Here in the Sunshine

I wasn't sure if I should have panicked

2011-02-24T23:12:00.000+10:30

Choosing a play to see at the Fringe when you have a mind boggling choice of about 300 comedy acts to see, rather makes for some difficult decision making. I almost feel as though I should do only comedy, but isn't the Fringe exactly that, shows that are edgy and on the fringe of society; arts for all, theatre, art, comedy, mime, burlesque, circus, music, but all just a bit quirky?! Would I be turning Adelaide's, no actually (fact) Australia's largest "arts" festival into that of simply a comedy festival if I didn't attempt to attend shows that were in fact "arts"?! Well in my view yes.

On procuring my copy of the Fringe guide, which could easily be mistaken for a small countries phone book, I propped myself up on the couch, fresh pad of paper and pen handy to peruse the guide from cover to cover. Several hours later, several pages of much hastily scribbled notes around times and dates, which also involved working out when I could fit in toilet and food breaks, oh and some sleep - possibly - between shows; I realised the list had to be whittled, from tree trunk to matchstick. Humm, dilemmas.

Comedy did feature heavily, both local and international, new and old. I love a good side tweaking giggle fest, and I don't mind to admit it, but I knew culture would have to be added. A burlesque show - its tasteful, yes really - then some circus - Cantina, some music - Take me back to Paris (somebody please..... no really, its been too long) and of course some theatre.

Theatre, now that was a hard choice. I chose a play called Low Level Panic, the introductory lines were as follows;

"“Maybe if I was wearing trousers it wouldn’t have happened.” Mary, Jo and Celia are three women. Their gender defines them. In fact, it consumes them. Join them in their bathroom and try and find the answer to the question: "What does it really mean to be beautiful?""

Sounded interesting, am always fascinated, what does it mean to be beautiful? Seems not many people care, as me & my lovely friend Sap discovered, we were to be given a private tour in this theatrical journey.

A story of two women, with a third annoying flat mate (or rather one who just wants to take a bath!), who you could say is a middle ground. She seems happy, gets a bloke and her issues, if she has any, are made redundant by those of Jo and Mary with their opposed ended views & issues.

Mary is at odds with being a woman, after we are taken back in her memory for a recounting of what could have only been a rape, she blames herself for wearing a skirt. She's also feeling like she is trying to look beyond the face to find out the true feelings & emotions of a woman - one on a billboard - to see if there should be some emotional response in being treated like an object. She is hollow inside, an empty shell, removed from herself. She loathes & struggles to simply wear a sexy revealing dress because of what it might mean to others and her quest to find comfort in being herself.

Whilst Jo is busy daydreaming and fantasising about the perfect man, car & body, envisioning what her life should look like, while gloomily staring at her scales declaring war on her "fat" body (something she berates further after an evening out, not eating and failing to lose an ounce). Her issues are with what she is expected to want, without considering getting or giving love, as her fantasies go no where, and she feels she is going no-where too, and not for trying to be something for someone.

It wasn't an amazing play, but it wasn't boring or tiring, or badly done. The acting was superb and it certainly was thought provoking, it made me realise that we've become a world of instant gratification, thus the over kill on comedy (we want it funny and we want it now - fast food). Theatre is to be seen, mulled over, discussed in depth, and if there is a moral - which there usually is - it will be something you will be thinking of hours and weeks later. I think I might have to sort out my Festival of Arts tickets, more theatre, here I come.... its slow food for the mind.

Its like meeting the Queen... sort of

2011-02-20T22:52:00.000+10:30

Well I was having a happy night, he Kevin Rudd (our Australia Former PM) could have been too, he looked a bit dazed and confused. But its was the Fringe opening night, its all a bit random.

See below for a few more from the night...

The Garden of Unearthly Delights

Emcee for the Strong Man Midgt & me...

Becs & I, happy after a bit of Bird in Hand sparkling bubbles

Quote Me...

2011-02-20T22:44:00.002+10:30

"True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be..." Anonymous

Er to do about nothing!

2011-02-15T21:56:00.000+10:30

And er nothing it would be is what I have to do around on here. Alas I would love to blog more, but what about?

I no longer while away my hours in pubs drinking cider, in London theatre venues and out at restaurants or hoofing it around to exotic locations on the Continent. Humph. Then I might have more to write about, though lordy knows how I actually had the time to write!!

Though for the bigger trips they missed out on blogs as there just was no time to remember and relay the exiting times that were had. I even think I only got about half our our Egypt trip on here, and that was about 11 months ago now. My time flies.

No you'd think here I'd have more time, which I do, but what to write about, am caught up in the world of work, family visitation and the mundane dullness of things like food shopping and housework. Though its not Adelaide that's dull its me, my dull activities have nummed my brain into being dull even when I am not or shouldn't be.

I joyously await the weekends for all the things that I am going to get done, all the events that are on, then for some reason I find myself 5 loads of washing down and cheering that I will get to watch 4 episodes of season 3 of Houswifes of NY - WTF!!!!!. Sleep? Getting plenty. Feeling rested? Ur nope not me.

However, I have planned much to do about something for the Adelaide Fringe festival and have booked myself out solid for the 2 weeks it is on (that and WomAdelaide & the Adelaide Film Festival).

So within the next couple of weeks, I may not have slept, the washing will not have been done and I will have most of season 4 of Housewives of NY to watch, BUT I will have been out there having a fantastic time, feel totally refreshed, AND that my friends is how it goes ... piles of unwashed washing is a sign of the living!!

Quote Me...

2011-02-15T21:43:00.000+10:30

"Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it won't get you anywhere"

Thanking Michael Luyten for that one, though not sure where he got it from, but kudos to the person who said it because I rather like it

This is how we do it! NY's Australian Style

2011-01-05T16:49:00.000+10:30

NY's spent 24 hours freezing in Times Square? NO, are you kidding. NY's at a posh London hotel? Nope, been there done that. NY's on a boat in Sydney's harbour watching the bridge burst into a light spectacular? Nope, but maybe that's next year.

This year was done in true laid back Australian style, chilled out camping down on South Australia's fine coastal shores in the gorgeous town of Robe, complete with posh shopping, gormand restaurants, ancient pub "The Cally" (1800's, which is OLD for Australia), home made icecream, craggy coastline, succulent crayfish, Coonawarra wines alongside the immaculate sands and splashy waves of Long Beach.

Awesome. You bet your booty it was.

Lone Seagull on Long Beach

Mark batting for Australia... and probably ugh... winning

DiGiorgio Wines near Penola in the Coonawarra Region

The Obelisk off the rocky shores of Robe

The Pink Salt lakes near Meningie on the Coorong

Cute as a button cottage in Robe

Robe seafront

The Caledonian Pub "The Cally" where we ate & partied pre 2011

Long Beach... beach bums & goonies

Icecreams in Robe

What is left of my Mussels from dinner at the Cally

Goonie scene re-creation note the painting above (at the Cally)

The BIG Lobster at Kingston, near Robe

"The Remains of the Crayfish" a tasty dish served up by the fishermen of the SA coast

Mark awaiting our coffee from The Providore cafe - delicious

Christmas Jolly

2011-01-05T16:25:00.000+10:30

The Luyten/Foster Family

Champagne Christmas Breakfast

Bella bubby guarding the Xmas pressies & looking spiffy too

My nephew Oliver

My other Nephew Eli

My Nana & Aunt Anne

Hubby with Oliver

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2010-12-15T22:10:00.001+10:30

Mark, Bella and I would like to wish you all and your families a happy and safe festive season, where ever you are on this beautiful planet

Much love and hugs xx

The Post Office - SUCKS!

2010-11-29T23:42:00.000+10:30

Big time. Urgh. I do the right thing and make beautiful Christmas card greetings, admittedly out of paper and not out out cardboard. So much better for the environment, but alas not for the pocket.

Lady at the PO (Yes I am going to diss the Messenger...she wasn't a very nice messenger) - "Its not a card, its a letter", while flopping card envelope around and looking up at it under the light.

Me - "Well actually it is, its home made, from paper"

Lady at PO - "Nope its paper, it will be classed as a letter and that is $2.20 each, you cannot use the card only rate of $1.30"

Me - "Urgh I have 45 to send, seriously its a card, its just home made from paper - not card, surely it will cost less to send, save Australia Post money, it weighs less too, environmentally friendly and all that"

Lady at PO - "You can try send them as a card - but they might bill you later for the difference if they think its not a card"

Me - "Ok I will then"... and I did!

Surely, it will cost them more to bill me for each letter - should they pick them out of the billion that are going through at this time of year - then send me the bills seperately for the difference in postage. Me thinks they are going to not notice, and nor should they who ruled a card MUST be made of a card. Pft.

Headspace or headcase?

2010-11-23T22:22:00.000+10:30

Probably both to be fair. I appear to be only able to concentrate properly on one major hobby or interest at a time, and oddly I am at my most relaxed and at peace when doing this despite the frustrations that rear up suddenly every now and again with me thinking that I actually have twenty odd things that I should be doing. Then I just go "phah!" - and continue to plod on doing singular item of interest and be blessedly happy and relaxed.

So at the moment, I am not doing terribly much photography wise - though I purchased a shiny glossy photography mag over the weekend for which I have had no time to yet devour - nor am I doing house stuff, or much reading, or much keeping in touch with people. I am however doing rather well at work and am slowly but surely removing stodgy, stubborn layers of lardons off my body with my excessive walking and exercise routine. If you haven't guessed it my current, hmmm, lets just call it obsession rather than interest, is that of exercising.

I am reading a book, nothing unusual there, except that since arriving back in Australia I have read a total of 5 books - which is rather rubbish given I used to read one a week, which makes me about 40 books down of my usual tally. Oh and I read 3 of said books in one week on the houseboat! Though am not reading War and Peace, or anything remotely taxing, but something called Last Night at Chateau Marmont by the chicky who did Devil Wears Prada.

I feel that I am making some progress on doing more than one thing at a time as I have begun arranging Christmas cards, the Christmas tree is up and several presents have been purchased. Humm appears my taking some time out to tend to this rather under nourished blog has made me see that all is not as bad as I first thought and I am getting stuff done. Wow - go me. Phah.

Oh I have just remembered that I finally got around to visiting a long lost friend on the weekend (its only been um 2 years - love you Mel) and I cooked on the weekend too. I make a very delicious, and very requested, chocolate Tiramisu. Oh dear, its seems I am now a headcase because I thought I had no headspace... off to write some lists........

Row, Row, Row.... your houseboat!

2010-11-16T22:39:00.000+10:30

The boat at the first base camp!

What a gorgeous day!

Sunset and Fishing - girls and boys happy!

River view

Sunsets.... perfect one day

Even better the next

Me in the gorgeousness of it all

Pretty desert succulent

Bonfire - all the better for marshmallows

Yabbie...such a poser

Red cliff reflection

And the cliffs

Post cooked Yabbie

Not so photogenic now are you Mr Yabbie

Quote Me...

2010-11-16T22:26:00.000+10:30

Just in a book I read recently, so its not a direct quote as I cannot remember it all - but along these lines, as requoted by me;

"Beauty is truth, truth is beauty, but that is not really true as the truth is can be ugly and hurtful. Beauty is just that, beautiful. As for the truth its the reality"

Oliver's Royal Adelaide Show Day

2010-09-12T22:58:00.000+09:30

The Royal Adelaide Show is an Adelaide icon, that rain hail or shine, Adelaidians get themselves and usually their entire families to at least once every couple of years during its 8 day long Spring showing. For those non-Aussies, non-South Australians, the Royal Adelaide show is a massive family event that encompasses a huge variety of fun for all families, young and old.

Entrance to the show

On arriving off Rose terrace, the massive iconic Ferris Wheel awaits you beyond the gates, with which you'll need a $20 ticket to pass through. First there is the childrens fair ground the the left and the adults to the right, with rides and carnival features galore, including a sling shot and other gut spining/slinging contraptions.

Towards the centre its fun fair food, complete with dagwood dogs (a hot dog bread battered on a stick dipped in tomato sauce), fairy floss (candy floss), curly fries, hot dogs, chips, toffee apples, donuts, ribs, corn cobs, pizza, pies, icecream and pancakes..mmmm. Mouth watering just to think about.

There is the poultry shed where prized chickens and pigeons hang out, the car pavillion containing the latest and greatest, the cow shed, the dairy (lots of yummy food to try out in there), theres pigs, a childrens farm with mini tractor rides for the kiddies and where they can pet piglets, chickens, lambs and baby cows. There is the reptile display, tractor display, a cat pavilion, dog pavillion (with dog showing/competions daily), bunny rabbits, a flying pig display, wood chopping competitions, pie eating competitions, minature trains, wine and cheese tastings.

Meeting and greeting Mr Scarecrow

Towards the back is a large oval with seating for the grand parade, car dare devil displays (Ford and Holden utes battle it out), motor bike stunts, dog agility displays and the evenings grand finale of a massive fireworks display which is scheduled every night.

Whew...but there is more, the other side of the show grounds, contains yet more food stalls, Italian, Thai, Chinese you name it and two large pavilions with everything from fashion parades, Banana's in Pajama's , a fire truck, ambulance, orchid displays, wood carvings, photography, home wares (like a massive home show too), and many more stalls selling everything from rain water tanks, to jewellery, to cards, candles, bubbles, make up, garden features, even canoes were on offer.

Delighted with his showbag

The other massive hall contains show bags. Show bags, contain any manner of good things - bags and bags of sweets (candy) and chocolate and bad things, rubbish toys that break after one use. But they range from $2 for one with just a few chocs and sweets up to $60 with branded Coopers beer paraphernalia. Its mostly aimed at children with Hot Wheels, Toy Story, Dora and Wiggles all having a branded bag at the show with toys and sweets. This was always my favourite part of the show and had much delight in saving up as much of my pocket money as I could to ensure that I could get as many showbags as I could hold to take home.

Well that is the show, but what about our day at the show. Firstly it was possibly a the most hideous Spring day that I've seen in while, with lots of rain, torrential rain at that, gale force winds and even power outages. Rides were stopped, show attendance was down, but it didn't stop us.
On arrival after easily getting a park at my work, which fortunately is just nearby, Oliver kept asking "are we there yet...", every 20 metres only to be completely delighted on seeing the Ferris wheel and proclaiming that he simply must go on it. Too cute.

We waited for the other family members to arrive then headed on in, to stuff our faces with dag wood dogs before heading round to check out the cars and chickens first. We didn't want to get too far away as Oliver was keen to get to see Banana's in Pyjamas in the main pavillion, after then we wandered around, chatted with Scobby Do, checked out the Ambulance ( the card board cut out of which Oliver would not let anyone touch) and started the Yellow Brick road (its a show bag that takes you all over the show to collect goodies and food along the way).

Tractor rides

On heading outside we noted the weather had turned, it was just grey when we arrived and we were fighting heavy rains and whip you down winds to get around the show. We rugged Oliver up in Mark's rain coat and plodded on. We picked up chocolates and honey, yogurt and bread, we watch snakes in the reptile hut, we patted the lambs, drove on tractors (Oliver did), patted bunnies and saw the dogs. We ate some more - toasted cheese sandwiches, before deciding that it was nearly time to call it a day.

View from Ferris Wheel

The most important bit then was the show bags. Super exciting for Oliver who wanted to go a bit nuts in there, but on getting his Hot Wheels show bag, and several toys was suddenly much more delighted to stay longer, so while the others went home we wandered some more. We watched an amazing show of clothes made to look like flowers, ate donuts and went on the Ferris wheel finally.

The weather had cleared a little, but unfortuately when it was our turn on the ride the heavens opened and we went spinning around in rain, all in good fun. One final go on sideshow alley for Oliver and we headed towards the exit loaded with our goodies. Who says you cannot have fun in the rain!!?

Awaiting B1 and B2

and there they are...

Flower costume...humph, interesting

The sandcastle dinosaur

"Ohhh can we go on that!" The Ferris Wheel

Oops and down came the rain on the Ferris wheel

Sideshow Alley...

Checking out the Ambulance

Yo Scooby!

"Does this celery make my head look big?"

British bulldog in the Dog halls

"Look how big I am.... not"

Bella's First Day at the Beach

2010-09-12T22:03:00.000+09:30

Since Mark's Mum has now moved to Seaford, mere minutes from one of South Australia's finest beaches, well actually they are all pretty good, but Moana is a particularly nice one. Aldinga and Seacliff are my favourites....whoa getting off topic.

Anyway, we were down there for lunch - delicious by the way Mum, fantastic homemade lasagna - and since it was a gorgeous and warm Spring day we popped over to the beach so Bella could have her first beach day. Unprepared as we were, there was no puppy swimming, though of course as Bella only under went surgery for her girly bits to be removed on Thursday, it wasn't an option anyway.

She was a bit hesitant at first, you could just see her little face go, "what is this squishy stuff, its not solid how do I walk?". I totally understand, I myself simply cannot walk on sand to save my life. She loved it, tried to escape and run along the beach too.

Car Trip... she slept most of the way there and back..

Moana from the car... almost there

Ah water, let me at it....

Family, Mark, Saroeun, Scott, Jess and Chris (much to his dismay)

Mummy and Bella

Looking windswept...

Longing look down the beach, "how far can I go..."

Lisa Luyten - Photographer...

2010-08-24T19:54:00.000+09:30

Yep that's right, I am proclaiming myself officially a photographer. A part time professional photographer. Is that too premature? Well possibly but you know what if you try and don't succeed you at least tried. I now have a facebook fan page too and I am definitely going to do more work. Above are photos from my most recent shoot, and I am very chuffed by them. Yeah me!

The next step is to advertise for a model, make up artist and stylist for a shoot. Baby steps still though, just need to keep taking photos, that is the only way to improve.

Wish me luck and cross your fingers....

Ps at least you know I have been busy in my gross misconduct of severly failing to keep this poor blog update, I promise to be better.

Bella

2010-07-14T23:12:00.000+09:30

My wittle puppy, at 14 weeks enjoying the sunshine

What a busy life!

2010-07-14T23:00:00.000+09:30

Me, well not really. Yes and no. Quite different to living in London - dinners out, birthday drinks, random drinks, random events, bands, quick catch ups, concerts, theatre, birthday dinners, celebrity sightings, opera, ballet, parades; all in any one week and any day of the week.

Even a run home was an adventure; through St James's park, wave to the Queen at Buckingham palace, up Pall Mall, across Regent street or near Leceister Square, past Oxford street, up Tottenham court road to either Warren street station or if I had the energy just that bit further to Euston station - toot toot.

Here, well Monday night, Anne is over for a walk and dinner - we're well fed here, Mark has all his tools and has gone cook book crazy. Then Tuesdays is quiet night, or gym night...though the gym, well lets not talk about the gym, it makes me grumpy .

Wednesday night can get busy, usually its pub night, or if Dad is home he is over for more of Marks fabulous cookery, and of course my amazing desserts. Seriously nobody does Tiramisu like me (ummm. ok maybe Cristina....but she is Italian). At the moment its puppy school night. Thursday is usually quiet, again meant to be gym night, but alas we've usually been up to something. Fridays, footy night, night with Matt, Emma and Scott or lazy take away night (again this doesn't help my paunch), but lately its been going out to dinner night.

Saturday nights...zzzzzzzzz, well pretty quiet unusually so, for us....

BUT that will change when the weather is warmer. Fortunately we don't have long to wait, it is July, almost August, September will bring the warmer days and then....well it will be warm right through till at least the end of April. So I will gloat here now that I will enjoy and do very much enjoy the warm and sunshine that I will be blessed with...for 7 months of the year. This is to make up for the very different lifestyle that I now lead, by choice and I am glad that I am being kept busy.

Its only been 4 months back, I am allowed to grieve a little, mainly for those dear that I leave behind, but sadly I was always going to leave them. Boo hoo. Anyway, as I say, its not bad...its just different.

The Orange Country - Holland

2010-07-14T22:41:00.000+09:30

Cafe in Arnhem

Autumn leaves on the water, Amsterdam

Bicycles...yep Amsterdam

What I lack for with words....its here in pictures...

2010-07-05T23:23:00.000+09:30

Norton Summit

Mist through the trees, near Norton Summit

Norton Summit

Norton Summitt, must say this is a fav...

Cyclists on the road up to Mt Lofty, Adelaide

PS All photos are for sale, prices on application

Quote me...

2010-06-26T22:44:00.000+09:30

"No matter what behaviour you are seeking to change, no matter what particular goal or action you are directing your efforts towards, you need to start by developing a strong willingness or wish to do it. You need to generate great enthusiasm."

The Art of Happiness - A handbook for Living, HH Dalai Lama & Howard C Cutler.

Early one morning....

2010-06-26T11:22:00.000+09:30

Magill Estate Winery...the only shot I got like this before the sun poured over the hill top

Vines, whilst waiting for the sunrise..

I am a fur mummy...

2010-06-24T23:10:00.000+09:30

Bella at 10 weeks old

Egypt - Day 6

2010-06-24T23:03:00.000+09:30

God of Croc.... Komobo

Edfu Temple

Us with Granite Horus

Sunlight streaming into the Colonnade at Edfu

Lisa at Karnak Temple

Ramses II at Karnak

The sacred lake, rather man made though

Mark cracking up at me...walking like an Egyptian

Row of Rams...get it Ramses...no seriously.

Sunset arriving at Luxor Temple...2km from Karnak

Ramses II Statues at Luxor Temple

Colonnade at night...Luxor

Row of Sphinxes between Karnak & Luxor

Egypt - Day 5

2010-06-14T20:53:00.000+09:30

Our felucca in the morning

The sails

Egyptian Flag behing the felcucca

Birds, watching while we enjoyed lunch

Enjoying the ride

Swim time in the Nile!

This was about 500m inland...great photo material

Us wandering on the banks of the Nile before dinner

Fire side music before....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Little People Photos

2010-05-28T23:16:00.000+09:30

I am still building up my portfolio and at the moment, I am loving the joys of capturing children in play. They are hard work, wriggle, move around plenty (hate to sit still), smile weirdly if requested to do so, and mostly they are genuinely shy; but when you get the shot, and it may only be one after taking 100, it will be so very rewarding.

I have learnt you need to take time out to get to know the children a bit first, hang out with them, even if you do already know them or their parents, give them some attention first. Play on the swings with them, read a book if its indoors. Make them laugh and giggle so they can be comfortable in your presence.

Then let them go let them admire the ants, run around, watch other children, play with leaves, sticks or their toys and interact with their siblings or parents. They will quickly forget you're there. This lets them be themselves. Set yourself as a background prop and let them create the magic.

You just have to click the shutter.

Taking the plunge!

2010-05-28T23:14:00.001+09:30

Well I did open my big mouth and spout to the world of my hopes, dreams and aspirations to develop my photography. So what more could I hope for. I have actually taken action. Yes indeed.

I have a Facebook Group - Lisa Luyten Photography and I have geared my Twitter updates around building up my photography knowledge whereby I follow fabulous photographers and tweet my own amazing ones too (I say that because most obviously I leave off Tweeting the mediocre ones, we're not all perfect you know).

So now I am available for weddings, parties - well anything! Right, nope. I believe that was the name of a band in the 80's. Oops, showing my age.

I am pretty keen to cover, at this stage, new baby, birth stories (this has a whole story...will share in a separate blog), birthdays, capturing children growing up, family times, best friend shoots, partner and individual photography shoots. Also I think I would be keen to try different styles and quite happy to think outside the box.

Let me say, just watch this space!

Quote me...

2010-05-23T20:28:00.000+09:30

"If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of better stuff."

Jim Richardson, National Geographic

Egypt - Day 4

2010-05-23T15:52:00.000+09:30

Abu Simbel - Ramses II Tomb

At Abu Simbel, annual bird migration in progress - AMAZING!

More birdies...

Mark chilling out on the Felucca

Tombs of the Nobels

Feluccas on the Nile

more boats

boats cruising in for the evening...

The Awesomeness of Playgrounds

2010-05-23T15:46:00.001+09:30

Some likely lads...

2010-05-23T15:41:00.000+09:30

Egypt - Day 3

2010-05-08T17:35:00.000+09:30

Me at Aswan Dam

Nasser Lake, the lake side...if you like... of the Dam

Temple of Philae, the God Osiris (if I remember correctly that is)

The Kiosk of Tajan, on the Philae Island

Philae Island Dock and me

The view to the Tombs of the Nobles from Aswan

Australia's Finest...falls flat....

2010-04-30T22:11:00.001+09:30

An update on my previous one....

and I quote "1. Loving no queues, or at least small ones at the Post Office and in Government offices, less than 5 minutes on two occasions, amazing!"

Well that is what I said...but it doesn't stop them from stuffing up, consequently I have paid for a new licence with the Registrar of Motor Vehicles only finding out today that I should have paid only $15 for a re-issue (my old one was current) rather than $295 for a new one...buggers! Refund check here you come...

and I quote "4. Cold Rock ice cream..."

whhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....I still miss Ben and Jerrys...LOTS!

and I quote "17. Getting to wear party shoes without London cobblestones ruining them"

hummm, well now that I don't go out...don't even shop, seriously I haven't purchased a single, shoe (that alone would be daft anyway), top, dress, bra, so much even as a sock...for 7 weeks. That would be correct you heard me S E V E N weeks. Get me! No shopping!

Off the topic there though, ~~basically I don't go out,~~ I go out, but not OUT OUT...so no dressing up. Sob.

and I quote "19. Traffic jams only take 10 minutes to get through...maybe 15 if you are super unlucky"

Seriously don't get me started. Mark and I are doing a road trip everymorning, leaving at slightly different times, taking various different roads to try and avoid dreaded traffic gridlock, alas its not like we are stuck for hours. Just infuriating when you know you can get somewhere at a normal time of day in 20 minutes and it takes 40-50 minutes at peak hour.

and I quote "21. Peace and quiet, now my ears aren't the greatest, but its odd without the London hum that never stops"

This one well, please see my entry on What's my age again? and you will see that is just NOT TRUE, but on the plus side, it really would only be maybe one night a week. BUT I simply blame the lack of double glazing.

and I quote "23. Sunshine...just in case I did forget to mention it."

Nope that quote still stands - I love the sunshine!

Quote me...

2010-04-30T21:54:00.000+09:30

"Every single molecule that Charis is taking into her lungs has once been part of someone else's body, of the bodies of many others, going back and back, and then past human beings, all the way to the dinosaurs, all the way to the first planktons. Not to mention vegetation. We are all a part of everybody else, she muses. We are all a part of everything."

The Robber Bride, Margaret Atwood

Egypt - Day 2

2010-04-30T21:42:00.000+09:30

Mohammed Ali Mosque at the Citadel in Cairo

Mohammed Ali Mosque the courtyard

Mohammed Ali Mosque me in my sheet

Mohammed Ali Mosque inside lights

View from the Citadel over Cairo... on a clear day!

The Coptic Quarter of Old Cairo inside the Hanging Church, and this is where I put a candle for Mum

Khan-al-Khalili Bazaar, it was just manic

Outside the Egyptian Museum - no cameras were allowed inside, but there everything King Tut inside and a few Mummies

Egypt - Day 1

2010-04-28T22:20:00.000+09:30

Mark at the "Big" Pyramid

Desert Scene with Camels

Our tour group, nice with 13 people

The camel men at the stepped pyramid

Crazy Cairo traffic, and not a chance they are gonna stop for pedestrians

Me at the Stepped pyramid

What's my age again..?

2010-04-25T22:46:00.000+09:30

Seems I am showing my age. Not visually, as I don't look a day over 25, daaaarlings! Haha. However, the other night after tucking myself up in bed and having drifted off to sleep at a respectable 11pm on a Friday evening - what! Its been a long week!

Anyway, back to me....sleeping away, only to be blasted unceremoniously (I am a very heavy sleeper so it takes quite something to get me awake) out of my beauty preserving slumber by the neighbours teenage childrens' friends having decided right at that moment that revving the crap out of your car was a cool thing to do. I'm sorry, NOT AT 1AM IN THE FRIGGIN' MORNING it isn't!! You know the usual boy teen macho stuff, meat head, motor brain "cooor look at the wheels, mate!", pimp my ride sort of thing. Great. Just great.

However, as teenagers are rather vampirish and sleep till well beyond noon, 1am in the morning would clearly be the equivalent of, oh say you and I's 6-7pm in the evening. A much more respectable time to be showing your mates that you know how to step on the accelerator of your car really hard, repetitively without actually moving said vehicle. Yippee, lets clap, the boy can use the accelerator.

I was mere seconds from dragging myself out of the bed and launching myself out the front door to scream at the nearest car occupant. I would have been a sight with my cleavage revealing nighty, scruffy bedhead, and makeup less. I reckon I could have had them screaming for the hills within seconds. All I can say is they are lucky they stopped and also, if they had continued, lucky also for them that I decided to actually wear any bedroom attire that evening at all. Scary it would have been for them indeed!

I did however take a bleary eyed peek out the front window (the reason for my problem in the first place - Australians appear to deem double glazing not only unnecessary but ridiculously expensive) to notice that the neighbours house had become a regular rave joint. I felt I was suddenly living and looking out onto Hindley street (a Camden High street on a Sat night equivalent) with the cars lined up down the street with little Miss Hotties getting out cars and taxis, then sashaying in their clunge revealing skirts up the path into the house. I was surprised not to see bouncers at the front door.

Now technically I should have been disappointed that I wasn't actually invited to what appears to be the newest Adelaide "it" Saturday night club. However *sings* "what's my age again? what's my age again?", aggravation at lack of sleep got the better of me, I crawled back to bed, a grumpy grumbly old woman and finally fell back to sleep, grumbling further briefly when at 3am they all piled back into cars to their dens before the sun came up.

Indeed "what's my age again?", obvioulsy old enough to know that I prefer sleep to clubbing. Sigh.

BBQ Days

2010-04-25T17:03:00.000+09:30

Some of our close friends decided that a quiet low key BBQ was in order for Easter Monday. So we divided up the duties and on the day headed to our local park (about 2 minutes from our house) to fire up the BBQ and enjoy drink and catch up chats, you guessed it, in the sunshine. Delightful.

Mark cooking the snags

Friends - Matt Emma and Scott

The Boys at the BBQ

The Food - Yum

Sunshine

2010-04-22T23:11:00.000+09:30

Just to let you know we still get plenty of it here in Australia. Just today it was 30 degrees and amazingly bright and beautiful. I found myself wanting to go outside because I was afraid the sunshine would not last.

It has not clicked in my head that for the last 6 weeks we have had about 3 days where the sun refused to shine, or rather shone tepidly through misty high soft clouds, and only one, just one day, where it wasn't playing peekaboo behind the clouds for most of that time. That and my sunglasses are permanently perched on my head. So its probably safe to say the sun is not in a hurry to go away...yet.

However, as I sit in my little chair at my little desk behind my little laptop tapping away I am continuously thinking, "oh my goodness, will I miss out, what if the sunshine stops and its grey" before dragging myself outside just for a little while. You know just in case.

Though thinking about it, about one week back I stopped to notice, whilst in a car park of all places, that the sky is high in Australia. Sky High. I just felt naturally small and that the world was so big the sky so wide, open and clean. I had never realised before how lucky we are that Australia is so large and welcoming, the sky is one of the things that makes it so.

London I remember feeling small and squashed, it felt like the clouds were ever perched just above my head, close enough to reach. Though if I could have touched them I would have grabbed the grey grumpy sodden things and stuffed the darn things in the nearest rubbish bin. England has low lying dense cotton wool like clouds that float past very fast and I spent plenty of time watching them do just that, where as Australian clouds are high floaty wispy that drift lightly and slowly across the sky. Laid back clouds...laid back peoples, with London being fast and furious, just like the clouds.

No I haven't had anything to drink I really just felt like talking about clouds, and for those who have not been to Australia, I wanted to give a small insight to Australia that you, or rather Australians tend not to notice or take for granted. Just something that makes Australia what it is. I will endeavour to think of more little things, its the little things of course that make it so wonderful, to share with you.

I am still in love with Glee

2010-04-22T22:44:00.002+09:30

Easter Goody...googy Egg!

2010-04-13T20:45:00.001+09:30

He is rather edible! This is my 10 month old nephew Eli and he was super excited about Easter!

An Evil Plan

2010-04-10T23:25:00.000+09:30

Not really evil, but a plan none the less and it sounded exciting writing it down like that. I am going to be a photographer on the weekend from now on and maybe one day even more. Far into the future its....20??...envision a red carpet, blazing lights, a bedazzled and bewitched audience, a black tied announcer, "...and the winner is....Lisa Luyten...Photographer extrordinaire,...Lisa Luyten...."Photographer on the Weekend". Sigh.

My plans to become a photographer will definitely not eventuate easily, its a long term goal, with a long term vision, and as a great many persons have said before, but even the longest journey begins with the smallest step. I am but a planner, super organiser and this is how I do things.

My small steps, given that you're only as good as your last photo (and believe me its not a great one) will have to entail me getting the camera out and taken at least 5 photos a day, now that I am not travelling the need to get the camera out (the urge is there, the subject material is not...yet anyway) has slightly deminished.

Right having just written that down, how to make sure I do it and get started with that small goal, and continue properly so I don't feel so lost? In fact I have other goals that I need to undertake also in regards to the "Photography", but again, how to monitor, what are the goals, how do I start? Oh all the questions... head ...but ...is spinning....

Firstly, lets think of the goals. Goals so far....

1. Take 5 photos a day, but not just anything I need to be testing things, like different lighting, affects of changing the aperture, flash effects, still life, movement, etc

2. Record the shots and what I was trying to achieve

3. Read something about photography everyday, one of my magazines maybe, they seem to be gathering dust at the moment, as are my many photography books.

4. Once a week check out the DVDs that have come with said magazines, to learn about Photoshop - so that is one new Photoshop skill per week, just one tiny thing at a time.

5. Update the filing of my photos and back it all up properly

6. Utilise Lightroom, I have heard good things but fail to use it

7. Understand in my head that my hobbies cannot be paper tole, French, Spanish, reading, writing, and gardening, cake making, following the Amazing Race, as well as Photography (my first love...aside from Mark) - there are not enough hours in the day for even just Photography, so some of those will just have to fade away (for now)

8. Go through and finish up editing my photos from France, Ireland and Egypt - the last holidays whilst living in London.

9. Review photos for those to be printed from the 4 years we spent overseas. Unfortunately this will be a rather massive personal project for which I really will have to go into baby steps mode. Its far to daunting to even think about...might go eat some Fruchocs...oh sorry where was I...

10. Put paid to my promises of family and friends childrens portraits and actually do them - I think Sundays will be portrait days

11. Save up the pennies for a Canon EOS 5D, or even a 7D, as its clear that the move is back away from full format with the much anticipated release of the Canon EOS 1D IV, having reverted to being non-full format (ie not like a 35mm SLR camera), there is no need for me to aim so high.

12. Update photos on both Flickr (for your viewing pleasure) and RedBubble (for your purchasing pleasure)

13. Set up my own photography website (to cover both above eventually).

14. Join Model Mayhem and start doing professional model shoots, but still this will be on Sundays

15. Undertake further training in Photography - Photoshop course or even join just join a group of enthusiasts (who, I am sure will make me feel inadequate, but as I am so competitive, it will give me more drive to be better).

Whew, well its all out there now, I just got it down as fast as I could think of it all, so its a lot and some are long term goals and some are short term, i.e. "can do today" goals.

Next step, organising these goals into long and short term and getting the long term ones into manageable chunks.

I feel better that its all out now, and hopefully one day you will here of Lisa "David Bailey" Luyten, but as I progress I will update on here...so add a new goal and that will be to update on here how the former "Tourist on the Weekend" is progressing into becoming "Photographer on the Weekend!"

And oh how well the Cosmos will go down - Sex in the City 2

2010-04-10T18:06:00.002+09:30

Me and the girls will celebrate when we go to a private GOLD class screening on its released in late May!

Amazing BB

2010-04-08T13:51:00.002+09:30

And what she made me, check out the link. I love my Lavender bags! Thanks BB

http://www.makemeonebernieb.com/2010/04/for-the-smell-of-it/

Never tell a 3 year old he is not... A Single Lady

2010-04-02T13:08:00.002+10:30

Quote me...

2010-03-30T10:43:00.000+10:30

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."

as spoken by, Louisa May Alcott

Toying with changes...

2010-03-30T10:40:00.000+10:30

A new name is in order, thus the wheezing, sighs, hurumps, that float wordlessly in this blog, are me struggling to release my creative inner demon to allow it to effortlessly guide me into nameing this blog something...well creative. Sigh....

Bahh.....

Sunworshipers of the South - sounds religous!
Drivel
Documentations of a desperado
Muse for Amusement
Doddlebug
Pictures don't date
My Subtle Story
Verbal Essence
Nothings stranger than the truth
Strange truths of Home

And well you can see what I decided....

Australia's finest

2010-03-19T12:59:00.009+10:30

I have been been enjoying all things Australian over the past week or so and thought to jot a few of them down for your entertainment....

1. Loving no queues, or at least small ones at the Post Office and in Government offices, less than 5 minutes on two occasions, amazing!

2. Toobs, Smiths Thins, Burger Rings....YUM

3. Fruchocs...YUMMIER

4. Cold Rock ice cream

5. Bickfords Lime cordial with soda water

6. Molenburg and Tip Top multigrain bread

7. Crumpets...they may have come from England, but the Aussies perfected them

8. Sunshine....

9. Hot water pressure, I nearly blasted myself through the shower screen when I took my first shower back home

10. Butchers - I hugged the meat cabinet at the butchers I wanted to get closer to the deliciousness that comes from a tasty moo cow born and butchered in SA. I could never be a vegetarian, and before you ask, yes if I were starving I would kill my own cow.

11. Veal Schnitzel at the local footy club - classy stuff!

12. Sunshine...yes...

13. Trees, shrubs and an abundance of flowers, and parks everywhere (don't get me wrong, Hampstead Heath is still pretty special)

14. Birds singing in the mornings

15. Comfy air conditioned buses, yes I do occasionally use such a mode of transportation

16. Airconditioning!

17. Getting to wear party shoes without London cobblestones ruining them

18. Did I mention the sunshine....

19. Traffic jams only take 10 minutes to get through...maybe 15 if you are super unlucky

20. Julie's home cooking

21. Peace and quiet, now my ears aren't the greatest, but its odd without the London hum that never stops

22. Seeing the stars at night...

23. Sunshine...just in case I did forget to mention it.

I shall add to this later...........there has to be more, I have only been back 7 whole days so I have more to find out about as yet.

Getting back into the swing of things...

2010-03-17T15:57:00.003+10:30

So we are officially back on land that "is girt by sea", as goes the national anthem, that's right Australia, and to be more precise Adelaide, Australia.

It's day 6 and I am ready to curse the person who invented cardboard boxes. I have paper cuts galore, my hands are a ruddy black colour, my nails ruined and I am permanently dusty. Ok am a bit overboard there, but I just want you to understand that I am up to my armpits in boxes and I get excited when its NOT a cardboard box that I am unpacking or i get to tidy something or better yet do washing.

Then to make matters worse, we haven't even received the shipping stuff yet, so although I am now about 90% done with existing boxes (we had an entire furnished house) and there are about 33 on their way via customs. Customs just charged us $88 for alcohol - damn that WET tax, why do they tax wine so heavily in this country - so any day now.

Fortunately of the 33 boxes, about 80% of that will be bubble wrap. That of which we may have to donate to a multinational glass exporting company for re-use after, which could potentially save them $1,000's on shipping costs. Mark made wrapping the shipping into a high security military operation for which I did not have the correct authorisation codes or biometrics, thus was relegated to a desk job, aka spreadsheet data entry clerk. What fun.

So anyways...enough about me, ok no...you want more. Glad to hear it. More there is. Well I have been to an agency already on Monday and they had 3 suitable roles, varying in my preference for them of course. They told me to give them 72 hours and let them work their magic, well success, I am lined up for 2 interviews already. Wish me luck. Mark fortunately is already working, though I say fortunately because it means he doesn't have to un-pack stuff with me.

Now this is nearly the end of Tourists on the Weekend, as we are definitely no longer such, more like Sunshine Devourers of the South, hmm, nice ring. Oh and my photo of the day project has clearly gone tits up. However, because I don't like things to remain unfinished I am going to probably change it to a Photo of the Week....maybe month....or a photo of the year....project just to complete it. Don't worry though, there will be more blogs to come, we did get up to quite a lot in our last couple of weeks in the UK, including a trip to Oxford and various parties. Photos of Egypt will follow too, just a few as most will go up on Flickr of course.

Ok well the boxes are calling me, they have a high pitched whine, its rather unsettling, so I shall get back to them and bid you adieu for now, whilst you contemplate if I should do a new blog and what it should be called... your thoughts please.

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye...

2010-03-09T10:34:00.004+10:30

It's been said before, but its now really true.
That time, to go, that time has come.
My, oh my, wow how the time did fly,
Life has certainly swished on by.

It's been a blast, we've travelled far, and travelled wide,
so long as it was on the European side.
We worked hard in London, then spent our days and much of our nights,
booking plenty of dates, exhibitions, so many shows and cheap flights!

We've made amazing new friends, some mates for life,
which made it more special, more fun and more homely.
Though it makes it harder to leave,
and we'll certainly grieve!

It's been four years, four crazy odd years,
so much has happened, including some tears.
We've broken up, saw all that through, then later started fresh together anew,
but, sadly some tears were because, I lost my beautiful Mum too.

God rest her soul, she always said, "Do what makes you happy..."
So I always will, we're soldiering on, oh Mum and this ones for you.
The travels continued, as did the fun time,
oh and the dining, the food's been sublime.

We've travelled light, then heavier with arms fit to drop,
as heaven knows, you know, I really do like to shop.
We've seen London, Greece, Gent, Dublin, Paris, Edinburgh, Croatia, Turkey
Bratislava, Delft, Madrid, Sevilla, Salzburg, Vienna ..... are you bored yet.

The travel list it was long, and it was never wrong.
Our world its too wonderful, there is too much to see.
We only live once, and three lifetimes I'd need,
to squeeze it all in, so enough done, home bounds we speed.

This chapter is closing, such amazing moments been had,
especially in August with time spent with my Dad.
I will always be glad that I have had this opportunity,
a thank you to my husband, and to British immigration consent.

When all is said and done, my word Qantas never got it wrong,
and just like that famous song,
We still call Australia home,
so in sunshine, with family, that's really where we have to be!

Oh MY GOD!

2010-02-25T10:52:00.003+10:30

I am so behind on here, totally sorry, but I have just been enjoying myself in Egypt with Mark for the last 10 days. No laptop was taken, no mobiles were on. Bliss. Back to usual on here soon I hope but I have a whirlwind of a week or so ahead with the dwindling of days that are leading me back to Australia. Sigh.

Ps saw Kylie Minogue tonight at Miss Polly Rae's Hurley Burley burlesque show, and I had better seats than Miss Minogue. Oh and Boy George was there too. Show was brilliant, couldn't have been better if Dita herself was there, though would have loved to see the act with the champage glass.

Quote me...

2010-02-07T11:32:00.002+10:30

"A little too much anger, too often or at the wrong time, can destroy more than you would ever imagine. Above all, mind what you say. 'Behold how much wood is kindled by how small a fire, and the tongue is a fire' - that's the truth."

From "Gilead" by Marilynne Robinson

My Phone Envy

2010-02-07T11:10:00.007+10:30

It seems the i-phone is now the toy of choice, and I want one. Why? Because everyone else does and its JUST not fair *stamp feet and pout* that I don't. I even had a bit of phone envy on friday night as Brien, Amy and then Mike, had their toys out comparing the latest free application they have downloaded for their phones, on their incredibly cheap all inclusive plans.

Mike, Brien and Amy with their I-Phones

I know it should be that a phone is a phone. You pick it up, press buttons and call someone, chat and hang up. Yes... No.... Then there is texting. You pick it up, press buttons, then a few more and voila you have text someone. You put phone down and await a reply. Yes... No... Its so much more than that.

There is an application to help you randomly decide where to eat, you get Facebook, free internet, apps to play old fashioned Atari games, YouTube, apps to know where to stand on the tube so your right near the exits. Yes, incredibly nerdy. BUT I WANT ONE *red face, fists banging floor*. Sigh.

Worst thing, the other morning a girl on the tube was taping away furiously on her Blackberry (really I am not going there on my want of the NEW purple Blackberry), me slightly jealous. THEN she pops that away and whips out her I-phone. Grr now have serious phone envy issues.

Maybe when I am back in Australia... *sigh, further sigh and big tut and huff*.

Photo of the Day No.32 - Fifteen

2010-02-02T08:08:00.001+10:30

Dinner at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen Restaurant, near Shoreditch and Old Street in London. Very Italian very unusal, but extremly tasty. No we didn't see Jamie.

PS I know my Photo of the Day are not exactly always awe inspiring, but I think I have come to the conclusion that my Photo of the Day will be a mix of my photography development and events/dos/happenings of our life in London (what remains of it)

Photo of the Day No.31 - So Long Farewell....Tufnell Park

2010-02-01T09:02:00.002+10:30

The last photo of us at our flat in Tufnell Park, just minutes from leaving, our mini cab is in the drive behind us. We now live in Bush Hill Park, quite North but still in London!

Photo of the Day No.30 - Happy Engagement

2010-01-31T08:03:00.003+10:30

Congratulations to our friends Alex and Dan on their engagement!!

(The end of the friendship....the beginning of something so much better)

Photo of the Day No 28 & 29 - Moving ... yes again!

2010-01-30T10:17:00.001+10:30

What can I say for 2 days I lived with STUFF, lots of STUFF. We've already shipped 25 boxes home, so said STUFF, where it came from I don't know. Thank heavens most of this was given away as its not coming with us, to our new place, or home to Australia. Whew.

Photo of the Day No.27 - Julie

2010-01-28T10:13:00.001+10:30

Mark and I had dinner with Julie and her new husband James at Le Bouchon Breton in Spitalfields Markets London. We have been friends for nearly 4 years and this was our last dinner together before we go home. Boo hoo.

Photo of the Day No.26 - A Little Piece of Australia

2010-01-27T08:03:00.004+10:30

Attached to me for today... Happy Australia Day everyone !!

Happy Australia Day....from London for the last time!

2010-01-27T07:12:00.006+10:30

Today is one of the most favoured days of the year, especially if you're actually in Australia. We get the day off there, but not here. However to make it more special as we have to work by doing Australian things.

Getting it ready...note the fairy dust (key ingredient)

Last night I made ANZAC cookies (last year I at about 11pm endeavoured to make Lamingtons, a great feat I tell you) which are nice and easy to make, well sort of. In my case difficult purely because I thought I got a few of the measurements wrong especially as I have an Australian recipe with metric measurements, imperial kitchen jugs (no spoons or scoops) and the scales are my luggage scales!!!

And the photos tell the tale!

Me doing cooking....yes really..I can follow a recipe!!!

Ready to go in the oven...

Today at work a few of the team made the epic, but required, annual trek to the Covent Garden Australia Shop for supplies. We had pizza shapes, BBQ shapes, Cheese & Bacon shapes, cheese Twisties, Violet crumble, Picnics, Tim Tams, and some Cherry Ripes, so quite a feast really.

The very busy Walkabout and the queue round the block

Tonight we headed to the Walkabout, a much packed Walkabout, the queue was rediculous, but at least we went for a little whiel. The entertainment that was the drunken Aussies (and generally Kiwi's too) who had been in there since lunchtime, dressed as yobbos, and you have to be one to dress as one and they were!!

My team at work; Brien, Amy, Matt, Jessie who is new (she has a cool French accent as she is from Maruitus) and me.

If we'd been a little later we'd have seen them try to belt out Aussie tunes on the Karaoke stage, it was extremely funny last year. Oh and I have a little Australian Flag on my arm for good measure, as you can see;
Me with my tattoo...

Next year, I get the day off, so BBQ, lammies, snacks, and drinks at my place.... yippee!

Photo of the Day No.25 - Anzac Buscuits

2010-01-26T06:55:00.002+10:30

These are the easiest buscuits ever to make, even without the correct measuring tools I still managed to make them tasty. They are called ANZAC buscuits because they Australian wives, mothers and sister used to make them and ship them over to the ANZAC soldiers in Gallipoli and on the Western front during the WWI. Of course you knew that ... !

Photo of the Day No.24 - Marvellous Maristela

2010-01-25T08:57:00.001+10:30

Mari was my model for the day, I am brushing up on my portrait photography and we headed over to Leadenhall Markets to take some photos. Mari brought out the portrait photographer in me, and I the supermodel in her. This is just one of my favs.

Photo of the Day No.23 - The Randomness of London

2010-01-24T08:43:00.000+10:30

Excuse the bluriness, was not prepared and didn't have time to get my proper camera out. This was taken near Cornhill and Leadenhall streets, no spectators, no cameras, no signs, just a marching band passing through the streets with these little old men at the back, one with an Aussie flag and one with a Kiwi flag. Why? Well me thinks for Australia day, but we may never know.

The windy theatre production....Chicago

2010-01-23T09:05:00.003+10:30

Tonight I took myself off to see Chicago, as I was only requiring a ticket for one. Not a nerd, just decided I want to see it and if I had to wait for someone else who wanted to go, hadn't already seen it and was available with cash to go when I wanted to as well I may never have seen it. Certainly not with the limited time I have left!

I think I did quite well securing myself a centre seat in the top balcony for £18, no complaints for me when full priced I'd be looking at £50 plus, and I got upgraded to the next level down when I got there too.

It was a bit of a night in for me really, I had a glass of wine, got comfy and waited for the scantily clad (read why I cannot understand why Mark didn't want to see it) show to begin. The Cambridge theatre itself, is the youngest theatre in London, only opening in the 1930's and having fully been restored in the 1990's. Apparently its one of the prettiest...least to say it is not. It got an Art Deco feel but its almost non-existent.

Anyway the show was great, lots of singing, a bit of dancing, and it was quite cool what they were able to do with minimum props and no set or outfit changes...bar a few shoes and choice jackets. The hot guys doing the dancing was particularly good, definitely getting my fair share of hot men viewing at the moment.

I have to say my favourite was the husband Amos Hart, who did a great rendition of Mr Cellophane, but the gorgeous burlesque feathered fans for the entrance and exit of Mr Billy Flynn, who only cares about money was a lot of fun to watch too. The Roxie was actually the original Roxie from the original show when it started at the Aldwych Theatre near the Strand.

And that was that...I was home tucked up on the couch by 8pm that evening, so it really was like a trip to the movies...oh without the popcorn.

Photo of the Day No.22 - Chicago

2010-01-23T07:28:00.003+10:30

"I know a Girl", who is "A Little Bit of Good" and a little bit of "Class" and she has a "Funny Honey" who she said is "All I care about". She could do a "Tap Dance" and the "Cell Block Tango", but she cried ok "I'll be good to Mama", but "I can't do it alone", it will be better if its"Me and My Baby"! It was so "Razzle Dazzle" and "All that Jazz"!

GLEE!!!!

2010-01-22T09:35:00.002+10:30

You'll love it or you'll hate it...but frankly anyone doing this little ditty, has gotta make a TV show just a bit sexy!!! Oh except for the fatty bloke who does it and they make fun of him on You Tube...(sorry dude, so not sexy)...

PS though am also hanging out for new series of Mad Men!!

Photo of the Day No.21 - Alas this is beyond exciting....

2010-01-22T09:21:00.002+10:30

But, we move out next week and our cupboard is a little full...sort of. However, despite that this photo will remind me of the yummy food...hummm the Dorset porridge...Bistro gravey...um no it will just remind me that I should have eaten this long ago!

Photo of the Day No.20 - To the Right..

2010-01-21T10:17:00.003+10:30

Is the sign for the exhibition at the British Museum for Moctezuma, which Mark and I visited tonight after work. This was to explore the history and highlights of the great Mexican ruler, his life and times in the 15th century and how it all came to crumble with the Spanish arriving in search of the New World.

Personal Space people....get your own!

2010-01-21T09:08:00.003+10:30

Riding the tube around London can be traumatic at the best of times, for multiple reasons, such as over crowding, its usually too hot, tourists, people who insist on getting on before others get off, rucksack wielding people, loud headphone music, weird people, people who smell (various combinations of people who are weird, smell, are loud and look funny), and of course summer under-arm nose-stuck-in syndrome. However, most...most... of the above doesn't bother me, but people in MY SPACE does.

I don't require much space and am not greedy about the space, in fact am usually the one willing to dive head first, screaming "pretend your a sardine" onto a rush hour am train. Seated though, now seated is a different story. When you have one of those coveted plushy velvety seats, that is your own 40 square centimetres of commuting heaven - foot area and head space included. Once I get this space and I find I become more territorial than a swan with cygnets!

I am not greedy about it either, as a reader I like to tuck my arms back but inside of the armrests. I willingly give my fellow commuters full armrest usage, are they grateful, mostly yes I would say. I keep my bags under my feet or on my lap.

So when you get the wide legged womb envy men or the squash bits with leg up men, you suddenly lose leg room. Me Peeved - indeed.

Then there are the, just how much more than over the arm rest can I go, you can almost read the thought bubble above their head as their elbows dig deeper into your arm. These people - oh yes women and men, young and old - get my bag pushed ever so politely up to the armrest to redefine the boundary of the armrest. The newspaper encroaching sorts; "ooops", up goes my book right into their paper, no "oh sorry" needed on my behalf, clearly their paper shouldn't have been there. The loud music players, staring them out works a treat, doesn't usually take them too long to work out why I am staring.

Am I insane, nope, just a normal commuter attempting to do so in peace in guidance with polite tube etiquette, that fortunately around 90% of people abide by. I just wish that such un-written etiquette, such common sense, would prevail for that 10% of people who lack, common sense.

Photo of the Day No.19 - Reduction in Chaos

2010-01-20T07:13:00.000+10:30

Certainly a slightly different picture from Photo of the Day No. 1 when chaos ensued and we had Lisa's Living room nightmares. Now its just a little sad and rather empty.

Photo of the Day No.18 - Scary Movie Fog

2010-01-19T07:20:00.003+10:30

Spooky!! St James's Park this morning amongst the first serious winter fog that we've had this year.

Gone for a Walk - Hyde Park

2010-01-18T08:43:00.004+10:30

A couple taking a lazy sunday stroll on the Serpentine

Building reflection in the ICE...on the Serpentine

Me in the Italianate Gardens

Mark, the ever reluctant photo subject in the Italianate Gardens

Swans, and lots of them

A cute... if that is possible Canada Goose

They're prepared this year!

This was simply the most massive Swan I have seen, its a bit hard to tell here though

Kensington Road, with the classic British phone boxes

Gloucester Road Tube station with the old Metropolitan Railway signage.

Wanted gorgeous gals to drool over SEXY Male Swans

2010-01-18T08:42:00.008+10:30

That was me, Jade and Shauna, and drool we did, the principal dancer was a hottie, especially in shiny black leather when he is the stranger in Act 3. There are no words to describe, just subtle groans and lip licking all round...mmm mmm.

We sat 3 rows from the front and were delighted in the fact that we could hear every step, see every wobble, every muscle ripple, every rivulet of sweat, oh and the smell. Yes, but it wasn't bad, it was all baby powder to make them white for swans.

Photo from the Internet....Swans...

Aside from the hot muscly guys in the Swan scenes, the show it self was extremely modern and actually terrifically funny in some places, particularly the dancer who was the girlfriend. We got the giggles, she was so funny. I won't give anymore away, you'll just have to go and see for yourself.

The Matthew Bourne, Swan Lake at Sadler's Wells of course!
Jade and I with birthday cocktails for Jade
Me, with Jade and Shauna
My Russian doll, Olga...I named her just then... who contains 5 other ladies, Aleksandra, Helga, Irina, Mischa and Nadja from Jade's Russian Xmas and New Year

Photo of the Day No.17 - Hyde Park Italianate Gardens

2010-01-18T08:08:00.001+10:30

The sun was shining, what better excuse to get outside for a wander around London. With both exhibitions I wanted to see unavailable we made do with a walk through a family fest that was walking through Hyde Park.

Ducks, geese, pigeons, swans, skaters, boarders, bikes, buggies, joggers, walkers, footballs, couples, families - it was all there. This photo here is of the Italianate Gardens towards the Notting Hill end of the park.

Followed up with a lovely Sunday Roast at The Prince Albert on Gloucester Road before some shopping in Harvey Nichols whilst Mark went home to watch the football.

Photo of the Day No.16 - RED!

2010-01-17T09:01:00.000+10:30

Afternoon tea at the Lanesborough; champagne - check, tea - check, crust free sandwiches - check, min tea cakes and scones - check, .... co-ordinated red nail polish - check!!!!

Photo of the Day No.15 - 6 weeks on...

2010-01-16T07:57:00.000+10:30

And Amelie is more adorable every day! We are going to be roomies soon so there will be more photos of this little munchkin soon too.

Photo of the Day No.14 - From Russia with Love

2010-01-15T06:48:00.001+10:30

A gift from my friend Jade who went to Russia for Christmas and New Years. We had them out before we went to Sadler's Wells to watch the Matthew Bourne "Swan Lake" as a treat evening for her birthday, and watching the hot dancers was so "present" enough!!

Photo of the Day No.13 - Angel

2010-01-14T10:11:00.000+10:30

It snowed amazingly today, what a nice suprise, but rather than another snow shot, this little angel Darcey gets my vote as my photo of the day. Ain't she precious?

Szu-Yuens.. Wedding Birthday Bash ..Tule overload!

2010-01-13T11:09:00.006+10:30

Szu-Yuen didn't want to do just an ordinary birthday, she was pretty keen for an excuse to watch her wedding video a few more times.

So no your not seeing a crazy wedding without the grooms your seeing a bunch of girlys with a damn good excuse to dress up in wedding and bridesmaids dress's. AND eat cake and listen to LOTS of ABBA. We certainly did watch the wedding too - which was lovely, but also Muriel's Wedding too.

It was a hilarious afternoon.

Cakes, home and handmade by Szu's herself
The Birthday Girl!!
Crazy brides and belles...
The full monty!
Mari with cakes

Katy and Natasha, 2/5ths of the the Ladies who Lunch

Photo of the Day No.12 - Lost on the tube

2010-01-12T11:05:00.001+10:30

It appears I am losing my way, as my time here dimishes so does my ability to tell which tube can I take to get home. The Northern Line was unaccessible the way I normally go home, so I went to take the Victoria line one stop and swap - to save time.

Turns out I went the wrong way, added 15 mintues to my journey. I blame the lavendar oil fumes, I had just had a massage. Sigh.

Photo of the Day No.11 - Ahhhhhhhhh BOXES

2010-01-11T11:02:00.000+10:30

I dream of this logo....its not a good thing.

Photo of the Day No.10 - Muriel's Wedding

2010-01-10T10:54:00.001+10:30

Am not sure much can be said for this, as you can see two brides, two brides maids...hmmm and what they are wearing, wedding from hell maybe? Nope "Muriel's Wedding" themed birthday party......enough said!

Photo of the Day No.9 - Tourist Day

2010-01-09T10:48:00.002+10:30

Mark and I went to Covent Garden to the Transport for London Museum and ALL I got was this lousy photo of an old bus blind.... Nope there is more.

But, check that box, it was on our to do list and I was fascinated and managed to spend 3 hours there, how I don't know quite how, maybe its because I read EVERYTHING, am becoming a nerd, I will be trainspotting next.

Photo of the Day No.8 - Girls Night

2010-01-08T10:44:00.001+10:30

There is nothing to say here....we had a great girly night at Jewel Bar Covent Garden then after Cinderella hour, Shilo and I ended up at Buddha bar, which I must say aside from impressively massive Buddha statue was actually terribly boring!!

Burr, its damn BEYOND freezing out there

2010-01-08T10:30:00.003+10:30

Well its not getting warmer, parts of the UK are colder than Moscow. Jadey if your reading this you really needn't have bothered going to Russia for Christmas, but I am grateful as it appears you've brought the weather back with you. I certainly don't mind walking around in the "minuses" when it is snowing, and we are expecting more snow over this weekend....YIPPEE!!

Photo of the Day No.7 - Winter Sunrise

2010-01-08T10:19:00.009+10:30

This morning I woke up to this, isn't a white winter just wonderful. And as for the rest of Great Britain, this amazing photo shows it all....Frozen Britain (from the BBC).

Photo of the Day No.6 - Our New Friends

2010-01-07T11:09:00.004+10:30

Last night it started snowing, then snowed more, and more, and this evening when we got home from work after leaving work in a blizzard of snow cornflakes Mark and I headed up to Hampstead Heath and Parliament hill to enjoy the snow.

The lights of London reflected off the white sky and white snow made a potentially miserable winters evening blindingly light. Amazing. Oh, and the crunching sound of snow under your feet is better than listening to coco pops for breakfast. I WILL MISS SNOW!!!

When we got back we "made" a few little friends out front of the flat. Marks was slightly disrespectful of my penguin looking snow man and decided to make his own, more normal (apparently) looking snow man. Perfectly, a kind neighbour had left out their Xmas tree for our new friends to enjoy too.

Ps later in the evening our snow friends got a new friend, seems we're not the only ones building snowmen!!

A bit of Puccini

2010-01-06T10:44:00.003+10:30

I love anything that is exotic and beautiful, Opera for me is no exception, though to be honest I did find Wagners "The Ring Cycle" a little tough to watch.

However, this time the opera was Puccini's, "La Boheme" and it was nothing but something of immaculate beauty, something for all the senses.

The singing was champagne for the ears, the story so romantic and hopeful. The set was divine visual splendour, perfectly prepared you could easily mistake that you were sitting in the spectacular Royal Opera House and felt you had been transported to a very wintery, but ever so glamorous 18th century bohemian Paris. The taste was of champagne in the interval and the smell, was that of snow outside when the show ended.

Simply stunning, and yes I did cry at the end.

The Perrier Jouet Bar, nice! And we reserved our interval champers

The view from our seats

See, me with my Champagne

And Miss Amy with her Champagne

Photo of the Day No.5 - La Boheme

2010-01-06T10:26:00.003+10:30

A big tick on my "To Do" list, a list that grows quicker than it shrinks. Tonight my lovely friend Amy came along with me, she was tickled pink too, to see the beautiful Puccini opera La Boheme at London's famous Covent Garden Royal Opera House.
I had wanted to see it for quite some time, waited 3 hours on the internet for my turn to buy tickets and was almost afraid that I would be disappointed. Far from it, we had amazing seats across front of the top balcony, so we didn't feel hemmed in and we could see all of the stage and orchestra pits perfectly.

A lovely glass of champagne in the interval, a magical evening, simply stunning.

Photo of the Day No.4 - 3pm attention lapse

2010-01-05T09:59:00.002+10:30

Ah 3pm, a time where the day suddenly seems long and yet there is still 2 hours till home time, today I only have to turn my head left to see out over the beautiful red winter sunset over St James's park towards North East London. Spectacular, even if I cannot convey that just here.

Christmas Lights of London 2009

2010-01-05T09:13:00.006+10:30

John Lewis, Oxford Street
Debenhams, Oxford Street

More Debenhams, Oxford Street
Selfridges, Oxford Street (near Bond Street)
Harrods, Knightsbridge

Covent Garden Apple Markets
Carnaby Street, tucked in Regent and Oxford Streets

Burrr its cold out there

2010-01-04T08:00:00.003+10:30

BBC weather at 7pm today....

Seems its been a while since I gave a run down on the weather. Basically its best for brass monkeys, not us squidgey soft warm bodied humans. We've had a really cold winter so far, we even had a great dumping of snow right before Christmas and most of the North its been pretty much non stop chaos causing snow (but that wouldn't be hard 2mm rain and there is chaos) since mid-December.

I keep thinking how gorgeous Scotland would be to visit right now, then change my mind everytime I leave the flat. Next week, as you can see, is set to be cold and its the first week I have seen with temperatures for the day at zero. Scarf, gloves and ear muffs are at the ready!!

Photo of the Day No.3 - Can you tell its cold?

2010-01-04T05:26:00.002+10:30

It certainly felt cold my feet felt like they were encassed in mini blocks of ice on my walk home from the bus. The street looked rather pretty bathed in the last of the gorgeous sunny winters daylight, at the late hour of 4pm...sigh, looking forward to the longer days then, eh.

Photo of the Day No.2 - Shiny Disco Balls...ur Not

2010-01-03T05:51:00.003+10:30

After being a bit housebound yesterday Mark and I journeyed out to Trafalgar square today, then on to Burlington Arcade, along the way however we found this amazingly shiny ball structure outside the Royal Academy of Arts (note to self add this to list of places must see before leave London...check). Oooo shiny, had to take some photos...oooo pretty.

Photo of the Day No.1 - Living Room Nightmares

2010-01-02T10:42:00.001+10:30

Our living room today, indeed a nightmare, packing for the journey home.

And to all a very happy and prosperous 2010

2010-01-01T10:29:00.002+10:30

For some of us the New Year has arrived with a bang or but with a whisper, or with a snore for those of you who slept through it, which I think, just a sneaky suspicion, could be the case with my lack of texts this year. I forgive you all, don't mention it.

It for me has not yet arrived and to celebrate I will maybe go up to Parliament Hill to watch the visual spendor, sans rain, that will be fireworks across London. However, I can just as easily watch bits of it from my bedroom window, or more comfortably still from the comfort of the sofa on the tele. We are currently watching "The Greatest Songs of the Noughties" followed by "Your Top 20 Celebrity Big Brother Moments " and then....come on there is theme here...quality viewing all round "The Greatest TV Shows of the Noughties". Enthralling stuff, I believe I will be asleep by 11.33pm

Last night enduring grumpy celebrities talking about New Years and what it does or rather doesn't mean to them, one pointed out that every year thousands of people flock to Trafalgar Square about 11pm, come snow, rain, hail and sleet, for a 10 second countdown, a rowdy rendition of Auld Lang Syne and a snog if your lucky. Only to then be left with the chaos of the mass attempt to enter the tube for a free ride home, dash to the train station in hopes of getting the last train to Timbucktoo that left about 10pm or upturn the bollards of Westminster in the hopes of plucking out a henstooth of a cab, of which all mysteriously disapear at about 11.53pm without fail each year; hey they gotta celebrate too.

Then suddenly my impromtu eve of New Years Eve "bright spark" plans to embark on said Square at 11pm suddenly seemed a little lame, unforfilling and full of effort that I just really couldn't be arsed mustering.

So I celebrate with Mark from my living room with a glass of champagne in my tracky dacks...Happy New Year Everyone...

Escapades through Northern France and Belgium

2009-12-31T05:39:00.012+10:30

I had always wanted to go to France and just drive around, its a massive country, in European standards and takes a bit of time to do it justice and then some more. We had 11 days, which was just to enough to get down as far as Burgundy and a hint of Brittany if you cut it across the middle. Mark did most of the planning as I was away with Dad and as he had been avidly reading the France guidebook for months he was probably best placed to do it in the first instance.

Mark eating Tartifletter for lunch, a good start

So one fine Saturday morning we stocked up our Volkswagen Passat (never get one stupid handbrake button thingy is rubbish) and headed out of London bright and early, with a 7am sparrow fart start. We took the Euro tunnel across the English Channel, which is rather cool as you pull up at Dover Channel tunnel at your allotted time and line up to drive on the train, yep you pull up and there is a ramp off the side to drive in. There are people ensuring you are in the right spot with minimal gaps between cards, and not across carriages. Then 25 minutes later the train pulls up in Calais, you drive off and done - you are in France. We were pretty excited by that bit. Since Calais was along way from our allotted destination for the evening - 3 hours away - we had to get going. We headed down the coast on the autoroute through the region of Picardie towards Normandy.

We stopped for a late lunch in a tiny little village and just missed its markets for the day, but we did get to have a yummy lunch with wine and Mark got the tarteflette, which is a potato and bacon baked dish. Back on the road again our first stop along the way was across the Pont Normandie, one of the longest bridges in the world, before arriving for a later afternoon drink (and a bit of people watching) in the beautiful coastal town called Honfleur. Honfleur is famous for being picturesque particularly its little harbour with lots of old 7 storey wooden houses. A flower it indeed is.

HonFleur Harbour Buildings, some seven stories

From there we headed a bit further down, about an hour away to Bayeux via Caen, the town where the old Bayeux tapestries about the Norman invasion are kept. It’s quite a nice little town with a massive medieval church, wooden buildings and windy streets. We had a really nice French dinner and our hotel was just gorgeous, think French Château opulence but smaller and in the town itself. The tapestries were good to see and in very good condition considering their age and that they have been pulled from pillar to post through the years, and it’s thought they were actually completed by the English.

Bayeux Hotel...Chateau more like

It was Normandy so they day was a little gloomy, but perfect for visiting the Normandy beaches including the cliffs along Longues sur Mer where we got to see big German guns and lookout points. We drove along the coast and went to Omaha (US) beach, which was closest an easy to get to compared with Gold (UK) and Utah (US) even though one of them had the temporary docks, but we could see them from the Longues sur Mer look outs anyway. We also went to Arromanches where there were lots of bomb craters, I climbed in one and its about 2 stories higher than me. Our drive later that afternoon left us moving into Brittany and with that the clouds began to dissipate. Driving along the coastline was very pretty and we were heading to the coastal oyster town of Cancala.

Cancala Beach, or Oyster beds

Beach at St Malo, high tide though

Mont St Michel

The quaint tiny streets of Mont St Michel

We stayed in Cancala, which was amazing to arrive into as the tide was out and all you could see for miles was oyster beds embedded in the wide beaches. We had oysters and cider by the jetty, with the oyster really cheap at £3 a dozen. We had another really good meal with Mark eating moules and me lovely red bream. The next day we went visiting to St Malo on the coast of Brittany before driving back to St Michel's Mont (the abbey on the island and the big sister to St Michael's mount in England).

Apple Orchards on the Route de Cidre, near Buevron en Auge

Monets House in Giverny

We picked up the cider trail from Bueven en Auge (historic town with only one restaurant - the other one burned down the night before we arrived!!) after visiting the Bayeaux tapestries and purchased much French cider, from sweet little old ladies who only spoke French, then travelled onwards to the Loire valley staying in Vendome before visiting both Amboise and Chenonceaux chataux's. We went inside Chenonceaux and it was just stunning inside and out (apart from the scaffolding!!).

Chenonceau Portrait...

Chenonceau Forest Flowers

Avalon Sunset

Beaune Hospice

Avalon was our next stop before Beaune in Burgundy where we had lunch (beef bourguignon) in the quaint little town after visiting the Hospices de Beaune a 13th century hospital (but pleasant not gruesome - though am sure some of the medical procedures then would have been eek) and purchasing some...well Burgundy wine. So alas we left the Autoroute of the sun (towards the southern coast) and headed back up again towards Champagne, via Troyes.

Town hall at Troyes

In Champagne we stayed in Ay and Epernay (about 5 miles apart) so not much driving and plenty of time for tastings. After a swim in the pool (finally a hotel with a pool) we had an early night but not before a little dinner and you guessed it more Champagne. We had a full day of tastings ahead of us, but best of all we toured (thanks to a lovely couple from Melbourne) the next morning Billiecart Salmon champagne house. It was brilliant and the champagne fantastic, we got four full glasses and some vintage, also it was free.

Here lies Louis Roederer....

I had no idea there were 15,000 champagne houses and appallingly we only managed to get to 4 (William Santot, Henri Goutorbe, G Tribaut (amazing views) and Billiecart) to actually taste, it’s a bit more un-inviting to taste, but that is probably more the French attitude (upturned nose) than anything, though no one was unfriendly at all.

Epernay Champagne Shop...the choices

Vines at Tribaut Winery

We went past a few others including Louis Roederer, Laurent-Perrier, Moët & Chandon and Nicolas Feuillatte to name a few. So on from there a quick stop in Reims our final Champagne stop before the more sombre end of our tour.

Champagne view to Reims

We headed to the Somme for the Australian war memorials (including a small museum) and one of them was brilliant with a large tower to climb to view the whole of the Somme Valley, very beautiful and hard to picture what it was like back in the early 1900's during the war. The area is covered in various memorials, so many graves, and it’s the same in Belgium.

We were to stay in Gent (it’s like Bruges, my assuming you’ve been there – haven’t we all; but prettier again) and our hotel was amazing an old Flemish townhouse that was more like a French Châteaux, gorgeous.

Ieper...or Ypres...Last Post

Australian Memorial - Cobbers at Fromelles

Vimy Ridge Trenches

We looked around there in the morning including visiting the 11th century castle before heading back to France to go to Vimy Ridge (Canadian war memorial and WW1 trenches) then on the Ypres for the last post ceremony (its done every evening at 8pm and has done since the end of WW1).

Gent Buildings

Moules in Gent...yum yum

Our final day was spent wandering around the now cooler Gent (just a reminder that summer really had ended) before heading back across to Calais for our tunnel ride back to London.

Merry Christmas London Style

2009-12-30T09:26:00.004+10:30

Well what has now been and gone is our last (and first) Christmas in London, a quiet little dinner for two with a goose for 7. Whew, she was a big bird, and probably much offended that I kept calling her a turkey. In the end I banned the use of the Turkey Xmas hat, to cease my trigger to say the T-U-R-K-E-Y word...

It was delicious and needy, requiring much de-oiling during the cooking, thus whilst most of the afternoon I sat watching children's cartoon movies. Though The Incredibles is the only one I made it all the way through. Poor Mark was up and down like a yo yo to the Goose getting her all good to go for dinner.

We ate eventually at about 5.30pm, and it was definitely worth the wait, all the trimmings, potato's, sweet potato, carrots, beans, broccoli, parsnips, Yorkshire puddings, full cranberry and apple stuffing with delicious goose fat and red onion gravy...mmmm; your mouth watering yet, mine is and its 10pm at night and I have just had peppermint tea, which does not go with any of the above!

Below are a couple of photos from our Xmas day;

Festive Flat
Breakfast - eggs, salmon, Irish potato bread with Champers

Champagne...yummy!
Chef carving the goose
Dinner - Goose was good!
Our presents
Merry Christmas from me

And Merry Christmas from the Tourists on the Weekend xx

Xmas No.1's in the UK

2009-12-23T06:29:00.003+10:30

And interesting play list if I do say so myself, maybe one day when I am bored at Christmas i will download and have a listen....
http://sharemyplaylists.com/every-christmas-number-one-ever/

This train terminates at...Bushey Heath ...

2009-12-23T06:19:00.003+10:30

My fascination with the tube is never ending and I was quite chuffed to find this random installment about the Northern line that never was, nor will be. I had been mildly intrigued as to why the line has a little bit that is Mill Hill then it disappears into nothing. So now I know.

I am going to keep my eyes open for new videos, as of course this is not an isolated case. If you have a bit of time have a watch.

Babies....Amelie and Nina

2009-12-19T08:04:00.004+10:30

Well this year, like every other for the last 5 years has been another with the births of some beautiful bonny babies. Most recently I would like to welcome Amelie Mohammad and Nina McGregor; both December babies and Sagittarius to boot.

This is wee Amelie, less than a week old...

This is the space for the picture of Nina, when lovely Avy sends me some pictures, I cannot wait to see, and its not long now till I meet her too.