Zone Doubt, a.k.a. 'Surreal Я Us'...

Joules, trusted by... dozens... to make a drama out of your crisis...

Other sites:

:: JAT :: WaveWrights :: Publications ::

I live to write. It's not wise to get in my way.

... I'd write my autobiography, but no-one would believe it....


If you come across any words you don't recognise in this blog, take a look at the Taylorspeke Glossary in the left-hand infopane, you'll usually find a definition there.


The Poppy Tales

(Transformers fanfiction!)

Transformers mini-comics here.




Adventures in Orchids

Apparently I am now collecting them...

There's room for one - or maybe two, at a pinch - more on that bedroom windowsill (the only one in the house that's ideal for them). Let's see what I find. Well, that didn't last long...


EO - Everlasting orchid. Phalaenopsis. I've had this orchid since 2007 and it just keeps flowering...







AO - Alien face orchid. Phalaenopsis . Bought 2018 - lovely little flowers, all different patterns!





RO - Rescued orchid photo to come when it flowers. Phalaenopsis. Rescued from a bin up the road in 2019. Classic!






TO - Tiny orchid. Phalaenopsis. Bought at Tesco 21.8.20. It just begged to come home with me. How could I say no?





CO - Crimson orchid. Cambria. Another Tesco find. This one may be going to live in Ken's room once we've redecorated and put up the new shelving; it prefers a cooler, less sunny windowsill. If so, I'll need to find another cambrian to keep it company.






GO - Golden orchid. Phalaenopsis. Saw this one when I bought CO and left it behind - then immediately regretted it as soon as I got home. Never seen one like it before. Ken, bless him, went back over to Tesco in the rain and bought it for me...





DO - Dendrobium Orchid. Smells of wisteria, so beautiful...











RO2 - Rescued orchid no 2. Phalaenopsis. This is the one I rescued from the wall along the road middle of 2021.








PO. Pink orchid. Phalaenopsis. This is the one I bought at Cabury Garden Centre on special, late 2021. It's much happier here!










TWO. Teeny weeny orchid, Phalaenopsis. Rescued from Tesco end 2021 (I think).




















My IMDb ep summaries

(completed)
Arthur of the Britons
Sky
Star Maidens
The Starlost
Space Rangers
The Sentinel (part: seasons 2 and 3)
Swamp Thing (part: season 3)
Gravedale High
Transformers: Armada
Transformers: Energon
Transformers: Cybertron (part)
Misfits of Science (four eps)
Zoo Gang
Zodiac
Jupiter Moon
Transformers: Beast Wars (part: seasons 2 and 3)
Transformers: Beast Machines (part)
Vampire Princess Miyu
Starhyke
Nathan Barley
No Heroics
Undermind (3 eps)
Will Shakespeare (Tim Curry version)
Nightwalker
12 Kingdoms
Trigun (ep 8)
Rayearth
Hyperdrive (season 2 ep 3)
The Café

For later:

Missing Earthian ep
Missing Haibane Renme eps


Silver birch at Eastwood 

Farm

"Autumnal - nothing to do with leaves. It is to do with a certain brownness at the edges of the day... Brown is creeping up on us, take my word for it... Russets and tangerine shades of old gold flushing the very outside edge of the senses... deep shining ochres, burnt umber and parchments of baked earth - reflecting on itself and through itself, filtering the light. At such times, perhaps, coincidentally, the leaves might fall, somewhere..."

(Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Act 2: Tom Stoppard)

Autumn...

I love this time of year. I love the colours, the sharp slant of sunlight on the trees, mosaics of acid-yellow and harts- blood, velvet and darkness and a haze of mist-grey over the hills. I love its immanence, its mellowness, the tang of frost just around the corner of the year...

Watching the little birds in the goat-willow in my garden, I realised something more.

I love this land with a fierce, possessive love, deep-rooted in two thousand years of history. From the frosted beaches and cloud-brushing peaks of the north to the wind-haunted meanderings of the rivers of the east, from the sensuous rolling patchworked hills of the south to the demanding dark moors of the west, this land seeps into bone and blood and synapse, mother of motley nobility, culture, individual freedoms. It can be known. It can be understood. It can be felt deep inside.

I love its effortless eccentricities, its vigour and vibrancy, its flawed perfections, its silent strength and tenacious resilience, its hard-won tolerances and intense and variable beauty, the profound energy in its sacred mythical landscape.

Home and more-than-home, the forces that shape and protect and bind, in me, as I am in the land. Love returning love in the stillness for those who'll only take the time to listen...

(Joules, Autumn 2004)


All photographs taken by Joules unless otherwise specified. All photographs © Joules A Taylor or other specified individual.


In Memoriam

17.03.09 - Argent

25.07.08 - Raptor

18.12.07 - Quyn

02.12.06 - Ryme


Currently enjoying:
Muse
Transformers - IDW, Prime, Animated, Rescue Bots.

Currently reading:
Various Transformers books and graphic novels.



Currently working on:
Haadri

Currently chuffed with:
My garden

Currently miffed at:
Nestlé, Nonpres Tinyhands Fart, Toadface Farage

Currently maintaining:
BCHS
BCW


Blog Pics
I've gathered some of my pages of photos together: the page of links is here. I'll be adding more as time goes by!




Evil Squid
A Little Glossary of Taylorspeke
(in no particular order)

plit popints - n. Typo for 'plot points' typed on a keyboard with more than half the characters worn off...

[PING] (alt [ping]) - n. A brainwave. The text equivalent of a lightbulb going on blindingly over someone's head. Usually mine. And usually at the most inconvenient of times. [sigh]

TPTB - The Powers That Be.

wulmet - n. A person of little or no talent who somehow inveigles himself into a position where he is in power over other, far more talented people and uses his position to downplay them in order to try to make himself feel superior.

biteable - referring to an anatomical part vb, tasty.

Flatterfed - vb. 27.02.08: my typo for flattered, but since it's so cutely apt I thought it would fit nicely here. Lutra defined it as "the lovely warm feeling of satisfaction resulting from enthusiastic reviews..." (which I've been getting for my MB fics).

Composted - vb, 'compos mentis', mentally capable of working. Contrast with uncomposted or non- composted, not 'compos mentis', not capable of working, hungover...

Cumbles - n, cucumbers.

Kewp - how Ken says 'thank you'. We rather like Lutra's 'nanx', too...

Musekick - noun, music, without which I cannot work.

'feinne - noun, caffeine, essential for correct mental functioning, especially first thing in the morning. I prefer mine in the form of SodaStream Diet Coke. And on that subject...

Skoosh - verb, noun. To skoosh - to add CO2 to a sodastream bottle filled with water to make it fizzy, prior to adding Diet Coke syrup (or just drinking as sparkling water). A skoosh - a bottle of water that has been skooshed. Skooshy - something that has been skooshed, water, or that whipped cream that comes in tins you have to shake then upend and press the nozzle...

Shoogle - verb. To shake gently, for example, of roast potatoes in a roasting tin to ensure they're covered with oil. I have vague memories of this being a real Scottish colloquialism...

Stegasaurus - n, spider of the genus tegenaria. Why? No idea. I just find it easier, that's all...
Edit 08.09.07: Lutra thinks that Brian is a good name for a mini-stegasaurus. From now on, any 'Brian's in the posts may be assumed to be a tegenaria. Except where otherwise specified.

Viterals - noun, vitamins + minerals. Also a pun on victuals.

Splish - verb. A combination of slosh and splash.

Parrots - noun, paracetemol (from the old joke "Why are there no aspirin tablets in the jungle? Because the parrots eat 'em all...")

Maggles - noun, magpies. As opposed to non-magical people.

Flamewings - noun. Swifts. So called because the first time we became aware of them was an early summer evening when they were flying high, the light from the setting sun seemingly turning their wings to flames. Lovely little birds. We always know summer's arrived when we hear their high-pitched squeeing.

Murfs - noun, moths.

Peasant cut - noun, roughly cut up into big chunks, e.g. vegetables chopped in a hurry for a hearty stew or soup. By extension, anything prepared in a hurry - haircut, material, even a first draft of a story...

Giraffe - noun, a carafe (of wine, coffee or water, for example).

Shrumps - noun, mushrooms.

Splings - noun, Kai's spelling homework: by extension, any spelling.

Tyops - noun, typos. var toyps, typso, psyto, psoyt, etc. Usual result of a dose of the fingerials (see next entry).

Fingerials - (pr. fin GEEE ree yalls) noun, fingers that will not type what you want them to.

Haddock - noun, time, of which I never have enough. (Origin of this term here.)

Sleep - noun? vb? a.k.a. sheeeeeeeeep.... I used to know what this word meant...


The Updates Blog

The place to stay notified of WaveWrights' Fiction updates: Zone, Darkside, DarkRealm, Matrix, Vault, Safehouse 13...




my computer gremlin Butch. click the pic to see the larger image

Butch, my computer gremlin. Click the pic for larger version, and read his adventures here...

Butch by the talented 

Sylverthorne

A gift for me! Butch by the very talented Sylverthorne. Click pic for larger image.

Joules' 

Haddock

This is MY haddock. It was caught exclusively for me by Talon. No, you can't have any. I need all the haddock I can get!!



A'lestrel by Valkyrie.

A'lestrel - a gift for me from Valkyrie...



Albino Alsatian Benten (c) MEBird 

2004

Another gorgeous Valkyrie gift for me - Benten the Albino Alsatian! Click thumbnail for larger image.

Radittsu, an oekaki for my birthday 04 

by 

Onna

Oekai by Bakayaro Onna - Radittsu at his sexiest...



The Zone Plant from
The Zone 

blog 

plant

OrganicHTML (which alas no longer seems to exist...)
[::..My Regular Reads..::]
:: Astronomical Pic of the Day [>]
:: What is Space... [>]
:: Dark Roasted Blend [>]
:: BLDG [>]
:: Watchismo Times [>]
[::..Fun Places..::]
::HubbleSite
Stunning...
::PALEOMAP Project
Absolutely fascinating.
:: Skymap
Check out the night sky where you are!
[::..Useful Sites..::]
:: GreenNet
First stop for environmental matters
:: The Forest of Avon
Our local community forest and places to visit
:: The Guardian
Online Guardian Newspaper.
:: Symbols
Exactly what it says
:: World Timeserver
For checking the current time around this world
:: Universal Currency Converter
Actually it's just a terran-global currency converter, not universal, but it's still useful...

So what is it with the haddock? Am I some kind of fish freak?

I'll leave that to others to decide.

The tale (or tail if you prefer) harks back to October 2000, when my GoodTwin and I, ably assisted by Sue, ran the first UK Professionals convention...
It's common knowledge that I never have enough time, and I was determined not to bewail the fact that weekend: hence I promised not to use the 'T' word...
Of course, that didn't really work (if nothing else I had to let the trainees know what times things were supposed to be happening!) so we decided a substitute word would be employed instead. There were several suggestions. Banana came very close to being chosen. However, I eventually decided that 'haddock' fitted the bill nicely. Ever since, haddock=time. Hence the title of my forthcoming autobiography,
My Half-Life in the Haddock Space Continuum....


Normally I wouldn't, but these were just irresistible...

How could I resist?

Just too adorable...

and to complete the rainbow...

These Too-Kawaii Kitties
were adopted from
Ghost's Anime Page (which appears to have disappeared, alas...)

[::..Anime/Manga..::]
Useful sites:

BBTS -
Fabulous anime figures

Anime Lyrics
A huge selection... evil popups

Anime still needed to complete series' I'm collecting... Many thanks to everyone who has helped me acquire the collection!
Ai no Kusabi

Owned:
   DVD
   Dj: June Special
   CD: Ambivalence

Cyber City Oedo 808

Owned:
   DVD
   All 3 eps on Video, dubbed
   Dj: Cyberage 1-3
   Illustrated Book 2 (Benten's) in Japanese

From Eroica with Love

Owned:
   Manga Vols 1, 9, 11

Mirage of Blaze

Owned:
   DVD Vol 1 (eps 1-4)

R.G. Veda

Owned:
   English Manga: Vol 1
   Japanese Manga: Vol 1-7 complete
   Tarot Pack
   R.G.Veda video

Twelve Kingdoms

Owned:
   Anime Vol 1-12: complete

Under the Glass Moon

Owned:
   Manga Vol 1, 2
Vol 3 needed

Vampire Hunter D - Bloodlust

Owned:
   DVD

   Vampire Hunter D Book 1



New Vampire Miyu

Owned:
   (Studio Ironcat) Manga Vols 1 -5 (complete)


Yami no Matsuei

Owned:
   Viz Manga: English translation, Vols 1 - 11 (complete: I believe vol 12 is only available online)
   Japanese 3-DVD set
   Central Park Media: Descendants of Darkness Vol. 1, English/Japanese subbed.
   Sketchbook


[::..Joules SP fied..::]


... this is Terra? How the hell'd I end up here...?

(Thanks, Lutra, for the quote!)

[::..archive..::]
07/01/2002 - 07/31/2002
08/01/2002 - 08/31/2002
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11/01/2002 - 11/30/2002
12/01/2002 - 12/31/2002
01/01/2003 - 01/31/2003
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01/01/2005 - 01/31/2005
02/01/2005 - 02/28/2005
03/01/2005 - 03/31/2005
04/01/2005 - 04/30/2005
05/01/2005 - 05/31/2005
06/01/2005 - 06/30/2005
07/01/2005 - 07/31/2005
08/01/2005 - 08/31/2005
09/01/2005 - 09/30/2005
10/01/2005 - 10/31/2005
11/01/2005 - 11/30/2005
12/01/2005 - 12/31/2005
01/01/2006 - 01/31/2006
02/01/2006 - 02/28/2006
03/01/2006 - 03/31/2006
04/01/2006 - 04/30/2006
05/01/2006 - 05/31/2006
06/01/2006 - 06/30/2006
07/01/2006 - 07/31/2006
08/01/2006 - 08/31/2006
09/01/2006 - 09/30/2006
10/01/2006 - 10/31/2006
11/01/2006 - 11/30/2006
12/01/2006 - 12/31/2006
01/01/2007 - 01/31/2007
02/01/2007 - 02/28/2007
03/01/2007 - 03/31/2007
04/01/2007 - 04/30/2007
05/01/2007 - 05/31/2007
06/01/2007 - 06/30/2007
07/01/2007 - 07/31/2007
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10/01/2007 - 10/31/2007
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12/01/2007 - 12/31/2007
01/01/2008 - 31/01/2008
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01/01/2016 - 31/01/2016
01/022016 - 28/02/2016
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01/01/2017 - 31/01/2017
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01/01/2018 - 31/01/2018
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01/10/2018 - 31/10/2018
01/11/2018 - 30/11/2018
01/12/2018 - 31/12/2018
01/01/2019 - 31/01/2019
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01/10/2019 - 31/10/2019
01/11/2019 - 30/11/2019
01/12/2019 - 31/12/2019
01/01/2020 - 31/01/2020
01/02/2020 - 29/02/2020
01/03/2020 - 31/03/2020
01/04/2020 - 31/04/2020
01/05/2020 - 31/05/2020
01/06/2020 - 31/06/2020
01/07/2020 - 31/07/2020
01/08/2020 - 31/08/2020
01/09/2020 - 30/09/2020
01/10/2020 - 31/10/2020
01/11/2020 - 30/11/2020
01/12/2020 - 31/12/2020
01/01/2021 - 31/01/2021
01/02/2021 - 28/02/2021
01/03/2021 - 31/03/2021
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01/05/2021 - 31/05/2021
01/06/2021 - 30/06/2021
01/07/2021 - 31/07/2021
01/08/2021 - 31/08/2021
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01/10/2021 - 31/10/2021
01/11/2021 - 30/11/2021
01/12/2021 - 31/12/2021
01/01/2022 - 31/01/2022
01/02/2022 - 28/02/2022
01/03/2022 - 31/03/2022
01/04/2022 - 30/04/2022
01/05/2022 - 30/05/2022
01/06/2022 - 31/06/2022
01/07/2022 - 31/07/2022
01/08/2022 - 31/08/2022
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01/10/2022 - 31/10/2022
01/11/2021 - 31/11/2021
01/12/2022 - 31/12/2022
01/01/2023 - 31/01/2023
01/02/2023 - 28/02/2023
01/03/2023 - 31/03/2023
01/04/2023 - 30/04/2023
01/08/2023 - 31/08/2023
01/11/2023 - 31/11/2023

Friday, July 31, 2009

SUN!!!
And the Taylor family leapt into action. Well, as well as we could with our assorted aches and pains. K&K dug the trench (a foot down, so they could tackle the foundation) at the bottom of the wall in the square while I went shopping, then they managed four loads of mortar (bringing it up to just above soil level) while I slathered the fencey-bit copiously in the Cuprinol. We finished about an hour before the rain started in earnest, giving both paint and mortar a decent chance to dry. Hopefully tomorrow I can get the makeshift trellis up and plant out my kiwi fruits: it's supposed to be dryish in the afternoon.
But oh, aren't we all aching tonight!

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Thursday, July 30, 2009

contented cat A very contented cat...
It's been busy. Spent a couple of hours in the garden, weeded the rockery and pruned the blackberry bushes (though you'd never know!) while Kai cut the grass around the veg bed and his track. After lunch I caught up with the client site stuff I should have done yesterday. After dinner I tackled a little greenhouse work, and lifted the clump of reeds from Roeg's Pool (which hurt my back. It's a rather laaaarge clump). It's now in a big bucket up at the elder tree awaiting planting in the pool I plan to construct once Ken's mortared that stretch of wall. Don't worry, it'll all make sense once you see the pics once it's all finished.
Legs aching now.

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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

So I settled down to get some client site updating done, and whinged to Kai I really need some kind of reminder software to tell me when I should archive old news items. "Oh, I have a calender on my Google homepage" he says brightly. "I'm sure there's a to-do gadget too..."
[headdesk] He often talks about his Google Homepage and how useful it is, only it just never sank in before - yes, I too could have one, and gather together all the useful stuff I use constantly in one place...
I borrowed sprog's expertise to get the basic set up (much quicker than trying to follow instructions) and then spent a very happy couple of hours customising. This is the result:
Google Homepage
Torchwood theme (it changes regularly to show all the charas), and satellite view of Roald Dahl Plass, and organiser, weather, BBC news, YouTube and Wikipedia, all things I use regularly, plus photos of places to visit and a handful of world times just for fun.
Global page
Animated solar system, global cloud cover, earth at night, unusual cloud formations (I've just joined the Cloud Appreciation Society) and moon phase.
Tech page
Tech page - links to some of my favourite science and technology sites, a translator, a useful little etymological gadget, APOD, Art of the Day, and the very silly Neptune live weather and weather forecast (because I like to keep an eye on Neptune's weather, just in case. If I could, I'd do the same for each of the planets...)
So that's me with everything all in one place. Should have done this ages ago.

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And the rain it raineth every day...
So much for our barbecue summer!
Kai had his orthodontist appointment this morning, and Ken was at court - so Tyjer was left all by himself all alone for the first time ever (in this house). Since it's raining, and he's really not fond of rain, I shut him in the house rather than leave the catflip open.
He was fine. He was upstairs on the bed, and a little wary when he came down, but a bowl of cat milk and a slice of ham and he was OK again. Although he's still giving me annoyed looks...
And the orthodontist is very pleased with Kai. His teeth are moving into the correct position at a really fast rate, and she says his cleaning is excellent. I think switching to the Sensodyne iso-active gel has helped: the stuff is absolutely amazing, gets into all the difficult-to-reach places and leaves your teeth feeling like they've been cleaned by the hygienist. I bought it for me, really, as my dentist says I need to use it given the problems I have, but it occurred to me that it will be great for getting under the brace and between Kai's teeth too, and obviously it is. It's a bit on the pricey side, but worth it for the benefits.
In other news - the turkey burgers are tasty. Not as much as the beefburgers, but they're not 'alf bad and taste great with mango chutney.

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Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. OK. Left out a lot, put bits in I could have lived without, and it would have been helpful to have a little more explanation in places (like why Snape is the Half-Blood Prince), but it was a fun film. With a bit of luck the director's cut will be available to buy come Yule.
Found a big tub of Cuprinol Autumn Gold fencepaint on special (20% extra free) in The Range on the way back - a bit heavy but now I'm set to paint side gate and top fencing. If it ever stops raining...

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Monday, July 27, 2009

Seven Years Old Today

The blog, that is, not me (obviously). To celebrate, I've written a short story for the PROSfanfic list but also posted on WaveWrights, part of the MMCI5 Files - Tales of herring doo? There's something distinctly fishy about this...
I'd almost forgotten how much fun they are to write.
Off to see Harry Potter tomorrow.

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Sunday, July 26, 2009

Rosa eating It's fascinating how tarantulas go right up on tiptoe when eating. (Sorry about the quality - had to take pic without flash to avoid startling her.) Busy day. I'd planned to finish off the blogiversary project, but Ken wanted to know how to do image popups, so I worked on that first. Now have a nice easy javascript that I can use on the Haadri site, so the time did double duty. And I also sorted out the CSS image positioning for him for the BCAP site, and learned a couple of new things along the way. A good morning's work.
After lunch K&K met up with the Reflex group and friends to walk to St Anne's Well (apparently it's St Anne's Day today). Some of the group's church acquaintances said they'd come too, but none of them turned up, possibly since it's rained all day (dull grey drizzle). But that was quite nice actually, as the Well is believed to be a pagan Holy Well, and the people who did 'make the pilgrimage' were all of like mind, hanging ribbons on the overhanging bushes and dropping small coins into the water. Ken has posted a couple of photos here.
I made burgers. Dozens of burgers. Standing in the kitchen for three hours straight. (No, not all for the barbecue: most are for lunches through Kai's summer holiday.) I still have to have a go at the cucumber and apple chutney, and I must make pineapple lollies before the pineapples get too ripe. Maybe tomorrow after I've been shopping...


A Rift Special


Rift activity?



Kai and I were deciding what we want to do when we go to Cardiff, and took a look at Google maps (always easier to plan a journey if I can see it from above). To our bemusement we saw this:
<-
Rift activity?


Hm. Rift activity, we wondered? So we waited a few minutes for the full image to load. Except it didn't. So we looked a little closer: ->



Perhaps it was some sort of Hub activity blocking the satellite? A few minutes later it had cleared and a closer zoom showed the Plass with no problem...





Sea monster?


But Cardiff can be a strange place. What, for example, is this?
<-
Footprints in the water? Small whirlpools? Some very large aquatic beastie? Ginormous jellyfish?...







weird gravity?

And what about this? - >
No, it's not photoshopped, there does seem to be something very odd about the gravity in that part of the city to make those buildings lean like that...

We're going to be exploring the Bay on this visit. Can't wait!

Pics screen-capped from Google maps, with all due thanks and credit.


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Saturday, July 25, 2009

Mad weather again...
Woke up to brilliant sunshine, hung out two machine loads of washing to dry, got the barbecue out of the shed and cleaned and fixed it, found that the briquettes work just fine, threw sossijs on while I made barbecue sauce for the chicken pieces (which I part-nuked in the microwave before putting on the rack) while K&K woodstained the railway carriage that will be carrying passengers if they ever get their fingers out and get the loco electrics fixed! [put-upon sigh] If I chivvy them too much it sounds like I'm nagging...
Anyway - the meal was a great success. I need to have the rack on the next higher slot, I think, but it was all very tasty. Kai intends asking two or three friends around for the official barbecue, and I plan to make beef and turkey burgers (that's beefburgers and turkey burgers, not a mixture), chicken pieces, assorted sossij, and pork kebabs, with salad and a Pavlova for dessert. If it rains, I may skip the kebabs, as they won't cook properly under the grill indoors.
After eating I dragged out the huge old tub of woodpaint, ready to do the side gate and the fencing in the square at the top - I want to string wire across and plant out my kiwis: I think they'd work really well in that sheltered nook - only to find that the paint had gone off and smelt absolutely vile. Blasted nuisance: they're really heavy and I believe the nearest place to get one is Wilkinson's.
So, change of plan: I decided I'd do the shopping while K&K got a little mortaring done. Except then it started raining...
Eh well. Perhaps I should just make burgers instead. At least we got a few things accomplished as planned!
And I've just realised my shoulders are slightly sunburned. Must have been hotter than I thought.

Farewell, Harry.

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Friday, July 24, 2009

So, Inkheart... A huge disappointment. Started very well, then just lost the plot and degenerated into a fairly standard kids adventure movie. And it could have been so novel, and instead was boringly familiar in places - a final set that could have come from any film featuring Nazis or a Nazi-type organisation (but reminded me of a cross between that scene in The Wall and the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark), a baddie that looked like a Balrog's cousin and Helen Mirren (the best thing in the film as far as I'm concerned) charging in on a unicorn just like Gandalf on Shadowfax at Helm's Deep.
It had such promise, should have been so much better. I almost feel cheated.
So now Kai and I are laughing uproariously at Mock the Week, to make up for it.

Edit: woah, 3,000th blog post!


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Alas, no burgers were accomplished today. But that's fine, as long as they're in the freezer by Sunday all will be well.
Kai has spent the day just relaxing on his computer (the snuffling seems to be nothing more than hayfever, fortunately). The G & B sprogs turned up on their bikes, but he was too tired and too determined to just flop to go with them. That's OK right now, as he is looking pretty knackered and a few days of just doing nowt will do him good . Though that being said I have to ask him to do a little weeding for me in the morning, up at the veg bed. But the weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow, so I'm planning on getting out and firing up the barbecue...
[bemused] Earlier this afternoon there was a lot of yowling in the garden: I dived out - to find Tyjer chasing Basement Cat around the shed! At the sight of me it leapt over the wall, hotly pursued by His Magnificence. But then it led him astray into unknown territory, and I had to follow and try to tempt him back. [sigh] Growls and hisses and low yowls ensued, but he did finally get to a spot where I could grab the scruff of his neck and carry him back to the wall. For which he turned, hissed and took a chunk out of my hand. That earned him collar-off and shut in for the rest of the afternoon, so he's now a little grumpy...
I now have dozens of sweet peppers coming in the greenhouse. Photo when they start turning red.
We all thoroughly enjoyed The Langoliers. And my latest rental from Lovefilm - Inkheart - arrived this afternoon: after dinner (lamb steaks) we will settle down to a bit of fantasy.

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Thursday, July 23, 2009

sunflowers My sunflowers are coming along nicely. Kai is now home until the 1st of September - and relieved to be so. It's been a long, hard term for all the kids. As usual we don't have anything too specific planned: we want to have a go on the mini-London Eye at Weston-super-Mare, and a trip to Clevedon is also likely. We also want to spend a day exploring Cardiff Bay (catch a train from Cardiff Central to Roald Dahl Plass this time instead of walking!) For the rest, I'm trying to persuade sprog that inviting friends over, or visiting them, or going cycling with them are really good ideas: flattering as it is that he enjoys spending time with me, it worries me sometimes that he's not more sociable...
So, this evening we're settling down with pizza and chips and The Langoliers (which finally arrived yesterday), then tonight I'll be carrying on with a small project I have on the go to celebrate this blog's seventh anniversary.
Tomorrow I shall mostly be making burgers...

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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

An odds and sods sort of a day, a lot of tidying up and clearing emails. Some client site stuff. A little (very little, given the weather) garden tending.
[sigh] Kai has coming home snuffling and coughing...

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Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Well, the marrow was amazing, firm and sweet and silky as opposed to the usual watery, bland and soggy of shop-bought ones. I think steaming it with the other veg helped, mind you.
Yesterday I tried making couscous with sautéed courgettes, peppers and onions, which worked rather well too!
I have three Galia melons coming (if all goes well and they keep on developing).
We watched Desperate Romantics this evening. It's quite fun - though I was dismayed to hear Aiden Turner (Rossetti - also Mitchell the vampire in Being Human) say 'OK' very early on in the episode. However, it turns out that the term was in use in the 19th century, although whether it was in such common use as today is open to question. It jarred, in any case. As did Walter's 'Hi'. I expect better of the BBC.

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Vampires ... my time is out of joint...
Probably comes of being abruptly woken up after another very late night from very strange dreams half an hour after Ken had left for court, by a courier hammering on the door, delivering our author's copies of the Vampire and Werewolf books. They look fantastic - we're very pleased. Though they're a lot bigger than we thought they were going to be!
Tried to go back to sleep afterwards, but couldn't, so got up, and now I feel disorientated and just a bit tired.
marrow

<- First marrow of the year.


caterpillar


Cute caterpillar ->


I am a little concerned about Tyjer. Over the last three days he's suddenly become very nervous, hesitant and twitchy, checking around every corner before stepping out and flinching at things he's ignored up to now. The last two nights he's charged around the house, tail lashing, staring out of windows and scrabbling at his catflap. Not sure if it was another cat or just the hedgehog: next week, when Kai's on holiday, I'll see if he fancies spending a bit of the night in the garden so we can check.
Other than that he's fine, but after him gaining self-confidence it's no fun to see.
CATapillar
CATapillar!

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Monday, July 20, 2009

So, it looks like the barbecue will be on Saturday 15th August. That gives me time to blackmail the burgers, marinade the mushrooms, chastise the chicken pieces and get the rest of the edibles organised, and for us to check that the barbecue is still in working order (and that we have everything we need for it). Also gives me time - and a reason - to clean the house thoroughly (stepladders and dusters and Mr Sheen ahoy!) And also to petition the weather gods for a really nice day so we can actually have the barbecue in the garden rather than in the house...
... thought I'd something more to say...

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Sunday, July 19, 2009

Monsoon weather. But both water butts are full to brimming (the new one works perfectly - thanks GoodTwin!) and so is the temp bin-butt, so I'm all set for a while.
Relaxed day today...
Lutra and I were discussing exercise routines, and whether a bit of weight training might be good for Kai, on Skype:
Joules: He's a fish. We don't do routines. Lutra: [smirk] there is that. [nods] we'd have taken over the world by now if we could just stick to schedule.... If we could see the point of it! Well quite!
It would certainly be an interesting (as in 'may you live in interesting times') world. If I remember rightly, Sue was waiting for it to happen...

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LOLpingwin
This one tickles me. I know EXACTLY how he feels.

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Saturday, July 18, 2009

sky
Interesting sky this morning...
Much more successful day today, even if most of it was household stuff. Managed some major greenhouse tending, got a wash out and dried before the rain rolled in, did a Tesco shop while Ken mowed front and back, picked courgettes, aubergines and a swede (was given a handful of surplus seedlings by an APAG member. We like swedes, but they take up too much ground space for me to want to grow them regularly) for tonight's curry. In a few minutes, when Kai's finished what he's in the middle of, we're watching at least one of the last three TW2 eps. And I have tonight planned too... [beg]
large tomatoesfist sized tomatoes <- I have quite a few of these Black Russian Heritage tomatoes coming.
They are... rather large...-> The aim is to keep most of these for cooking - blanch and freeze them and use them for spagbols, chillis, and anything else that uses a tomato base, over the winter. Just one of these fist-sized monsters is equal to at least one tin of chopped organic toms. It'll be a while before they're ready though: when they're ripe they go the colour of aubergines.
Several of the Stupice Heritage toms are now turning red. They aren't quite so big, and we'll be using them for eating raw (they're wonderfully sweet - we had the first one last week).
I've found a simple recipe for a cucumber and apple chutney that I might try, if we can't eat all the cucumbers I have coming. It's been years since I've made any (and that was my mum's easy Green Tomato Chutney) but Ken and I really like chutney/pickle/relish, and I do so hate wasting food, especially when I've grown it!

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Friday, July 17, 2009

It was one of those days I'd like to reboot. I've accomplished nothing except to watch the next two eps of TW2 (which, admittedly, are favourites - A Day in the Life and Something Borrowed, the latter of which makes me chuckle, which had Kai glancing askance at me until he picked up on the comedy...)
Hopefully tomorrow will be more productive.

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Thursday, July 16, 2009

The performance was great - the school has some very talented kids!
Kai now wants a bass guitar...

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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

News in brief:Vampires front cover
This -> is the final cover for the Vampire book. Although it's not as sexy as the first concept, it's more age-appropriate, and not too bad at all - I rather like the androgyny and the mysterious smile.
I finally have courgettes developing, as opposed to turning yellow and dying. No, no idea why they were doing that. Courgettes are supposed to be one of the easiest vegetables to grow but I haven't had much success with them this last three years...
On the other hand, my marrows are doing splendidly, and tomorrow, in between the forecast rain, I really should organise the little hammocks I use to keep them off the ground (and out of the reach of pests).
My sweet peppers now have lots of flowers. Unfortunately, they also have some strange kind of pest, looks like a cross between a tiny semi-transparent slug and a maggot, two of my least favourite beasties. They're easy enough to get rid of - brush them off onto a sheet of kitchen towel and squash them - but inspecting the plants for them is time consuming and less than pleasant. [sigh]
I can't believe the size of the Black Russian tomatoes I have developing. There will be photos...
I'm thinking the second or third week of August for the barbecue. What do people have on those two weeks?
We're up to Dead Man Walking on TW2, and Kai is loving it.
Early night, I think. Busy day and evening tomorrow - Kai's school drama thing. He spent a few minutes this evening raggedly cutting the sleeves off the T-shirt - and we've had to buy a black tie, as that's part of the outfit. He doesn't know why they all have to have black ties, just that they do.
I'm quite looking forward to the performance!

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Skype:
Lutra: yu haz a basemant and ceiling cat vizitashions?
Joules: we haz! Didn't have camera, alas. CC was absolutely pure white - never seen him before. Spotted him easily from landing window. BC kind of slinks along fast and fluidly; his tail is amazing. Longest tail I've seen on a cat and so fluffy!
Gorgeous! Penny's floofycat has a tail like that. And he's all black as well. Amazing tail, it's like a feather boa!
Exactly! That's it! Heh - you has son of BC?
LOLOL! I better let Penny know. None of us have realised it so far! BC disguises hisself wit de kewt...
He does! But there's prob just one of them - uses space warps to travel round the world... Heh, quantum Basement Cat!
Ah, the toolbox of de godz...we haz noweres to hide...
Says it all, I think.

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[bemused] We occasionally get Basement Cat flitting through the garden (he has a very long and fluffy tail). But at 4.15 this morning we were also blessed with a visitation from Ceiling Cat (whose tail is equally long but not fluffy), who made a circuit of Kai's railway track before loping regally away...
This is slightly alarming. That's Lutra's territory. Heh, over here we have the Environment Agency Flood Watch, over there they have Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre...

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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

hedgehog Back's been killing me for the last two days, so today I took it easy, had a lie-in and did as little moving around as possible: this evening Kai and I watched Torchwood 2 eps 4-6 (which includes Meat, which always makes me cry). Back is feeling much better tonight, so keeping fingers crossed it'll be back to normal tomorrow.
Nipped out for a slug-hunt at twilight: found and slaughtered a few large ones, then on my way back down the garden was brought up short by our hedgehog, standing outside the greenhouse door pretending to be a garden ornament! Absolutely gorgeous, but in the ten or so seconds it took me to nip back into the house and grab my camera he'd scarpered. So I stood for five minutes, listening, and eventually heard him up by the log scramble, and was able to get this pic. Not as good a shot as the earlier one would have been, but still cute. I'm not sure if he has something wrong with his left eye, but since he seems very fit and healthy - and well-fed - I'm going to assume he's fine and leave him to his nocturnal wanderings.
(Talking about garden ornaments, this one tickled me...)

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I wonder how many other people find that Barclaycard waterslide advert absolutely compelling? I have to stop whatever I'm doing and watch it every time I hear the first three notes. My stomach lurches and my hands tingle when he goes over that insane and real-life-illegal open drop at the beginning, [grin] it's fantastic.
Pity they didn't choose someone a little more... tasty for it though.
Heh, found it on Youtube! Enjoy....

Or here if it's jerky.

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Monday, July 13, 2009

Heh, apparently the Vampire and Werewolf books are going to be sold in Holland - presumably in Dutch. If so, that'll be six languages in which we're published!
Watched the first three TW2 eps this evening... Great stuff.

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Back from a jaunt up to Broadwalk, during which, res mirabila!, I did not get wet. It was a successful trip too - managed to get everything I went for, including a white T-shirt (on a BOGOF at the PDSA charity shop) for Kai's school drama thing on Thursday (a bit miffed about that, as tickets are limited, have been available since the end of last month, but Kai's group tutor only gave them the newsletters on Friday. I will not be happy if the tickets are sold out): apparently it's based on Camp Rock and he plays bass guitar in it. Will need to organise lifts or buses for it, as it ends at 9.
Also picked up a pair of heavy-duty gardening gloves that actually fit! And some wine finings, so I can start clearing the dandelion wine ready for bottling. There weren't any DVDs though. Although that's probably a good thing, as Torchwood Season 2 arrived this morning...

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[bemused blink] This is very strange and quite amusing in a grim and somewhat macabre way...

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Sunday, July 12, 2009

The forecast said rain: in reality we had blazing sun. So we spent the afternoon doing a little more work on the square at the top of the garden. It's going to be really nice when we've finished!
My back hurts now though. Only muscular, but it makes bending a bit tricky...
Kai fancied a film tonight, so we rented Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the 1978 version) from FilmFlex. Rather enjoyed it, though again I think I prefer the original.

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Heart's topography finalised and posted on the Haadri site. Most of the tabs are blank as yet: I have a lot of work to do getting the text into the correct format then uploading. Will try to do that over the next few weeks.

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Saturday, July 11, 2009

Kai plays music by ear. For someone like me, who doesn't read music or play an instrument, it's quite wonderful. We were watching the Utopia/Sound of Drums/Last of the Timelords DVD last night, and sprog commented on that very pretty theme that runs through the last ep. He thought he might be able to play it if he could hear it properly...
Cue a quick online search. I found the soundtrack for Season 3 on amazon, with little snippets of the tracks: thought it was either from Martha's Quest or Martha Triumphant, so bought both mp3s to check (it's actually from the last part of Martha's Quest). Emailed it over to Kai's machine (heh, might have been quicker to use the pendrive!) then went for a shower. By the time I got back down he had it worked out on the keyboard.
Bright spark, my son.
T O R C H W O O D S P O I L E R
Now, I understand that Torchwood is for adults. I understand that in such dramas people die, that major characters die. Hell, I kill off my own major characters on occasion. But generally, if you're going to kill off a main character in a phenomenon like Torchwood, you give the death a purpose, either heroic like Tosh and Owen, or because it's necessary, like Suzie. If nothing else, it provides closure for the viewers, who have often become emotionally involved with the characters.
Ianto's death was pointless. It served no purpose - other than to make Jack look stupid and vainglorious. He knew about the virus. I refuse to believe he wouldn't have considered the 456 to be treacherous, that he could possibly be so trusting. In effect, he is responsible for Ianto's death by challenging the bloody thing. To have Ianto die like that was vicious and spiteful on the part of the writer. It doesn't even add to any sympathy we might have felt for Jack the tragic, undying figure alone again, as it was his fault.
There's optimistic talk on the forums and lists that Torchwood could rise again, possibly headed by Gwen in an admin role, with Lois as the first recruit - though it would be a different entity. After all, Jack created Torchwood 3. It can never be the same without him. There's talk about Jack meeting up with the Doctor again, perhaps them voyaging together for a time. It's even possible, I suppose, that Jack could have his own spinoff series, fighting for the downtrodden as he travels among the stars. At this point, I really don't care. As Lutra said, I feel betrayed.
Davies, what were you thinking?


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Friday, July 10, 2009

Torchwood
oh...

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Veg bed Two hours gardening - my legs are aching...
I'd forgotten how big marrow plants can grow. Still, it was a good excuse to pick the Yugoslav red lettuce that that leaf was overshadowing, to make a salad to have with dinner tonight. I've been quite looking forward to seeing what they taste like.
But I have an embarrassment of cucumbers! Half the learning curve one still in the fridge, and I've had to pick another two this morning that had reached optimum size, and there are still quite a lot coming. Next year I shall try starting with one plant, and try growing a second once the first has reached full size. If it works, that could keep us in cumbles til the end of September (assuming the weather is reasonable).
Luckily we all like cumbles - and I've discovered that a) they're great for alleviating water retention (from which I occasionally suffer) and b) cut into 3/4 inch chunks and topped with prawns in home-made Rose Marie sauce they make a wonderful snack, or even lunch.
Greenhouse is a little tidier: I've removed some of the lower leaves of the tomatoes so I can actually get at the pots to water without it going everywhere, and found the first ripening tom, going a lovely orange colour. I've also planted out some more of the lettuce and a row of radish seeds.
I haven't heard the rooster in a few days, but we now have clucking hens up the road. Perhaps I ought to find out where they are and investigate trading cumbles for eggs!

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Thursday, July 09, 2009

Torchwood
NOOOOOOO...

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It's a fish 'n' chip day today, weather is distinctly cool for summer. I should have been gardening, but I've been trying to finalise the design of Heart instead. I'll try gardening again tomorrow...

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Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Torchwood...
0_0
Not sure I can wait for tomorrow... Very glad at how the 456 were depicted though, was all ready to be disappointed. Edit: finally ordered Torchwood series 2 today, along with the Dr Who DVD containing Blink (early Yule pressie for me).

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Tyjer doesn't like pigeons. I can't really blame him: woodpigeons are fine, but the feral ones? Rats with wings. And they keep robbing my birdtable. Little birds, Tyjer doesn't really mind. He'll chitter at them, and pretend to stalk them, but it's very half-hearted. Pigeons though - he hates 'em.
I was, nevertheless, a little startled when I wandered into the kitchen to find a large, quivering, traumatised, half-defeathered and bleeding pigeon in the middle of the floor while Tyjer nonchalantly ate beef in gravy from his bowl...
[rolls eyes] He'd caught it up at the birdtable and carried it home for mum, presumably for our dinner. He was so proud of himself too, purring up a storm and happy to be picked up and cuddled. We rang the RSPCA to find out what to do, and before the call dropped out the guy on the other end asked if we could hand it in at a vets' surgery. The only one open was up on the Wells Rd: Ken volunteered to carry it there. Luckily we had a big box: Jordans - Ken eats their organic muesli by the truckload - have a 'big buzz' on at the moment, and had sent us a free lavender plant in a box when I signed up, and the pigeon was too shocked to put up any fight. It's in the vet's hands now.
In better news, Kai had a wonderful day. Heh, there were only eight kids invited from each school! (We are dead proud.) He thoroughly enjoyed it, gave me a full run down of the day before dinner, and has signed up to the Robotic Visions forum they talked about. They had three experts there - one in medical, one in swarm, and one in generic robotics - and the kids split into groups of five or six to do all sorts of panels, discussions and presentations. Fantastic stuff!
Back later...

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cuke
The 'learning curve' cucumber...
[sigh] My main reason for going to Keynsham was to pick up finings for the dandelion wine from the homebrew centre - only, as I found out when I got there, it's closed on a Wednesday...
Still, I did check out the charity shops. Not that I found much - GetBackers 7, and the Tubular Bells CD. But it was a trip out, and I enjoyed the change.
Kai is at a robotics conference at @Bristol today (invite only). Needless to say we're dead chuffed he was invited. He won't be home til about 6.30 - getting lift from the B sprog's folks, with our thanks!
Later...
sleepy kit

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Uhuh. Definitely biteable.

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Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Torchwood... Whoa! Plot quickening or what? And Jack's bum is still as... I was going to say biteable but that might be taken the wrong way... shapely as it was in DW. Well, from that distance anyway... [grins] The ep is repeated on Beeb 3 in an hour, perhaps I ought to rewatch it. Just to be sure, you understand. In somewhat more mundane news, Kai's school has had the first case of swine flu. They aren't closing, just urging students to use tissues and wash their hands frequently and thoroughly. Planning on a morning in Keynsham, scouring the charity shops, tomorrow.

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sleepy cat sleepy cat

sleepy cat sleepy cat
Contented cat is contented...

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Monday, July 06, 2009

Torchwood... ... bloody hell... I am very glad the Beeb is showing them every day, and that I only have twenty two hours and 57 minutes to wait to find out what happens next as I don't think my blood pressure could stand the tension if I had to wait a whole week...

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So, Kai's day.
Well, it wasn't the adventure place to which I gave the link: it was in the middle of a horse paddock and consisted of a climbing tower, obstacle course, zipline (which wasn't in use) and the paintball area. Though I should have known, really, given the relatively inexpensive nature of the school trip that it probably wouldn't be all that wonderful.
Still, it was a day out, a nice coach ride there and back, he quite enjoyed the exercise (although he's now knackered and struggling to stay awake for Torchwood), he loves Wales anyway (he's part Welsh: Grandad Taylor is from around the Rhondda), and he had a bit of sun, a bit of a cobweb-shifting wind, and a goodly bit of fresh air. A schoolmate's mum gave him a lift back too, for which we are most appreciative. Plus it was a day off school, and what sprog could resist that?
So all in all, not too bad.
Me? I've been researching habitable zones around red subgiant and giant stars. Absolutely fascinating...

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engrish So cute and polite...

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Sunday, July 05, 2009

So I got Kai organised for tomorrow, we watched the last ep of The Sentinel (Vow of Silence, which has a beautiful piece of Enigma-esque music in it that I can't find a title for - shame as I'd love an mp3 of it) then Kai announced he fancied a film from FilmFlex, so we zapped over to see what they had, and as luck would have it they had the Keanu Reeves 2008 version of The Day the Earth Stood Still available. (I had this listed on LoveFilm - in fact, I'd better take it off my list... OK, done.)
Hm. Interesting. Intriguing start, with enough similarities to the original to make it feel familiar. Reeves was quite good (but then, his limited acting skills do make it easier for him to play the alien). The child was just annoying. What was added to the story was great: unfortunately it didn't make up for what was taken away. And the end was a complete huh? - very disappointing.
I'm hoping there'll be a double DVD set with the original and new films together. We don't have a DVD copy of the old, and the new was just interesting enough for me to want a copy but not to pay full price for it. (Keanu Reeves is a guilty pleasure, you see. And he's ageing rather nicely...)
Sue, I would recommend you don't see it, you'll end up tearing your hair out. You thought I, Robot was a travesty? It's not a patch on this.
ANYway. Kai enjoyed it, and it was interesting to see how it compares with the original.

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Square raked and tidied and the bramble roots dug up. Going to be a bit of a pain remortaring the wall, but it has to be done to make it safe. We've also made a start on removing the not-a-palm: the main stem had four 'heads' at the top, which made it a right nuisance to hack to pieces, but with Kai wielding the machete and Ken lugging the pieces they managed.
But that's taken all day. Aching even more now.
Tomorrow Kai's off to Porthcawl Activity Centre (i think that link is the right place). He's not really looking forward to it - tends to resist trying new things - but I think he'll enjoy it. (I would!)
Later...

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Saturday, July 04, 2009

Heh, tired and aching. But the square at the top of the garden is now cleared. I need to rake tomorrow, if I'm not too stiff, but otherwise it's not too bad at all.
Knackered though, all three of us. Having trouble keeping eyes open.

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sunrise The sky was also rather pretty at 4.45 this morning...

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Friday, July 03, 2009

Sunset The sky was pretty this evening... HAD to attempt a Tesco shop this morning, if for no other reason than that we had run out of storage space for the recyclables. The store was full of twirlies. Why was it full of twirlies? They usually go pension day, which always used to be Thursday, I'm sure. Fortunately I was able to keep the trolley rage at bay. N sprog and B sprog arrived at 2.30ish and all three tanked off to the Showcase for the film. I'd planned to settle down to some writing, but Ken wanted help marrying CSS and php, and somehow the afternoon just vanished. Sprogs enjoyed the film though - Kai said he thought it was better than the first one, although the other two kind of spoiled it for him by talking/commenting all the way through. [sigh] Tired now, and the skin of my hands is itching horribly (allergies again). Might be time for a piriteze... Torchwood 3 next week.

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Thursday, July 02, 2009

It was a good storm. Lasted about twenty minutes, refilled both pools, the main water butt and a quarter of the new one, and will save me watering for a day or two (maybe longer if it's cool tomorrow). Tyjer didn't particularly enjoy the thunder, but he also didn't run for cover...

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Large cucumber Started the day with a little gardening. Am now melting (which is not a pretty sight...) But the butternut squash seedlings are in the veg bed, the greenhouse is thoroughly watered and fed (the things in it, I mean, not the greenhouse itself. Though you probably realise that. Heh, I automatically qualify everything these days. Blame Kai. He can be incredibly literal minded at times), peas/mange tout/strawberries/blueberries picked, and the mange tout blanched and in the freezer ready for the winter. We already have more than we can eat. It's amazingly fast and prolific: one day the pod is fingernail sized, the next day it's two inches long and ready to harvest!
aubergines This
<-
is our fourth cumble. I could only just get it in the viewfinder at full arm's stretch. There's another one the same size almost ready to pick, and quite a few more coming. And they're really good, crisp and truly sweet, without the least hint of bitterness (which probably means they don't have quite as much iron in them as I'd prefer but you can't have everything).
Aubergines! ->
Very pleased about these, and tending them with tlc. Aubergines are one of the vegetables that Kai really likes.
Kai is on an inset day tomorrow: the plan is for the N sprog to cycle here and the two of them to go to see Transformers 2 (then presumably come back here for dinner). So looks like I'll have to go see it by myself. Heh, haven't done that for years!
Storms forecast for later...

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Wednesday, July 01, 2009

[blink] I could swear I saw Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage on the CSI tonight...
Heh. I did.
Day hot and busy. Night still hot, not so busy. Still yearning for that infinity pool...

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Ninja cat! Ninja kit!
Photo © Ken

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pool Right now all I want to be doing is cooling down in an infinity pool with something cold and tingly to drink.
But perhaps not this one, quite... (Infinity pool pic shamelessly stolen from here.)

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