Saturday, 8 September 2012
Friday, 7 September 2012
Thursday, 6 September 2012
Happy Birthday
The Cat's Mother is......celebrating her birthday today
We have the day together...and then this evening the four of us are off to the Olympic Stadium to watch an evening of athletics after a trip up The Orbit...the rather strange Anish Kapoor-designed tower in the Olympic Park.
We have the day together...and then this evening the four of us are off to the Olympic Stadium to watch an evening of athletics after a trip up The Orbit...the rather strange Anish Kapoor-designed tower in the Olympic Park.
Wednesday, 5 September 2012
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
One Summer
You may know that on the 10th there will be a 'victory parade' for all the splendid athletes who have done our country proud this summer. I suspect the streets of London will be lined a dozen deep, given how much enthusiasm the Olympics and Paralympics have created. When the idea was first mooted, it was immediately announced that the Games Makers - the volunteers - would be a part of this...lining the route, as was only right - after all without them the summer success would never have happened...and their enthusiasm, energy and happy smiling faces may well have changed foreigners' perceptions of the British once and for all.
One group that appeared not to be included were the Ceremonies volunteers...the people that danced, sang and performed having given over some3 250 hours of their lives to make those events quite so spectacular. However, at some stage it was decided that they would be included in the ballot for places...and that was a good thing.
For my part, though, it wasn't something I was much interested in - I shall certainly watch it...I may even take a sneaky hour or two out of the office to make sure I catch a glimpse...but I didn't in anyway feel the need to be a part of it. After all we were seen by 80,000 in the Stadium itself...a further 100,000 if you count the dress rehearsals, were watched on TV by several billion around the globe, had each and every one of our names printed in the Programme and will be seen by countless more when the DVD is released on 29th October.
So for me that is recognition enough. I've appreciated the opportunity to be in the ballot...but really I'm very, very comfortable with everything the summer has brought.
Monday, 3 September 2012
Let the sun shine
The summer's over...I know that because the sun has come out even as the teenagers trooped to school this morning.
The Boy's summer was a busy one - CCF camp, Army leadership training course, Iceland, performing at The Edinburgh Fringe, a long weekend at V Festival and a week of Duke of Edinburgh practice in the Welsh mountains. You can't say he isn't energetic! I wish I'd had his energy at 17! I wish I had it at this age!
The Cat had a quieter summer - The Edinburgh Fringe and a short week in France with The Cat's Mother. I guess Cat's enjoy a more leisurely pace!
Last week I was in Brighton (hence the photos this week) as everyone else was away. I wasn't lazing around - I was working from home by myself. I have to say that for short bursts, I find working from home very productive - I can make lists and tick them off as I go through them...something I'm challenged to do in normal routine mode.
I'm always quick to condemn and complain about shoddy service...so it's only fair that I mention two pieces of excellent service in the last week.
The broadband wasn't working properly, so I rang Talk Talk who duly did their tests, and then having spotted a fault said they would send an engineer. I hadn't expected him to appear within 90 minutes...ten minutes later with the cable repaired, he was off. I may have been lucky, but that's quite impressive isn't it?
I have a very good pair of headphones...the sort that sit in your ear, and so you can imagine my distress when the rubber seal that keeps the two halves came off and disappeared. They're probably four or so years old, but were expensive, so I didn't really want to replace them. Anyway, I contacted the importers, Henley Designs, who have searched high and low, around the world even for a new rubber seal...to no avail. Remarkably they are sending another pair of headphones (not the same model) which have the same rubber seal, so I can fit the seal myself...I'm delighted.
No wonder the sun is shining....
The Boy's summer was a busy one - CCF camp, Army leadership training course, Iceland, performing at The Edinburgh Fringe, a long weekend at V Festival and a week of Duke of Edinburgh practice in the Welsh mountains. You can't say he isn't energetic! I wish I'd had his energy at 17! I wish I had it at this age!
The Cat had a quieter summer - The Edinburgh Fringe and a short week in France with The Cat's Mother. I guess Cat's enjoy a more leisurely pace!
Last week I was in Brighton (hence the photos this week) as everyone else was away. I wasn't lazing around - I was working from home by myself. I have to say that for short bursts, I find working from home very productive - I can make lists and tick them off as I go through them...something I'm challenged to do in normal routine mode.
I'm always quick to condemn and complain about shoddy service...so it's only fair that I mention two pieces of excellent service in the last week.
The broadband wasn't working properly, so I rang Talk Talk who duly did their tests, and then having spotted a fault said they would send an engineer. I hadn't expected him to appear within 90 minutes...ten minutes later with the cable repaired, he was off. I may have been lucky, but that's quite impressive isn't it?
I have a very good pair of headphones...the sort that sit in your ear, and so you can imagine my distress when the rubber seal that keeps the two halves came off and disappeared. They're probably four or so years old, but were expensive, so I didn't really want to replace them. Anyway, I contacted the importers, Henley Designs, who have searched high and low, around the world even for a new rubber seal...to no avail. Remarkably they are sending another pair of headphones (not the same model) which have the same rubber seal, so I can fit the seal myself...I'm delighted.
No wonder the sun is shining....
