Carl Aid was brill

Well good morning, hello and very much welcome to you! It feels like it's been SO long! Plus, may a say what an absolutely glorious day to com back to, just look at it out there! It's looks GORGEOUS! I feel that it won't be long now until the shorts may have to be retrieved from the back of the wardrobe! You have been warned. Generally I do like to give it a good week few days of it being lovely, just to be sure, before I frighten the general public with the legs coming out though.

Still WHAT a lovely weekend I very much had. SO brilliant and I really can't thank the Amazing Lady Tidy enough for it, it was a 'truly scrumptious' birthday weekend. Yes I have reached the slightly large 4.0. now but you will be pleased to know that it really hasn't made any real difference to my mental age, that gauge is still swinging around the 15-18 year old point. Although I am pretty sure that this is the same with most men. Sorry about that ladies!

Anyway, we went off to see the brilliant Iron Man 3 on Friday afternoon, followed by a quick jaunt over to the tiny village of Bramber to have a frankly gorgeous dinner and stay over at The Old Tollgate. Which I know a lot of you know about and know just how lovely and scrummy the food is. We even had a little stroll around the villiage after dinner with a little trip to the pub. Before heading back to stay in one of their very posh rooms, which was all very lovely.

Then Saturday was a bit of a rest day, which was needed because frankly I was a little over excited by that point. Then of course the big day itself on Sunday! Which was also lovely! Really sorry I missed a lovely friend who popped over with a lovely pressie and card though would of been really nice to of had a lovely man hug. I was at Mummy and Daddy Tidy's at this point before they whisked me off for yet another lovely meal.

So really I come back to you completely stuffed with lovely food and a teeny tiny bit older. Still, it doesn't really matter does it!? I mean who's counting anyway!? We can get as old as we like, it doesn't mean we have to grow up does it!

Somewhere over the hill

Ooooo, Oh dear! Sorry, I'm getting a little over excited, as it's my last day at work before the grand birthday weekend. So although it's a Thursday it actually feels very much like a Friday to me. A Thiday if you will. Ooo! Thiday sounds a bit saucy doesn't it! Thighday! Hehehe! Sorry. I just have that pre-Christmas tingle that I usually get the last few days before Christmas. Oh alright, who am I trying to kid, December the 1st. Still it's all going to be lovely I'm sure. Tomorrow I will be off to be treated by the long suffering Lady Tidy to go see Iron Man 3, (RESULT!) before nipping off to have a very lovely meal and an overnight stay. It will be all just lovely and all that will be before my actual birthday has happened! Which of course will be on Sunday as by now I am sure you are all well aware! So excited, not even the fact that I still have the nasty cold, which has now taken up residence in my chest, is going to get to me today.

They say that I'm forty.
But this cannot be!
If someone is forty
It shouldn't be me.
See, people at forty
Have wrinkly skin,
And baggy red eyes.
Such a mess they are in!
They always look sleepy
And cranky and tired,
Their license for fun,
must of, expired!
But I look so fresh,
Kind of happy and spry.
So if they ask me my age
I think I might LIE!

Right well, I think I shall leave it at that this morning, as it seems quite a good place to stop. A relatively short little status for me really! Sorry about that just too excited!! See you all soon! xxx

It's the self pity show!

Morning! Well just how bottom spankingly glorious was yesterday? It was like Summer arrived early for a day just to try itself out. It made you want to listen to 'Summer Breeze' by The Isley Brothers or 'Boys of Summer' by Mr Don Henley or 'Ocean Drive' by The Lighthouse Family at full volume, while driving sedately down a deserted beach front road with the windows open or your roof off, and your shades on, while the warm breeze blew through your hair. Ahhhh blissful. Sadly of course, most of us couldn't of done that anyway even if we wanted to, but still the thought was there.

Mind you even if I had been able to do it, it would of been quite different for me. I would of drove along trying to listen and sing along to the songs, then halfway through the sentence "Makes you feel high" I would have an attack of coughing and spluttering and sneezing and wheezing. Then finish it off by groaning about feeling so ploppy! Yes sadly the cold seems to be loving riddling itself around my person. Still it has changed slightly, it has now moved most of itself from my head and seems to be taking up residence in my neck and chest now. Does that mean it's on it's way out, or does that mean it's going to get worse? I really hope it doesn't. I SO need to be better and bouncy and back to normal by Friday so I can enjoy my whole birthday weekend without groaning about how crappy I feel. (YES! another birthday mention, GET IN!) Still I did eventually rub some Vic on me chest last night (Stop it!!) which does actually seem to help a little, well certainly helpful in trying to get to sleep anyhow.

I'm sorry, you probably don't want updates with how my cold is going do you. Frankly selfish and rude of me to bring it up really! I suppose it's a typical man thing when you feel SO crappy you want to make sure everyone knows how crappy you feel, rather than just shutting up and getting on stuff anyway. So i shall shut up and get on with stuff.

Till tomorrow then! (I would end with a couple of kisses, but frankly you don't want what I've got so I won't)

St George's Day by George!

Oh hello there! How are we this morning? Well I trust? Good! I just wish I could say the same! I'm sorry to say, I am feeling decidedly fed up and a bit sorry for myself now, as my horrible, bunged up, can't breathe without coughing, which then gives you a sore tickly throat, cold is still ravaging my head. I've had it since Thursday and I don't really like to go on about it, but I don't get them very often so when I do, they always come as a bit of shock as to how long they hang around for. Wretched thing. I should of put Vic on me chest last night I think, (No! Stop it!! You're just making your own jokes now!) I had some Vic on me chest on Sunday night and I actually think it helped ease my breathing a bit. Still I won't go on about it, the day must continue, the week must march onwards anyway.

Today of course, is not just another dreaded 'The Tuesday' it is also St George's Day by George! Yes good old St George, We always see him as this iconic English figure but he was in fact Greek I believe, much like our Royal Family of course. So the way I see it, you can't get much more English than being Greek!

So what did St George do anyway? I think we all know the famous story of St George and the Dragon. Although I do have my own thoughts about that too. You see, whenever you see a picture of George and the Dragon, the dragon is always pictured as being quite small as dragons go. It's normally shown to be about the size of a large dog! Now what you must remember at this point is that stories have a life of their own, as any reader of Terry Pratchett will know. Stories are living things that grow and get bigger and change as they are retold time after time. Normally this involves exaggerating the facts so they seem more impressive. Now if this is true in the case of St George, does that mean that the relatively small dragon was being greatly exaggerated? Maybe all George did was kill a garden lizard that someone was scared of, like some of us being scared of spiders! Perhaps he was just passing someones house and heard a yelp and squeal and popped his head round to see what was occurring. He saw Mrs Smith standing on a chair squealing and pointing at a small confused lizard on the floor who had wandered in under the back door. Which George then got rid of. So Mrs Smith then tells her neighbour what happened and how kind George was, that neighbour tells her neighbour and then one thing leads to another and all of a sudden George is being hailed a Dragon Slayer! Makes you wonder doesn't it!

It also makes you wonder how we should be celebrating St George's Day though. Obviously another Bank Holiday should be given for it, although I think it should be a roaming bank holiday. So that whatever day St George's Day falls on that year should be the Bank Holiday. I'd quite fancy a Bank Holiday Tuesday! Now I know what you're thinking, what if it falls at the weekend? Well then we would have a Bank Holiday Friday or a Monday depending on which day it was nearer to. Just like I normally do to celebrate my birthday with. (Haha! Excellent! Still managed to get another birthday mention in there!).

Maybe we should eat special food for St George's Day as well? I dunno maybe something like a good Doner Kebab, or Shish Kebabs with some Feta based salad? Something that is obviously Greek but screams English as well you see. Now the traditional drink of St George's Day should really be an English Real Ale of some kind, we've got enough of them! Maybe there could be a different Real Ale celebrated every year, so they all get a look in? I think maybe we should all celebrate it whatever way we wish to really. After all, any excuse for a day of celebrating is a good excuse I reckon.

Right well I must get on. See you tomorrow!

6 days and counting . . .

Gooooooooooooood morning, good morning, good morning, good morning and a very warm and snuggly welcome to you on this otherwise fine day. I say otherwise fine, because it is of course still a Monday. Well, youngest son number 2 had his birthday shenanigans yesterday along with The Queen of course. Good morning Mam, (as in harm not as in ham. . . or is it the other way around?) *performs small curtsy* and I don't know about him, but I enjoyed it! We did of course all nip out briefly to The Acorns (Beefeater) on Saturday evening with friend Sean in tow, well he is part of the family really and we were marking mine and his birthdays as well. So we proudly strode into the place with me and Sean wearing hugely over-sized 40 badges on our chests as supplied by son number 1 of course. So that was nice, even if I was beaten on the head with a stack of menu's by the good Lady Tidy because apparently I was being rude!! (ME!! RUDE!!) I know, I wouldn't believe it either! All I was doing was trying to attract our waiters attention in an amusing way! To be fair, they were pretty busy in there, but I still saw it as a fun challenge. I had tried waving and quietly calling his name, I even tried the "Coooeeee" approach to no avail. So instead I opted for the shouting of the word "YO!" at the top of my voice and then looking the other way, so it wouldn't look like it was aimed at him at all. Which was the point at which menus were used as a head smacker. Still it did work! Well it's a giggle isn't it!

Well there is only 6 more days to go until mine now and I am of course literally beside myself with excitement! "Ooo hello there, other me sitting beside me! My, I must say you are looking rougher than a rhino's scrotum this morning!!" Sorry! No, I'm sorry, that was crass even for me! I mean you might be having your breakfast or something, and you don't want to be thinking of that while you're eating. Especially if you're having something with plums! Sorry! Oh I'm sorry I did it again, I shall just stop myself there I think. I am still feeling really rather rough and cold-ridden this morning though. I've been on the "Cold & Flu" stuff since Saturday and they do help of course, although you are very aware when the effects wear off, as your throat seems to close up and you suddenly can't speak or breathe again.

So yes I am feeling a bit sorry for myself, which I think is allowed and fair when you are full of cold and yuck surely? Especially as despite that I am still at work, keeping the nation going with my particular blend of creative gorgeousness, by getting up and jolly well getting on with things as is the British way! Hark at me blowing my own trumpet! (Well somebody's got to do it! There is nothing sadder than an unblown trumpet you know)

So yes, only 6 more days to go to take part in 'Carl Aid 40' so do it today and avoid the delay! Beat the postal rush of the last few days and get ya fiver filled cards in early I say! heehee. Still, do have yourself the best darn Monday you are able to, see you tomorrow! xx

April showers

PHILOSOPHICAL PHURSDAY: Blimey, I haven't worn my Philosophical trousers for quite some time. I amazed they still fit! Well good morning class . . .*awaits chorus of response* . . . I hope I find you all in a state of bright-eyedness and exhibiting an enormously bushy-tail. Doesn't it look gorgeous out there this morning! In fact it looks SO nice out, I think I might leave it out! (Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I had to say it.) Well it seems Spring has finally found the energy to of sprung, the bright happy daffodils are coming out, the sunshine is making a break for freedom even if there is still a bit of a nip in the air. People are wandering about with more of a smile on their faces, I even saw the first bumble bee of the year yesterday. Ahhh. Of course as I'm writing this a cloud has come over and started raining it's very heavy load. Still we are in April, so we have to take the occasional April shower, thems the rules sadly. Still, as they say "into every day filled with sunshine a little rain still has to fall" 'they' in this case being me of course.

It's true in life too of course. As much as we would like things to be perfect and sunny and happy all of the time, there will always be the odd thundercloud that will rear it's ugly head, skirt overhead and then drench us from head to foot from time to time. These clouds of drenching may even last a lot longer than we would like them to at times too. Although it would be unrealistic to think that we can have constant sunshine in our lives all of the time. In fact I would go as far to say, as it would be wrong if we did. A flower in bloom is a delicate and beautiful thing, but to get there it needed both sunshine and rain to be able to grow to it's full potential. The same applies to us I'm afraid as well.

I'm not saying we should be all doom and gloom and always expect the worse and become lifelong paid up members of the Pessimistic Society. It's always sound advice to try and go through life on the sunny side of the street, just don't let the odd thunder storm cloud your demeanor. ('Cloud' . . do you see what I did there, brilliant!) I just think we must learn to accept the times when we are under that cloud, because like all clouds, no matter how big they are or how long they stay overhead, do pass over us eventually and there will be bright sunshine once again. *looks outside, to see it has just proved my point by being all bright and sunny again!* Which when you find yourself under one of those dark clouds is a great thing to hold on to.

Look after yourselves, and each other.

Sir Rantsalot Strikes Again

Well good morning, good day and happy Wednesday to you. Well according the the really quite lovely Carol Kirkwood on the BBC it's going to be warm and windy today. Which sounds lovely, unless you're describing a packed commuter carriage or a small lift with lots of people in it. Trust me, a lift is never good for that kind of thing, people very much frown upon it! Although, warm and windy kind of makes me think of warm beaches with white sand that's too hot to walk on in bare feet, and the tropical breeze gently blowing through the leaves of the palm trees, creating a gentle whisper which compliments the brushing of the serene tide as it laps against the shore. Sadly what we have instead seems to be mild, very still and a bit grey and damp. Could do better Mrs Kirkwood!! Please see me after class about using the correct adjectives when summing up the weather!

Of course if you are watching the news today, the weather will be the only break you will get in the constant running commentary of Mrs Thatchers funeral! Now you see, again I don't mind the BBC covering it when it happens, that is quite right and how it should be, but do they have to be there at 6:00 in the morning describing what will be happening later in microscopic detail before it actually does? It just seems a little daft to me. Yes by all means mention that it's going to be happening of course, but please don't seemingly dedicate the whole of the news to it!

Sorry about that, rant over. The weather is about right for today though, I think it helps add to the slightly downcast mental state needed for a funeral. I do of course hope it all goes ok and that certain groups of people don't spoil it and turn it into something else. I mean if you're going to attend the funeral by lining the streets, surely you should show an once of decency and respect to her family and not start acting like an arse just so you can be seen on national telly supposedly making a stand for your beliefs. Today should be about showing respect for a lost life and giving comfort to her family and celebrating the life of a great and iconic woman who had the balls to stand up for what she believed in, all be it right or wrong. In a time when women were very much still seen but not heard in the most part.

Sorry, second rant over with! Blimey that's two today! I'm a right little Sir Rantsalot today aren't I. It's just that disrespect is one of my huge niggles I have with the world in general and I try to squash it whenever it pokes it's ugly head in any way shape or form.

Right, must get on. Lots to do, all very busy here. Now where's me coffee? . . . Bum! I've left it in the kitchen area. Well must dash, keep warm, stay safe and look after yourselves the best that you can.