gnawing noise and opened the hall door to find two mice sitting there looking at me, as if they wanted to come in and watch the telly. Had a mouse that got into the bedroom run across my pillow on another night, and we spent an hour on the last night trying to chase a baby mouse out of the living room.
The boys didn't want to come home - no tears this time. We promised them that we would be back in August. I want to take the Snowdon Mountain Railway to the top next time, but since it will be peak season I'd better make sure of it and book the tickets in advance.
We stayed in a 17th century holiday cottage, in the village of "Ysbyty Ifans" (literal translation "Evans Hospital" - there used to be a hospital there, run by the Knights Templars).
This is a tiny village, about 7 miles outside of Betws-y-Coed, with very little in the way of amenities, i.e. a telephone box, and a post office that only opens on Wednesday afternoons. There's a children's playground and a rugby pitch at the back of the cottage which meant that the boys had somewhere relatively safe to play in the evenings.
I say relatively safe. Frodo befriended a local lad, who was staying next door. Welsh was his first language, so this meant that their level of conversation in English was just about the same. Frodo learnt how to ride a go-kart down a very steep hill, balance on a high wall, jump off the wall avoiding the rocks and sneak into a cemetery to run around the gravestones. I heard screams and crying one evening and had to rescue Frodo's friend, who had managed to topple a gravestone onto his legs, and got them trapped underneath it. He was fine afterwards, so I guess that he won't be playing in the cemetery for a bit.
We arrived on Saturday evening. Sunday was spent shopping in the nearest supermarket - 11 miles away in Llanrwst, and then bumming around the cottage, playground and playing field.
On Monday we crossed the Menai Straits to the Isle of Anglesey and visited the town of Beaumaris and it's Castle.
The castle is considered to be the most perfect example of a concentric castle (castle, within a castle). It's defences certainly looked excellent. It has a water filled moat, and you can get walk around the walls, both on top and internally. The castle doesn't stand out much, since it isn't built on raised ground, and it was never completely finished - not enough money to put the top level on it, so the turrets and battlements do look a little "short".
I discovered afterwards that we'd entered Anglesey via the Britannia Bridge - originally built by Robert Stephenson (wor Geordie's lad). We'd spotted the better known Thomas Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge on our way to Beamaris, so decided to go back across this bridge.
We snapped a shot of the bridge as we crossed it. Also the chimneys of a rather gothic looking house on the way to the bridge.
On Tuesday we visited Criccieth Castle, and the nearby beach.
This castle is a bit of a ruin, but it does stand out impressively on a high hill at the end of the beach.
Wednesday was a trip to Carnaerfon Castle, and then Llandudno West Beach. Caernarfon is a walled town, and the castle is in really good condition - which is probably why they use it for investing the Prince of Wales.
Thursday we went shopping in Conwy. Parked by Conwy Castle. We were specifically visiting a toyshop that sells Edix Modular Mediaeval Village components. We bought a keep to add to the castle that the boys already have, plus some more figures - a jousting knight, a king and a saracen mounted on a dromedary.
We also visited a sword shop, but decided to leave it until our next visit in August to buy a sword. Prices looked good, and much cheaper in the shop than on the website e.g. you could get a "Braveheart" sword for 75 quid, whereas it's 175 quid on the website.
The last castle of the week was Harlech Castle on Friday. This year we drove into Harlech up the gentle incline of the top road, rather than approaching from the bottom road and having to negotiate the impossibly steep 1 in 4 hill that we had to get up last year.
We had to visit the Cemlyn Tea Rooms, since Novelist Supermum had included them in a novel, and wanted to know what they looked like. We had some delicious toasted hot cross buns there. We drank latte's, and the boys had milk. I was tut tutted at as I helped Frodo draw a face and write his name in the condensation on the window, which overlooked the castle.
Afterwards we went to Harlech Beach, which is the best beach in the area, and launched our dragon kite for the first time. Not enough wind to start with, since it was a bright, sunny, still day. However it picked up enough to get the kite aloft and give both Frodo, and Samwise a turn at controlling the kite in the air - although they preferred to chase it and try to catch it's tail.
One feature of the cottage is that you have to watch out for mice, which come in from the field outside. One night I heard a gnawing noise and opened the hall door to find two mice sitting there looking at me, as if they wanted to come in and watch the telly. Had a mouse that got into the bedroom run across my pillow on another night, and we spent an hour on the last night trying to chase a baby mouse out of the living room.
The boys didn't want to come home - no tears this time. We promised them that we would be back in August. I want to take the Snowdon Mountain Railway to the top next time, but since it will be peak season I'd better make sure of it and book the tickets in advance.
Saturday, 31 March 2007
Rome Blogging Complete
Wednesday, 28 March 2007
Germs
Too full ob code to blog properly.
We've all gone down with some nasty germ.
Frodo's off school. Novelist Supermum is throwing up on the kitchen floor. Samwise is snottier than usual. I'm at work feeling blurrgh!! Leaving work as early as I can today.
It was Frodo's Easter Service at school yesterday. Didn't have any tapes for the camcorder, and we'd lost the charger for the digital camera (found it last night) - which means that this year I actually got to watch it - rather than being a cyborg-parent looking through a viewfinder.
Frodo was in the chorus for an Easter Chick song - wearing a yellow chick mask and flapping his elbows along with the rest of his class.
We've all gone down with some nasty germ.
Frodo's off school. Novelist Supermum is throwing up on the kitchen floor. Samwise is snottier than usual. I'm at work feeling blurrgh!! Leaving work as early as I can today.
It was Frodo's Easter Service at school yesterday. Didn't have any tapes for the camcorder, and we'd lost the charger for the digital camera (found it last night) - which means that this year I actually got to watch it - rather than being a cyborg-parent looking through a viewfinder.
Frodo was in the chorus for an Easter Chick song - wearing a yellow chick mask and flapping his elbows along with the rest of his class.
Sunday, 25 March 2007
Email from Oz
Sent brief Birthday Greetings on Friday to an old pal in Australia that I hadn't been in touch with for some time. Pleasantly surprised to find that her email address is still valid, as I've just picked up a reply.
Nearly time for bed, so I'll reply to her tomorrow when I've got more time (i.e. when I'm at work!).
Nearly time for bed, so I'll reply to her tomorrow when I've got more time (i.e. when I'm at work!).
Saturday, 24 March 2007
Rome - Day 5
Our flight home wasn't until tea time, so we revisited the Trevi Fountain, which this time had some water in it. Chucked a coin in, thus ensuring another return to Rome.
It was raining very heavily - the malaysian men who try to sell you stuff in the street had switched from novelty flying toys to "pipero" - umbrellas - therefore we thought that the best bet would be to avoid the outdoors and spend the morning in the Capitoline Museum.
You really do get museum'ed out in Rome so probably waltzed past loads of stuff that we'd normally spend a long time looking at, but still worth a visit all the same.
Here's an ancient Roman cure for a bad cough
Bad Hair Day...
A wildlife scene...
This is meant to be one of Hannibal's Elephants. It looks like the artist hadn't actually seen a real elephant himself, but somebody had described one to him.
Picked up our luggage from the hotel, then tube to train and caught the plane back to Blighty (took a picture of the plane to show two small boys when we returned, who were also to get an Italia shirt each that we'd bought from a sports shop in Rome).
I was in much danger of falling asleep on the long drive back from Heathrow, so had to stop off for coffee - of course the motorway services was selling Italian coffee, but it wasn't the same as the real thing ;-)
Great holiday, really enjoyed it. We must have walked miles - here are some pictures of our swollen feet :-)
Rome - Day 4
We had thought about visiting the catacombs, but discovered that they were several different sets of them, and all were well outside the city walls. What sounded like the best ones looked like they would be shut anyway, so we thought we'd stick to seeing some more sights nearer to hand.
We started by heading back across the Forum to take a look at a piece of brick and cement work.
This was the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine, a set of huge arches that we'd seen in the distance on previous days, but hadn't gone right up to.
This type of dome work, inlaid with hexagonal patterns has been copied over time around the world (we saw a few examples in the Vatican), but these are the originals.
Past the Colosseum again, then headed south west.
"What did the Romans ever do for us"
"..err the Aquaducts?"
We passed a couple of people getting married, having their picture taken - so we may have featured stumping past in the background.
A short walk along a dual carriageway and we were at the Baths of Caracalla.
Because it was Valentines day, the admission fee was two for the price of one.
These are huge ruins. The floors have all caved in, but the walls are pretty much at the original height, so you get a good idea of the scale of the place when it was fully in use. As usual any decent artefacts have been robbed out a long time ago, but you could still see, and walk on some of the original mosaic floor.
We even managed to do a bit of "excavation" of our own - we discovered pieces of mosaic floor underneath one of the gravel paths that we were walking on.
It was a bright sunny morning, so had a pleasant time wandering about, and sitting around in the ruins. Started to get mushy in the sunshine, so I was told that it was time to go.
We followed the line of one of the old city walls, through a suburban area - everybody lives in flats. We got our first sight of the pyramid that we were looking for - this is in the picture at the top of this post.
This is the Pyramid of Caius Cestius - a chap who had spent some time in Egypt, and who freed his slaves on his death, so they built him this splendid funerary monument.
Behind the pyramid is the Protestant Cemetery this is also known as the "English" Cemetery, and is in fact a "Non-Catholic" cemetery. We took a look inside (request for donations in a box at the entrance) and hunted out a few Dead Poets.
This is the grave of that famous whinger Keats. He didn't want his name on the tombstone, so the chap who paid for it - the artist Joseph Severn - who died years later and was buried next to him, put it on his tombstone instead.
Shelley's ashes lie under this stone (which reminds me that there's a picture of his funeral pyre in the Walker Gallery in Liverpool)
and this is the grave of Goethe.
On from the cemetery, and a circular route back towards the city centre took us the site of the Circus Maximus. We were expecting a layout of streets on top of the site, but were pleased to discover that the site is a park. There's not much to see in the way of ruins, but the layout of the track is really evident. We sat and munched crisps for a while, then walked along the track, figuring out the turning circle of a chariot.
Since the camera battery had ran out the previous day we decided to walk back along the Tiber to the Castel Sant'Angelo, to take a few more pictures of the castle.
We passed the Portico of Octavian which must have been a rather splendid fish market in Medieval times (it may have been Octavian's Forum, before he became Augustus and built a new, better one).
Walking this way we got to see the Jewish Quarter - this is the perhaps the original "Ghetto". This looks like the area where the Italian's come to eat, rather than the tourists.
Finally arrived at the Castel Sant'Angelo again, and took the extra snaps.
We spotted this little piazza on the way back, that we thought was worth a photo.
Valentines Day - so definitely a night for dining out. We decided to walk to the top of the Spanish Steps and go up the Via Veneto - which is the setting for the film La Dolce Vita. We walked up as far as Harrys Bar where the Rough Guide says Frank Sinatra and his cronies used to hang out. The street is all big, expensive looking (but probably very touristy) hotels. The restaurants are all "glass bubbles" on the pavement outside the hotels. We walked back down the street and picked what looked like a decent restaurant.
The food was good, and not too pricy. The walls were groaning under the weight of pictures of the owner photographed next to an array of celebrities - most in the restaurant itself, but quite a few not. He's probably some sort of celebrity stalker. They looked like they were having fun in some of the photos' with drunken partying in the middle of the road.
Rolled back down the Spanish Steps and back to the hotel.
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