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
09/01/2002 - 09/30/2002
10/01/2002 - 10/31/2002
11/01/2002 - 11/30/2002
12/01/2002 - 12/31/2002
01/01/2003 - 01/31/2003
02/01/2003 - 02/28/2003
03/01/2003 - 03/31/2003
04/01/2003 - 04/30/2003
05/01/2003 - 05/31/2003
06/01/2003 - 06/30/2003
07/01/2003 - 07/31/2003
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12/01/2003 - 12/31/2003
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02/01/2004 - 02/29/2004
03/01/2004 - 03/31/2004
04/01/2004 - 04/30/2004
05/01/2004 - 05/31/2004
06/01/2004 - 06/30/2004
07/01/2004 - 07/31/2004
08/01/2004 - 08/31/2004
09/01/2004 - 09/30/2004
10/01/2004 - 10/31/2004
11/01/2004 - 11/30/2004
12/01/2004 - 12/31/2004
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
08/01/2007 - 08/31/2007
09/01/2007 - 09/30/2007
10/01/2007 - 10/31/2007
11/01/2007 - 11/30/2007
12/01/2007 - 12/31/2007
01/01/2008 - 31/01/2008
01/02/2008 - 29/02/2008
03/01/2008 - 31/03/2008
01/04/2008 - 04/30/2008
01/05/2008 - 31/05/2008
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01/11/2008 - 31/11/2008
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01/01/2013 - 31/01/2013
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01/11/2014 - 30/11/2014
01/12/2014 - 31/12/2014
01/01/2015 - 31/01/2015
01/02/2015 - 28/02/2015
01/03/2015 - 31/03/2015
01/04/2015 - 30/04/2015
01/05/2015 - 31/05/2015
01/06/2015 - 30/06/2015
01/07/2015 - 31/07/2015
01/08/2015 - 31/08/2015
01/09/2015 - 30/09/2015
01/10/2015 - 31/10/2015
01/11/2015 - 31/11/2015
01/12/2015 - 31/12/2015
01/01/2016 - 31/01/2016
01/022016 - 28/02/2016
01/03/2016 - 31/03/2016
01/04/2016 - 31/04/2016
01/05/2016 - 31/05/2016
01/06/2016 - 30/06/2016
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01/10/2016 - 31/10/2016
01/11/2016 - 31/11/2016
01/12/2016 - 31/12/2016
01/01/2017 - 31/01/2017
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01/03/2017 - 31/03/2017
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01/06/2017 - 30/06/2017
01/07/2017 - 31/07/2017
01/08/2017 - 31/08/2017
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01/10/2017 - 31/10/2017
01/11/2017 - 30/11/2017
01/12/2017 - 31/12/2017
01/01/2018 - 31/01/2018
01/02/2018 - 28/02/2018
01/03/2018 - 31/03/2018
01/04/2018 - 30/04/2018
01/05/2018 - 31/05/2018
01/06/2018 - 30/06/2018
01/07/2018 - 31/07/2018
01/08/2018 - 31/08/2018
01/09/2018 - 30/09/2018
01/10/2018 - 31/10/2018
01/11/2018 - 30/11/2018
01/12/2018 - 31/12/2018
01/01/2019 - 31/01/2019
01/02/2019 - 28/02/2019
01/03/2019 - 31/03/2019
01/04/2019 - 30/04/2019
01/05/2019 - 31/05/2019
01/06/2019 - 30/06/2019
01/07/2019 - 31/07/2019
01/08/2019 - 31/08/2019
01/09/2019 - 30/09/2019
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
01/04/2021 - 30/04/2021
01/05/2021 - 31/05/2021
01/06/2021 - 30/06/2021
01/07/2021 - 31/07/2021
01/08/2021 - 31/08/2021
01/09/2021 - 30/09/2021
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
01/09/2022 - 30/09/2022
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

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Pretty usual Sunday.

Kai really enjoyed himself yesterday and says they plan to do it again, which is great!

I'm pretty sure I forgot to say, but my fasting glucose blood test came back as perfectly normal - so no more borderline diabetic! The focus on the healthy food has obviously done it's job. And it's such a habit now it's very unlikely to change.

Lutra posted a pic, earlier, on tumblr of a model of Spock - knitting a rainbow scarf...

Flare: why is Spock knitting?
Lutra: why not? : )
No, why? It's not part of his duties, and there's plenty of other more useful stuff he could be doing, so why knitting?
It was posted by a knitter, that's why.
... of course it was....
The same way bakers will post him baking something.
[headdesk] OK.
This is where fandoms/hobbies collide.
... if you say so... I'll have to photo my transformers helping in the garden....
Yeah! [g] That's the idea.
Actually - that would be fun.... Megs overseeing everyone, Ratchets digging, Wheeljack pruning things with his swords, and various Starscreams not helping...
LOLOL!
Ninja Prowl is very light - I could have him meditating on top of a tomato plant.... goids dammit, now look what you've done! I have to take 'em all out to the greenhouse for a photo session!!!


Later.

There will be photographs...

Labels: ,





1 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

[blinks] [checks top of page] Yup, that's surreal... ;)

10:31 pm  



Saturday, June 29, 2013

Off into town a little later than intended, and the trip was only partly successful. I managed to get a pot of bentonite (for fining the wine) and Kai bought some spare strings for his new guitar, but the nut files he wants are rather expensive and he'd have to order them. They aren't something most shops will carry. He may be able to substitute jewellery making files for the time being.

He's been out this evening, at Weatherspoon's with a group of friends from John Cabot.

The garden...


Large bay shrub (apparently the tree can grow to 66 foot if you let it so probably best not to...) before cutting.


Denuded shrub! Took a couple of hours - no wonder my arms are aching...


That conifer is the next to go...





3 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

It makes me feel very old to hear mini-Bodie is off to the pub... :)

10:40 am  
Blogger Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor said...

Uhuh. How do you think I feel?! *g*
That being said he doesn't drink - not yet, anyway. We've offered, but I don't think he likes the smell (or the way it makes others behave...)

8:04 pm  
Blogger GoodTwin said...

egads! Not only grown-up, but sensible too! :)

10:30 pm  



Friday, June 28, 2013

Busy. But good. More wall, and the bay tree is now a stump (photos tomorrow, too dark now). Just take it as read that legs and back are aching (hands too, today). Tomorrow Kai and I are off into town. He needs a file, I need wine-making stuff. We'll check out the charity shops as we go along.

Labels: ,





0 Comments:



Wednesday, June 26, 2013

supermoon


This was the best photo Ken could manage of this month's supermoon. It rose so far to the southeast we had to lean out of the upstairs windows to see it!


The usual Wednesday shopping, and after lunch Ken made a start on the wall. I'd estimate it's going to take about four goes of a couple of hours each to finish the job, which isn't too bad at all.

And I've made a start on the bay tree - taken off about a sixth. It's a big job. I hadn't realised quite how big the tree has grown. I've taken six cuttings to start with - fingers crossed. (I need to take lots of photos to show progress...)

Kai has now caught up with Deep Space 9 and we're ready to watch the latest ep tomorrow at 2 pm!

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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Busy but satisfying.

Kai moved the pile of dead ivy from one side of the elder tree to the other, freeing up the wall so Ken can finally finish the repair. Then any rocks left over will go to redesigning the rockery. While he was doing that I planted the next batch of dwarf beans and did a little weeding.

Then after lunch I cuddled feather wile Kai cleaned out the tank - replaced the bedding, added the new stick, and then I fed her the greenhouse-warmed rat weaner. Happy happy snake!

It takes an hour these days to close up in the garden, what with feeding the birds, picking strawberries and mange tout, watering in the greenhouse, the upright stand and potting table, and any new veg bed plantings, and my legs are, as usual, killing me. But I now have two hours with legs up, watching the last ep of Touch season 2 and the nest ep of Defiance.

I really must make a start on next!Poppy...

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Monday, June 24, 2013

Guilty confession time...

I've wanted a Transformers: Animated Prowl since I first watched the series, but the figure was far too expensive (between 40 and 60 dollars). Then a month or so ago I found a job lot on ebay - nine figures (OP, Ratchet (regular and rescue), Bee, Lockdown, Soundwave with Laserbeak, Jazz (Jazz is another favourite) - and Prowl) in fair condition but lacking weapons and accessories and instructions, for £40. I ummed and ahhed for a bit, then told Ken. Who said buy 'em for my birthday. (I usually display them without weapons anyway, and transforming instructional videos are readily available on Youtube.)

The box arrived today, and of course I had to open it to check everything was OK. [g] And then Ken said I could have one now.

Well, the one turned into two. Meet Jazz and Prowl.


Jazz is without his nunchakus, which transform from the missing exhausts, which is a shame, but not urgent. I might be able to pick them up as spares. But Prowl did come with his shuriken, which transform from his outer hubcaps!


Dead chuffed. Really good articulation and very show accurate, and with very little wear. At the moment they're on my desk grouped with TFA Starscream, but where I'm going to put everyone after my birthday I really don't know...

In other news, the white cooking whine (where'd that come from? I mean wine, of course) is now bottled, and Kai's guitar arrived and he's over the moon with it. All in all it's been a good day.

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1 Comments:

Blogger Sue said...

Hee. There are worse confessions *G*

5:39 pm  



Sunday, June 23, 2013

rainbows

Photo © Ken. This describes today pretty accurately...

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3 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

coooo... :)

8:45 am  
Blogger Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor said...

Latest crop - we're growing rainbows now...

3:00 pm  
Blogger Sue said...

Oh that's a lovely picture!

5:38 pm  



Saturday, June 22, 2013

After all the work we've done on the garden just recently I've been feeling all enthusiastic and wanted to get things moving on the plan for the front and the intended changes to the back, so today Kai and I went off to Weston-super-Mare for a breath of sea air (and two wonderful artisan loaves - red onion and Cheddar and sunblush tomatoes and basil - from Winnie's Bakery) and then back via Cadbury Garden Centre at Congresbury, where I found crickets for Rosa and bedding and a new sturdy stick for Feather, but not one of the plants on my list. Shall have to try elsewhere. There are at least plenty of centres in the area.

After dinner we watched Tower Heist, which was great fun. I like the way Stiller films start off perfectly normally and get more and more surreal - and nutty - as they progress...

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Friday, June 21, 2013

Happy Summer Solstice!

Tiring day...

Kai wanted a seven string, 24 fret electric guitar. "Hm." I thought to myself. "Bet they're expensive." And indeed they are, anything from £300 to upwards of £2,000. So yesterday off we trotted to ebay.

Where we found an absolute beauty with a starting price of £30. That won't last long I thought to myself, but put it on my watch list anyway. Heh. Today the price was £403 (and rising as we watched the bidding). But then we found one at £199 (plus £10 p&p) - Shechter make, which I'd heard of favourbly. Checked all the details and Kai was pleased - so he bought it.

Well, I bought it and he paid me back. We treated him to the express delivery option.

Very happy sprog!

Later he came and helped me in the garden: between us we cleared the lower staging (where I keep all my tools: it's too dark to grow anything) and tidied everything up. It looks great! In the meantime Ken mowed and weeded - and we've decided that the rockery conifer and the bay tree will have to go. (Too big and too much work.) The whole rockery area will be getting a redesign and there will be photos. We also have a plan for the front garden - finally!

I'd noticed we had a few strawberries coming so said I'd pick what was ripe: might just be enough for a garnish with ice cream.

But this happened while I wasn't looking...


They were delicious...

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2 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

Oh, nice buy with the guitar. I'm pleased to hear Kai's still enthusiastic about his music.

Those strawbs look good... There's been a lot of explosive growing in our garden as well - mainly weeds though...

10:21 am  
Blogger Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor said...

Yeah, we gots lots o' them too...
And yes - still loves it and still plays. We suggested he see about joining or forming a band at Uni.

12:02 am  



Thursday, June 20, 2013

[sigh] This'll be why Kai and I have permanent sniffles...

His Physics went fairly well. There was even a question about Alexander Litvinenko, the Russian spy who died of radiation poisoning (polonium). (To my amazement I know the name and what had happened to him without Kai elaborating.) Sprog is now on holiday until September...

In other news: racked the white cooking wine, which has now done its stuff and is nearly ready for bottling, and got the elderflower on the go (one demijon of elderflower and white grape, and the semi-demijon is pure elderflower. Be interesting to see how it turns out).

I woke up with a headache and it hasn't shifted all day, damn it. Will take the last lot of today's 'prufen shortly and maybe have yet another early night.

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3 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

Pollution levels in Winchester are pretty bad as well - I'm sure we were on a similar list not so long ago. It's possibly more contained in a smaller area here though.

11:42 pm  
Blogger Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor said...

And yet Winchester always smelt so wonderfully *clean* - and my snuffles were much better there. Has it got worse since I last visited?

11:54 pm  
Blogger GoodTwin said...

I think the main problems were about the city centre which can get quite bad with traffic on occasion in the one-way systems, but within the wider area the city centre is quite small.
I'm certainly not conscious of any air problems locally.

6:56 am  



Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Up earlier than I really needed to but woke up early and it was too hot to go back to sleep. So I got the Sapo potatoes covered (final layer), elderflowers cropped and washed for the elderflower wine I'm making this year, a little weeding done and a wash put through before I had to head up to the surgery for the fasting blood test (nowt to eat since 10 pm yesterday). Can ring for results next Tuesday pm and will take it from there.

Walked back down and dived into Tesco, hoping to be able to get everything I needed, but the meat on their deli counter was horrible: I wouldn't give it to Tyjer, let alone make K&K's sandwiches with it. So it was back home then over to Sainsbug's. Legs aching...

Kai said yesterday's Maths A Level was dreadful - and not just him, everyone was rather dismayed. However, he should have enough credit from his course work to cover any problems (and that there is why that pig-ignorant git Gove should never be in charge of education. He doesn't have the first idea how the whole thing - and the kids' minds - work...)

Last exam tomorrow - Physics. He's feeling quietly confident (and again he has enough credit that he need not panic) but is really looking forward to everything being over.

So am I!

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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Not quite so early today - 10 to 7 after getting to bed at just after 10.30. Woken up with coffee and screaming backache from having slept so long. [grump] Can't win.

HOWEVER... Remember I found a so-called Beast Hunters Starscream figure and complained about how ugly it is? On researching further I discovered that that version is the American one and there was, in fact, a much more stylish Japanese version - same basic design but much better colours.

So I ordered one. On the 12th June, in fact. Reasonable price (although the postage was almost as much as the figure - it's to be a Yule present...)

Estimated delivery date, July 13th. He arrived this morning. SIX DAYS!!


[bemused] I've never been a -san before!


That's so sweet!


And he has the trademark smirk. I'll take a closer, better photo when he's out of the box.

As for the GO! marque... rumour is the Japanese animated Transformers Go! is to be imported, dubbed and billed as the followup to Prime. I caught a snippet of it on Tumblr the other day. It looks like the truly horrible Beast Wars 2. I am disappoint. (Of course, it is only a rumour right now...)

In other news - Feather has shed yet again! Took her out for a cuddle earlier and she's also larger around the middle than she was - I may have to increase the size of her rats...

Kai's Psychology went OK. He's reasonably happy about it. Pure Maths today - should be fine.

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2 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

hee, Joules Taylor-san.
I'm slightly bemused by the soy sauce - where exactly are you supposed to put it? :)

And you have a fat snake?

11:06 pm  
Blogger Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor said...

Unscrew the little cap, squeeze the sides, dip the nozzle into the sauce, let go the sides so the sauce is sucked in, put top back on and place fish into your lunch box with your sushi.
She's not fat, exactly, but she is a little larger than she was: she's shed four times since we got her...

3:34 pm  



Monday, June 17, 2013

[sigh] Got to bed at 1.30 am, woke up at 5.20 am and couldn't get back to sleep - tired now again. Oh joy.

Remember I said I bought tall mange tout by mistake but thought we'd give them a go anyway? They're pretty...


We have escaped cereals growing in the meadow (escaped from the bird table I mean). Not entirely sure what this is - barley?


It's pretty. It's also almost as tall as I am...

Deep Space Nine is being re-shown daily at 6 pm on the SyFy Channel. Kai's never seen it but remembers me saying it was my favourite of the whole franchise, so we will be watching... Missed the first two eps (shown last week before we realised: luckily a fandub is available on Youtube) and he won't be able to catch this week's because of exams (Psychology today - the slightly easier one with questions on addiction, schizophrenia and recent research) so I am recording them for him for a fest over the weekend.

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2 Comments:

Blogger Sue said...

Ooh, like sweet peas you can eat *G* And yes, DS9 was easily the best of the franchises. Enjoy the rewatch and I hope you feel better soon!

5:24 pm  
Blogger Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor said...

*g* They are nice aren't they? And the pods are golden, apparently. Will make a colourful change on the plate.
DS9 will be great fun, once we're got the schedule sorted so we can watch it properly.
And thanks - getting noticeably better all the time...

6:56 pm  



Sunday, June 16, 2013

Did I get that wrong and not actually upload the chapter? Eh well, it's done now.

Ken had an OK Fathers' Day, I think. It was pretty much as usual for me. The antibios are working though - the raw weeping patches have now healed up and the painful redness is easing. Course doesn't finish til Thursday but so far so good...

Knackered again. Have to wait up til midnight to take last antibio of the day, then I'm straight to sleep.

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The Poppy Tales 

Tenth part of New World 2 - Loss - now posted over at The Poppy Tales (link above).

Enjoy!


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Saturday, June 15, 2013

Warm sunshine, cool to cold winds, showers and the occasional downpour - lovely weather. Ken has gone to Frome for the day, I'm writing the next Poppy chapter, Kai is revising.

In the garden, the pyracantha has finally burst into bloom (our Insecticons will be happy!)


and the elder tree is looking fairly magnificent too. May have to prune it this autumn, it's getting rather large...

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Friday, June 14, 2013

Cold day. Didn't get a lot done, but the meds are making me a little glaikit. Kai and I did manage to get netting over the fruit, struggling against the wind - the blueberries are all turning blue, and the raspberries are swelling too, so it was time - and I got some more marrows and sweet pepper seed on the go in the greenhouse, and split the catmint (currently in pots until I can get one to set seed. Hoping to be able to plant a patch of it next year...)

But that's about it. And since I can't drink with these antibios I can't have my usual Friday night vodka and coke or three, which is grumpworthy. May have to take an early night again...

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Thursday, June 13, 2013

[sigh] So I woke up to find the unbearably itchy what-I-thought-was-a-rash on my lower abdomen had spread and was rather painful, rang the surgery, they had an appointment for 10.50, got the bus up there and saw a doctor I haven't seen before. She took one look, winced, and prescribed me a week's worth of amoxocillin 500mg (3 a day) and flucloxacillin 500mg (4 a day on an empty stomach). And gave me a followup appointment for next week, and had me book a repeat diabetes blood test. Oh joy.

Still, it's nice to be taken seriously. I'm sure one of the reasons I loathe going to the doctors so much is the way I was treated when I was younger: they always made me feel I was wasting their time.

Not wanting to wait half an hour for the bus back, I walked home, diving into Tesco on the way - where I found this:

salt and pepper bots

Irresistible - so I didn't.

[grin] You wind them up and point them in the direction of the person wanting salt or pepper and they trundle off merrily. Ken found them disturbing. I think they're so cute!

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1 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

oh, creepi-cute... :)

Hope the itch goes away and it's nothing serious.

10:44 pm  



Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Wednesdays are usually fairly busy and today was no exception. Post office and Sainsbury's (where I picked up the Cyberverse Beast Hunters OP and Predaking to be put away for Yule) first, then up to Broadwalk to pick up bird food then a walk back down the hill to Tesco...

Found this in the newsagents at Broadwalk...


It's kind of cute and quite tasty but I couldn't get all the wheels to fit on the axles...

And Tesco had a Cyberverse Smokescreen! Dead chuffed about that one as I wasn't sure they were going to release a version.


Also found Immortals for £1.99 in a charity shop. We'd debated seeing this (in 3D I think) at the cinema but didn't get 'round to it - and I'm rather glad we didn't waste the money. Scenery's pretty but the rest is brutal, violent and pointless... Ah well.

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1 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

hee, crispy Transformers :D

8:05 am  



Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Heuchera flowers.

Well, the rain has brightened up the garden and half filled the almost empty main water-butt, and - crossing fingers - my slug pubs, eggshells and half-hourly slug hints have kept everything from being eaten, so far...

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Monday, June 10, 2013

The Poppy Tales 

Later edit: ninth part of New World 2 - Consternations - now posted over at The Poppy Tales (link above).

Enjoy!


Up at 6.45 a.m. to make Kai toast for breakfast and see him off. It's become a family tradition when he has exams (even when I've only had three hours sleep...)

So I took advantage: put a wash through (not so nice today but it should dry, and that's my wash basket now empty), planted out the latest batch of mange tout, got some more pak choi, dwarf beans and lettuces on the go and repotted the new 'Bella' cucumber plant.

And took some photos!

The newly expanded veg bed (and how it used to look, though from the other direction):

Heuchera bed:

And this little cutie is a primula!


Hoping to have Poppy finished and posted soon ...

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Sunday, June 09, 2013

Knackered again.

Did the Sunday shop while Ken finished the extension to the veg bed (rebuilding the little 'wall' and emptying the lovely rich compost from the large bin to fill up the dip in the corner), then he headed off to Bath, just for a break, while I moved my red heuchera (it's survived and is coming along fine but colourwise it was in the wrong position), did some weeding, watered, dug up and replanted several dozen new bulbs of the yellow frilly tulips that appeared in the show bed, planted the new yarrow, and considered how to organise the veg bed next year. I'll take photos soon.

Kai has Psychology A Level tomorrow afternoon. He's not looking forward to it.

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Saturday, June 08, 2013

... knackered...

There were three essentials that had to be done today: top up the greenhouse waterbutt from the main one, top up the compost over the potatoes, which were all peeking through, and plant out the sweetcorn. Kai did the water while I did the spuds, then we both planted sweetcorn (with Kai doing all the bending down). Thirty-seven seedlings! But they all seem happy, so that's good.

In the meantime Ken stripped all the turf from the 'path' between the main bed and the pea and mange tout bed - less grass to mow, less places for the gastropods to hide, and a little more growing space. But it was back-aching work, and he's sore too tonight.

Anyway, that took all afternoon. We also washed the winter downie: it's been on the rotary dryer all day in the sun. It's not quite dry but should finish overnight.

And I've even managed to get three and a half pages of next!Poppy written! Not bad for one day. May have to take another early night though...

Oh, and Harvey Nichols emailed back to say they've taken our address off their database as I asked, and to get back to them if I have any further problems. Good on them!

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Friday, June 07, 2013

Kai was reasonably satisfied with the Maths exam (it was applied maths. The pure maths exam is week after next), which is great (he's usually very good at judging how he's done). Next week is Psychology and Computing. He's fairly relaxed. I'm a nervous wreck.

Oh, and someone from Bristol Uni rang him yesterday evening, to recommend he apply for a specific scholarship. It appears they are keeping a close-ish eye on him! Guess they really want him...

In the garden - the first courgette has flowered, and there are a lot more coming. The first pea flowers have appeared too. The dry weather is at least deterring the gastropods, giving everything a good chance to get big enough that a little damage won't kill them. It's also making it easier to weed (dry soil means roots have little foothold and pull up easier), so the con of having to water by hand is outweighed by the pros.

I'm sure there was something else but I can't remember what it was...

Oh, yes... Got an invite to a Harvey Nichols sale preview - only it wasn't addressed to me, but to someone I've never heard of. I vaguely remember getting another piece of mail addressed to the same person (I think) a couple of weeks ago: with that one I just wrote 'not here, return to sender'. But to get a second piece, especially for somewhere that expensive? You know how security-paranoid I am. Got straight onto Harvey Nichols telling them this person DOES NOT LIVE HERE and never has in the 22 years we've owned the house. (Of course it's not a place I'd ever use.) Now waiting to hear back from them confirming they got my email and have removed our address from their database. (Also paid for an Equifax report, which all looked fine.) Will let you know what happens...

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1 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

Good to hear Kai takes it all in his stride :)

Re: the mail, it could (hopefully) be a pure mistake. For several years, every few months, we got misdirected mail which turned out to be for No. 30 (including the DVLA registration pack for their new car!) and it looked as though whoever wrote the details missed the 0 or wrote it so poorly it wasn't transferred properly. That address seemed to get onto a database somewhere which generated junk mail.

10:00 am  



Thursday, June 06, 2013

Early night actually materialised - 11 pm! Must be a record. Unfortunately it didn't help much as I slept very badly, and was up at 6.30 to make Kai some toast and see him off (he seems to like me saying good bye and good luck when he has exams...)

Then it was washing, greenhouse tending (sweetcorn now out to harden off a bit - roots are out the bottom of the rolls, so they'll have to go in the ground at the weekend), making a batch of buckwheat pancakes for the freezer, and client site stuff.

Knackered now! Going to watch a film...

(Sue - haven't forgotten the threatened 50 Shades review. More than half way done trudging through the third book now, will review all three in one go when I've finished.)

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1 Comments:

Blogger Sue said...

Oh dear. I do appreciate you sufferig on my (and possibly others) behalf.

5:44 pm  



Wednesday, June 05, 2013

[sigh] Can't believe how tired I am today. Did the usual Wed shopping, did a little in garden and house, and now I can hardly keep my eyes open. Having an early night I think.

Kai's first A Level tomorrow morning - Maths. Keeping fingers crossed!

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Spent most of the day in the garden (physio would have a fit if she knew how much bending I had to do today. But it wasn't quite as hard as before - the exercises are making a noticeable difference... and I did it in small snatches, sitting down in between...) Much weeding has been done. Second batches of beans, courgettes, and pak choi now in the veg bed, along with the first lettuces. In the greenhouse all but four of the sweetcorn kernels have now sprouted, and the first tomatoes have appeared on the plants. It's all good!

And the first of the irises has flowered!


... so beautiful... like a butterfly...

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Monday, June 03, 2013

[bemused...] I don't like Facebook. I have an account, of course - who doesn't? - but I very rarely visit. I don't like the 'new' format, and I find it awkward to use. The inability to delete posts/photos/images (easily) really annoys me too. And today I got one of their emails prodding me to update, along with suggestions of other pages I might like to follow.

HM Armed Forces? Total Wipeout? Blackberry? Smirnoff? (Yes, well, OK that last one might appeal...) Domino's Pizza UK? Roast Dinner??

Where the hell do they get these ideas? Are they completely random?

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3 Comments:

Blogger Sue said...

Hee, raises hand, no Facebook here :)

9:24 pm  
Blogger GoodTwin said...

[waves, holding extremely long bargepole...]

10:58 pm  
Blogger Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor said...

Heh, replies as expected...

12:09 pm  



Sunday, June 02, 2013

Usual Sunday...

Paeonies

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Saturday, June 01, 2013

Glorious weather - Kai and I did the Wells/Glastonbury/Street trip we planned a couple of weeks ago when we only got as far as Wells because pheasants. Only in reverse. Got a new folder for my recipes, birthday presents and cards, and some wonderful noms from the Street Burns the Bread.

I also, finally, managed to get a photo of Glastonbury Tor from the Mendip ridge (there was a tractor slowing all the traffic down!)



Fantastic day out and we managed to get everything we went for.

After dinner we watched Scorpion King 3 which was... not very good. Though they did try to recapture the feel of the first film (which long time readers will remember I thoroughly enjoyed because of the wonderfully Radditz-esque look of the main character). Eh well. Pity, but there you go.

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