It really doesn't matter if it's rain or stormy weather . . .

Good mornington and welcome to you on this rather damp and miserable Friday Eve. Yes! It's Friday Eve already! I do LOVE these short weeks after the bank hols. Well I managed to wake up for my second stint at the 5:00am work club. My body even allowed me to go to sleep at a reasonably sensible time last night as well, which is a bonus. I was even in the position of being able to crack on with stuff when I got into work today, hence I'm only writing my morning monologue (eww, 'monologue' there's a nasty sounding word that conjures all kinds of mental pictures . . . eww) sorry I may of put you off your breakie there. Sorry as I was saying, hence I'm only writing my morning . . . ahem . . . monologue now. Still write it I shall as the big lovely printer seems to be quite happy to do things at the moment.

I know, it's grey and dank and drizzly and a bit anti-cyclonic gloom out there, but it's on days like this that I like to cast my mind back to school days and the fun that was a 'wet weather break' I loved wet weather breaks! Sitting in the classroom with all your chums playing games or drawing pictures or combining the two and all generally being rather noisy about it. Of course it was even better on those days when there was full on thunder and lightning! Although there was always one child who was properly scared by it and had spent their time crying and sitting with the teacher. They always felt a bit like the same atmosphere you used to get on the last day of term before Christmas, where everyone would bring in there board games. I always envied the people who had such marvelous games as MB's I Vant to Bite Your Finger or GhostCastle. To me they were the pinnacle of the board based game. At the time all I could muster in the fun game department was 'Mr. Clobber' or Frustration with it's pop-o-matic dice!

Still, what I am trying to say is let's not get all down, depressed and frustrated just because the weather is a bit icky and frankly not what it should be at this time of year. The secret is to just try and associate something a bit gloomy with a good memory that will make you smile. That way, even when it's grey and cold, our smiles beam bright and bold. Ahh I feel better already! Chins up chickens, and all i'll you on The Blessed Friday.

Maybe it's a little early?

Good morning to you! Yes I know it is a little early, but needs must! and it would appear clients needs are even greater than my needs to sleep! Still there really is nothing like starting work at 5:00am to get the old blood pumping. Even if my body disagreed with that statement when my alarm went off at silly o'clock this morning. Of course the trouble was, that last night I knew I had a really REALLY early start, so my brain went into worry mode as I laid in bed trying to drift off into slumberland. (that's sleep by the way not the well know bed manufacturers who are based in Huntington, Staffordshire) So as brain was set in worry mode it did what most brains would do and stopped me dropping off. Thankfully I did manage to just about achieve some sleep eventually, although I can't help but feel my brain will more or less shut down at around 3:00 this afternoon. (No! don't say 'well no change there then!' RUDE!)

Now you may ask, 'well if you have SO much to do and are in SO early how come you're not busying yourself with doing stuff rather than sitting on here waffling on about it?!' A good question. Well the truth is that I arrived at 5:00 to discover the printer was happily churning things out already and has still got a few things to do before it finishes it's current churning. You see a colleague of mine, let's call him Dave . . . for that is his name. Was burning the candle at the other end last night and came back around midnight to set the printer going and hope it behaved itself until I got in. Although I think he thought it may of finished churning it's current batch by the time I arrived. Sadly it still hasn't quite, so an extra half hour in bed this morning would of been entirely possible!

Still mustn't grumble, I have my coffee and I don't really mind early starts. Plus I have been told that to make up for the fact of coming in at Stupid O'Clock means that I can leave stupidly early this afternoon too! So Huzzah! Huzzah and thrice Huzzah for me! Right, well, must crack-a-doodle on with things I suppose, once more onto the breach dear friends. (Hmmm wouldn't that be so much nicer if it was 'Once more onto the beach dear friends')

Toodles!

Rested and ready

Morning! Yes it IS morning I'm afraid and yes it IS one of those mornings we have to try and persuade our tired weary bodies to leave the comfort and slumber of it's cozy warm bed. So it can get up and go achieve relative greatness, normally on the behalf of and the benefit of others. Yes I'm afraid the Bank holiday has once again slipped through our fingers like white sand from a hot Palm strewn beach. Still there is a bright side! (all be it quite a small one) I trust you have noticed that today is grey and damp and 'orrible! Much like it was on Friday, if you can cast your mind back that far? Which is a GOOD thing, because normally over a bank holiday, due to the 'law of sod'. It's the days before and directly after a Bank Holiday that are lovely and the weekend of the bank holiday is rubbish! So in a small way it's good that it's rubbish today and was actually quite lovely yesterday! Yes I know it's quite a small strand of 'bright side' but it is there none the less and I shall be thankful for it.

So I trust you all had pleasant ones and are all suitably refreshed or at least suitably frayed around the edges? I for one had a fairly quiet one and generally bummed about and caught up with a few films with the family that I got for my birthday. I also spent a lot of time cataloging my spotify music into years for use of music quizes, yes alright, a bit sad I know, but it keeps me out of mischief. So far I have I have all the top selling tunes, from each year from 1970 - 2006! I only intend to go as far as 2010 and back as far as 1960 as I think that will do. Also, here at Tidy Towers we managed to achieve our first barbeque of the year on Saturday evening (which was nice). Ahh the smell of the barbeque spreading it's exquisite odors over the back gardens of the neighbourhood, enticing others to do the same. Still it was all rather lovely.

Right, well I suppose I had better stop all this waffling and go and achieve some more relative greatness on the behalf of, and the benefit of others, as I once again have one less day to achieve it all in. Stay safe, be friendly and look after each other. See you tomorrow!

Still welcoming the Friday no matter what it looks like!

BRRRRR and a very brisk Welcome to morningside to you. Oh I must tell you, I saw the new 'Star Trek Into Darkness' film last night at the old 3D iMAX. It was SO many boxes of awesome, twas brilliant! Oh and for those that may be a fan of such things and will know what I am talking about, I can promise you without spoiling anything that at some point the new Jim Kirk does say the the phrase "Bones! What are you doing with that Tribble?" Brilliant!!

Honestly I think the weather seems to be stuck in Autumn at the moment, it's chilly enough to leave ya fingers feeling cold at the ends out there today, and it's raining and grey and just a bit BRRRR. Plus I still have quite a lot to achieve by the end of play tonight eeek!!

Still, on a brighter note I can't help but notice that the cheeky puppy of Fridayness has once again settled itself firmly on the hearth rug of Hope and it looks very content indeed. Yes the weather really isn't what it should be, but let's not forget that it IS Friday and it IS more importantly a Friday before the blissful gladness of a Bank Holiday Monday!

Remember, that on Bank holiday weekends, even if we're not up to much and are just planning to mooch about a bit. The restless pangs of disappointment we usually get around Sunday tea time knowing that the weekend is nearly done and the clockwork of another working week is nearly upon us cease to exist. So we can let go and be a little happier and enjoy the novelty of yet another evening knowing that we still have a full day of play to come.

So let's not let a little patch of dampness spoil our day! (Hmmm, that sounded a lot better in my head. Perhaps I should re-phrase it) . . . ahem . . . SO, let's not let a little spell of damp weather spoil our day! (Yup! that's much better) Who cares if it's a bit drizzly and slightly chilly! It's a brand new Friday out there and a Friday that is promising us the magnificence of an extra day of weekend! So let's welcome this Friday as if it were bright and sunny, and warm enough for shorts! Fling open your arms to the day and hold onto it and squeeze it so tightly that it makes a little groan!

Look after one another until we meet again on the other side of the mountain.
xx

Monday . . . AGAIN!

Well hello to you. Normally of course I would wish you a very good morning, but as it's first thing on a Monday, I doubt if you would believe me if I did. Although I have to be honest it really isn't very inspiring out there today is it! Still kind of dark, grey, looming and foreboding. Very much like an evil elephant genius intent on taking over the world.

Still it was a smashing weekend! We had the confusion of the Doctor Who finale (No idea, what's going on there! It's all just a little too confusing at the moment!) Then of course, myself and the Marvelous Lady Tidy journeyed to the far away land of Worthing to watch the Great EuroVision Extravaganza with chums and maybe a glass or two of wine. (Isn't 'Extravaganza' a marvelous word!). Which I'm happy to report did include all the hilarious costumes and staging that we have come to love and expect. Plus not a short amount of 'lovely' tunes! Our personal favorites being the entries for Malta and Greece! Marvelous!

Sadly that excitement is far behind now, as we once again, get left alone on the dance floor of life by our weekend. Normally during the slow dance at the end of the disco. It might be 'Careless Whisper' by George Michael or 'Rush Rush' by Paula Abdol playing as the weekend leaves us in the lurch once again, it doesn't matter, the pain is always the same. So we find ourselves metaphorically looking around to see if anyone has seen what happened, before shuffling back to the side of the dance floor with our head bowed to blend in with the shadows while nursing an everlasting drink once again.

Then of course Monday arrives all to soon, and we already find job bags with *URGENT* written on them in shouty capital letters and circled with orange high-lighter pen. DAMN YOU ORANGE HIGH-LIGHTER PEN!

Ah well, must crack on I suppose, do try and have a tolerable one. If not, I do have a whole bushel of hugs should any of you need any.

Mr Biggon Has A Bath

Good morning class! Isn't it lovely out this morning! I may very well leave it out! It looks like we really have been blessed with a glorious Friday to end the week with. Today boys and girls, as it's Friday, I would like to start the day with a lovely story.

Are you sitting comfortably? . . . Then I'll begin.


This is Mr Biggon, or Ivor to his friends. Ivor is having a bath. (See all the bubbles. Splish, splish, splash).

Ivor’s wife Melonie has gone to the local shop down the road to buy some salad for tea. (Do you like salad? Ivor does).

Ivor liked to have his bath when Melonie was out, as it meant he wouldn’t be disturbed. Ivor loved having a long relaxing bath and had a special way of cleaning himself using the inside of the loofah.

Suddenly Ivor’s bubbly bliss was disturbed. There was someone at the door. (Can you make the sound of a doorbell? "Ding-Dong!")

This made Ivor very cross! Ivor said some very rude words! (Do you know any rude words?) Ivor knew lots!

This is Ivor running down the stairs, covering the carpets with bubbles and opening the door in his bathrobe. (Why do you think Ivor has a door in his bathrobe?)

Miss Demeanor the post-lady was at the door. "Hello Mr. Biggon" says Miss Demeanor. "Hello Miss Demeanor" says Ivor. Miss Demeanor says. "I have a parcel for you Mr. Biggon. Is it one of your special video films about people who have lost all their clothes?"

This made Ivor blush. Look at how red Ivor's cheeks are! Maybe the bathwater was a little hot and the bathrobe a little short.

"No!" said Ivor, "it is some organ music I have been waiting for.”

"Miss Demeanor says "Is that your organ over there I can see, the big shiny one?" "Yes" said Ivor, "it's a 7-stop 2-manual 1938 Woodstock pipe organ but I can't use it at the moment as pumping it makes Melonie’s arm ache".

"I could pump it for you if you like" says Miss Demeanor. (How kind and thoughtful Miss Demeanor is!)

"That would be lovely" says Ivor, "but you have to pump quite hard to get it going as my bellows are rather old and perished".
(Look at how good Miss Demeanor is at pumping). Pump-pump-pump.

Now let’s listen as ivor plays Bach"s Prelude & Fugue in D major. (How clever Ivor is!).

Miss Demeanor says "That was lovely Mr.Biggon". Ivor blushed again.

Just then Melonie arrived home carrying all the food she had bought for their salad later on.

"Hello Mrs. Biggon" puffed Miss Demeanor. "Mr. Biggon was showing me the organ in his bathrobe. He can do some wonderful things with it - even though he is out of practice and it takes quite a bit of pumping!".

Now Melonie is getting a big green cucumber out of her bag!

Are you sitting comfortably?

Ivor isn't. Poor Ivor.

THE END

When your brain stays asleep

Well hello there fellow weary traveler on this life's great road. Welcome to your very own Friday Eve. It is a little chilly and foggy out there this morning so do watch how you're going. Although there does seem to be a promise of some sunshine today, so all is not entirely lost. Even if it does feel more like Autumn at the moment.

Well yesterday was a little manic and frantic I can tell you. It was one of those days when you feel like you are metaphorically constantly chasing fires. There was a sudden influx of 'Screamers' as they seem to be referred to here. Which basically means jobs that you don't really have enough time to do, but have to do them anyway. So I was leaping from one to the next, pretty much all day yesterday. So here's hoping that today will be a lot less 'squeaky bum time', else I fear for my sanity. (What do you mean? 'What sanity?' RUDE!)

Well, I can't speak for you of course (Although wouldn't it be weird if I actually could! I could cause all kinds of shenanigans!) but I did find it very very hard getting out of bed this morning. Normally, I'm relatively ok at this daily event. I'm one of these people who hears the alarm, then flings of the duvet while trying to press the right button to turn the alarm off (Never an easy task). Then I just swing myself round and bustle the bathroom. For some reason though my head and brain were still very much asleep when my alarm started bleeping at me this morning. It was like someone and been in during the night and replaced my brains (such as they are) with porridge! Firstly I was facing the wrong way, normally I wake up facing my alarm clock. So then I was trying to turn off the alarm and fling the duvet off backwards. Something I have to inform you is not very easy. Eventually my brain did work out that it was probably better to actually turn over before attempting such a task, but it did take a while for it to work it out!

After several attempts and pressing all other buttons aside from the correct one, I did manage to turn of the alarm. Then getting out of bed itself became a real struggle. Normally I would just fling my legs round and sit up at the same time. I'm sure we all do something similar, it's basic physics you swing your legs together and they act as a lever to help right your torso into a sitting up position. Although this morning I even seem to struggle with this concept and just kind of just flailed around like fish on the river bank, totally forgetting my normal method. After discovering that flapping arms and legs doesn't actually help you sit up, I did eventually kind of rolled towards the edge of the bed and rolled my legs off and managed to get up, before shuffling to the bathroom looking and sounding a bit like a zombie.

I feel ok now, it's just a bit worrying when you suddenly forget how to wake up! I hope I'm not coming down with something? Maybe I just slept too heavily? Who knows! Still I shall be waiting to see if it's any easier tomorrow.

Toodle pips! xx