Home again

This is our holiday, in chronological order:

Friday. Pirelli dinner "The Oriental" Knightsbridge, opposite Harvey Nichs. Fantastic!
(Jo Malone toiletries - beat that!)

He really looks much better than this - grainy phone photo!

Edinburgh on Sunday - the gardens in Princes street - skating & markets.

The Caledonian Hotel .
Photos from our 5/6 mile walk on Christmas morning, in bright sunshine, followed by a couple of our presents - cycling shorts for G & Tim's picture on a tea towel on me - top left is Tim...
(I can't fit the comments under each)

One of the "Caley's" Christmas trees, G on the stairs, with camera.

G on Carlton Hill.

Christmas dinner in "the Pompadour Restaurant", overlooking the castle. Fantastic.

Gillian McKeith & family were there, so it must have been healthy.(she left her broccoli)

He does scrub up well!
He smiled after the champagne.


Wetherby races on Boxing day, with aj, Tim, Jamie & Dick. Aj, Jamie & Dick all left quids in.
We had one winner (& 6 losers)
We had a great time.
Thanks for all of the lovely presents - we still have some to open (beat that!)
Today we bought a TV. A 42 inch plasma screen, Samsung.
God, it's big. You can see every wrinkle.

whatever next!

A seat by the window, courtesy of the NHS.

All mod cons.

A room with a view.

A nice log fire every evening this week - very cold & more to come.

Wednesday didn't seem worthy of a blog as it was spent at George Eliot hospital whilst G had a battery of tests, having woken up with chest pains. He was discharged at 11.40pm as all possible tests had been completed, not because he was being difficult, as has been suggested.
On the contrary, the nurses found him charming.
Obviously, I should stick needles in his arm, make him wee in a bottle & stick wires to hairy bits of his body with elastopast to keep him happy.

Thursday, worked, wrote Christmas cards & slept.

Friday, Thomas to entertain me & a visit to the optician, who fitted ONE contact lens & sent me away. It did feel strange as my unaided eye didn't see as well as the other one. Fancy.
I have a box of disposable lenses for when I want to repeat the experience.
I think that this would work better accompanied by an eye patch on the un-lensed eye.
This may defeat the purpose of enhancing my appearance.

Saturday, we went into Birmingham, did errands & then bought a Christmas tree.

Sunday,I went to church (the Archdeacon) whilst G potted the Christmas tree, then put the lights on tree - 10m of cable with the 80 red bulbs 4cm apart, taking up only about 3m, 7m tucked behind the tree. P, A, J & T came to lunch. J helped to put the Father Christmas's around the house & visited Whitacre Garden Centre to see the wolves.
I led the Shustoke service of 9 lessons & carols at 7.30pm - the church looked wonderful & all went well. It's always a bit difficult reading the small print in semi-darkness.
Home in time to watch the final "Parkinson" show, after 37 years on the air!

Here I am, woken by Prince Charming!

See, He does come in blue!

Galerie Lafayette, from the top.

The Reichstadt (parliament). We ate in the roof restaurant & climbed the dome, which has fantastic views.

The Brandenburg Gate, from the East, with G.

The hotel room - here's my handle.......

One of the sixty Christmas markets - better than Brum!

Lots of these, leading to courtyards of shops & restaurants.

Brandenburg Gate, from the West. Greenpeace setting up a presentation, complete with ice polar bear.

The Sony Centre with lego galore - beat that Tim!

You take a few days off to catch up on your sleep only to find that Tesco, not satisfied with world domination, have The Spice Girls advertising Christmas.
Working a three day week leaves so little time; how did I ever cope with a five day week?
I had a lovely day at Waddesdon with E, T & KP last Wed. It looked magical & is well worth a visit if you are near Bicester.
G & I went to Berlin for a long w/e, leaving on Thursday evening for a night at the Comfort Hotel, Heathrow, & an early flight on Friday.
Berlin was fascinating - The Brandenberg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, bunkers, bombsites, sixty Christmas markets & thousands of "tannenbaum".
Back at work on Monday. I'm getting the measure of the Swad nutters & may have cracked it by next Thursday, when I finish this stint. I'm really enjoying it.
I've visited the gym twice this week, Mon & Tues. Beat that! I'll be spinning next!

Quite a weekend!

Preparations. The long ones were difficult to inflate.

A damaged ear-drum & J took over.

Blow!

Lots of balloons.

The udder ones were easier.

The "Noble" three.

Off to feed the ducks (swans actually, & canada geese. The ducks were "chicken"))

J, G & Oscar visited for the weekend. We celebrated Oscar's first birthday, a week early, with P & A, Jessie & Thomas & friends, on Saturday, & again with B & E, Tim & KP on Sunday. All of the children were delightful & even Grandad enjoyed himself.
I only have Saturday photos.

Wednesday - stopped sulking!

Thank you for the five comments, even if two of them were G repeating himself!
I did intend to take a camera on Sunday but having managed to dress myself, all clothes the right way round, & pack various bits & pieces for Solihull & Bicester (including the things that B & E forgot last time), I forgot to pick it up.
I have taken pictures on my exceedingly posh phone, I will post them tomorrow, I need a technical bit to do this, which G will provide.
I am looking quite glamorous, having just come from the hairdressers.
My day off today.
This morning, I did too much housework, then went to the gym & swam 25 length not having time for the gym as well as I had to be at the opticians at 3.00pm.
Very little change in my prescription so no new specs needed, but I may have a contact lens instead. Apparently my eyes could be balanced with one lens in my left eye. I don't think that he was joking as he appeared to be a man unlikely to be troubled with "laughter lines" in later life.
Think of the benefits
* half the cost
*only one lens to put in/remove/clean.
*only one lens to lose.
Do you think that I misunderstood?
Could aj write a poem about this?

The bonus print is of water falls near Luang Prabang in Laos, taken in August. Check this out with the competition photo on the back page of The Sunday Times, Travel supplement.

I think that this is it! Wow!!

Monday!

A hard day at the chalkface, finishing with year 8 "making" pizza.
The ingredient list:
pizza base
tomato paste or tin of tomatoes/pizza topping
grated cheese
plate to take home.

A bottle of oil & baking trays on each table - you get the picture!
Came home tired & cold, so sitting by the fire with a cup of tea & a teacake, instead of the gym.
Dropped the lap-top on my foot - at least it had a soft landing!
Pork chops & rice pud for dinner.
No comments, so that will do.

A nice cup of tea in Bicester.

G took his constitutional on his bike whilst I went to church.
After "brunch" we set off to visit the family in Solihull & Bicester.
G remembered that his phone could take photos rather late in the day.
Home in time for supper by the fire & "Cranford".

Auf wiedersehn, pet

The entrance.

Birmingham - you are here!

Home sweet home.

Decaf to boot.

Your bonus print - Tim at T & B's for dinner on J's christening weekend in March 2006 - smoked duck salad, which he loved, "delicious chicken"

Yesterday, both G & I had a hard day at work, so lit a big fire & collected a takeaway from the Polash (the usual), leaving the chicken fillets in the oven.
We drank a bottle of wine with it & then fell asleep - no change there!
We went to Birmingham this morning, firstly to the jewellery quarter & then to the German market (the biggest outside Germany) by the town hall.
We joined in the spirit by having a bag of caramelized nuts & a hot ham roll in the freezing cold & then pottered around for long enough to remember why we don't shop in Birmingham.
We came home, lit a big fire, had a nice cup of tea & a toasted teacake & were both asleep before 6.00pm!
AJ should be proud of me - I have used my money off vouchers & entered 8 competitions this week.
I will list my successes in due course!
I have not done the ironing, yet.

At the gym by 11.00am

OK, so this is "Living Well", now Bannantynes. I think that I resent paying money to that egotist.

Look at those feet - weapons of mass destruction

Your bonus print - I thought that this was sailing down the Mekong river; Carole Thatcher is spending Christmas doing this. On closer inspection, it's N Thailand.

My first (& last) day off this week.
A cup of tea in bed, reading the Christmas Good Housekeeping, including entering all of the competitions.
A little light housework & then off to the gym in Solihull for a couple of hours, before coffee &, I have to admit, a slice of cappuccino cake, at M&S.
Shopping in Solihull & Kenilworth & then home to minister to G, back from Amsterdam, with a bad cold.
G had to collect some papers from work, so we went together & ate at The Bear at Berkswell - food OK, service laughable.
Only go there if you "want a laugh" (G didn't)
Chocoholics, JS have Green & Black's" chocolate on special offer!
I have filled a cupboard with it.
Spellcheck gives "molehill" for Solihull - Spooky! They have moved to the top lawn.
We cannot decide whether they travelled under or over land.
Any thoughts?