Science week, day 3.

A great day at the chalkface.Science week day 3.
Year 5 & 6 pupils from the "partner primary schools in for the day, studying birds & flight.
This included a visit from a "birdman" with some birds of prey, including a hooded vulture, who flew around the hall, seemingly using my head as a locating point.
He also had two ferrets. Apparently you can almost knot a ferret because they are so flexible.
I taught four other lessons, two at the request of the absent teachers (bottom sets/nutters)
I have to choose a party dress for AR's retirement do.
Any ideas?
Drayton Manor Park was on the TV news - "Thomas Land" opens on Saturday.

Thomas day.

A day in Shirley with Thomas, who has a bit of tummy trouble.
Thomas had his bottle & we watched the end of "Jeremy Kyle " before going for a two hour walk through the park & around Shirley, taking in M&S Food en route.
Do watch "JK" if you are feeling inadequate sartorially, socially, linguistically or any other way really.
By the end you will feel totally adequate, smart, intelligent & realise how charmed your life is & how delightful the people with whom you mix on a daily basis.
The rest of the day was spent with Thomas & I entertaining each other with small talk, food & cuddles.
I came home & made parsnip & apple soup, chicken fillets with cheese & cherry tomatoes,purple sprouting, cauliflower cheese & new potatoes, followed by raspberries & rice pudding (not eaten yet as we were full)
We have been on tinternet to check out the benefits of updating the boiler (special offers available this month), to look at Sarah & Matt's wedding list (not live until April) & to tax the lotus (needs an MOT first)
I now have an appointment with a boiler man next Tuesday, whilst Thomas & I wait in for a parcel, & have to take the lotus for an MOT this week.
Where did work fit in?

Against my better judgement....

OK, so I'm not worth even one measly little comment.
From this I conclude that no-one will get round to reading this either, so I will make this brief (I haven't done much so it would be short anyway) i
I've had a great day at Kingsbury school, covering science staff as they run a science week projects.
Today was year 11, CSI, doing a murder investigation - the school caretaker ruthlessly murdered. He was an inveterate gambler & owed hundreds of pounds to different teachers.
I'm sure that you've already spotted a flaw in the plot!
Of course, the headteacher did it.
The caretaker had winged once too often about the state of the boys' toilets!
I went to the gym after school to recover after a run yesterday, the first this year.
I thought that I used the same muscles on the treadmill but it doesn't feel like it.
A nice healthy tea (salad followed by salmon) then coffee & fruit cake & a little bit of B&G chocolate. Oh well.
A cup of decaf & bed.

The calm before the storm

Hi.
G in Bournemouth, so a quiet weekend with little direction until Sunday tea-time when he returns & tells me what I should be doing!
On Saturday my directionless meanderings included some spring cleaning - washing china from the dresser, polishing & washing everything on the bed to dry on the line - no line prop needed, it was too windy.
I meandered to Kenilworth to potter & collected the litter in Hollylands.
It was a cold day.
I spent some time looking for a holiday cottage at the sea-side, on tinternet.
Lulworth cove looked good & near to J & G.

This morning I went for a run - the first this year - I'm a "fairweather runner", but did a good time for me due to my gym activity.
I went to church (Passion Sunday), had a chat & took Auntie Norah home.
I thought that I'd have another look for a holiday cottage whilst I have my breakfast - a dangerous decision as "time flies like a banana" when "lap-topping".
I will make a cake for G (another dangerous decision), finish the ironing & perhaps move a few molehills.
School next week, if it hasn't blown away!

From Granny & Tim.

Granny has Tim sitting on her lap.
Tim is a bit spotty as he has chickenpox, but is being very brave.
Fortunately we found that Cadbury's have just brought out some "Chickenpoxgetbetterquick biscuits, which work brilliantly if taken twice a day. (they look rather like chocolate digestives!)
Yesterday we walked many miles (mainly as a result of getting lost on the way to & from Mandy's house) & gardened & had lunch in Pret a manger(at Tim's suggestion).
He's going to take me there to lunch when he is 17!
Tody we are going to look at CBB's on the computer, any minute, & go on a train, somewhere.

Another hectic day.

I forgot to complete the ordeal that was Friday - a lie-in, the gym, shopping, home for tea by the fire, then into B'ham for a Japanese meal at the Tappanyaki, off Hurst street

Today, people came. The gas man came & put a new circuit board in the boiler, which now lights itself at the first rather than the fiftieth attempt.
Paula dropped in with a lovely bunch of orchids, & Sue.

As I was confined, waiting for the gas man, I did some indulgent housework - ring/watermark removal from the teak work surface in the kitchen, cobweb removal from bedroom & landing walls & a thorough dysoning.
When freed, I went to Kingsbury School to pay for the AR retirement do. The builders had broken a window in the kitchen, causing glass to cascade into the food, just before lunch. Nice one! The cakes & buns escaped, so all hands to the pans to cook chips for all. Chips & cake, so no arguments about healthy food today.
I went on to Ventura Park to buy vests & pyjamas for Jeremy.
M&S was USELESS.
Who wants a big rubber, sweaty picture on the front of their jim-jams?
JS had vests, but jim-jams were cheap & sealed so probably disappointing.
Who buys clothes that you can't feel & scrunch?

I bought some lovely fresh food & then paid £5 to go to the Bannatyne Health club, to save driving to Solihull, & did a good workout before coming home to prepare dinner.
It has been a cold, windy day.
Too cold to garden.

Food glorious food!

No blog on Friday as I don't want sympathy!

A lie-in, two hours at the gym, a little shopping & then home for tea by the fire, as it turned cold & wet.

On Saturday G & I drove to Cambridgeshire to see JR to celebrate his 84th birthday. AJ drove across from York to join us & we all went out for a celebratory lunch at The Bildeston Crown, which was delicious.

We stopped at Lavenham to walk our lunch down.

Then on to JR's for tea & birthday cake.

We had a lazy evening after all that driving (we fell asleep in front of the TV)

On Sunday G & JR went to look at cars, to find JR a model smaller than the Kia Sedona (no big problem there then) as it only just fits the garage & is a pig to park. AJ & I went to Sainsburys , bought lunch, went home & cooked it on the Aga (black-faced border lamb, apple crumble)- beat that!

We came home after lunch so that G could go out on his bike & AJ could get home in daylight.

G set a mole trap. Apparently this is the start of the mole mating season; males make lots of hills, moving around scouting for a mate & then father hoards of molettes* to destroy whatever lawn is left.

* I made this word up!

What is a young mole called, apart from "obscenity" (refer to Ernest Hemingway)