A quick game of Conflicting Signifiers this morning

I am wearing Neil's high vis jacket to cycle to work lately because it is warm and cuts down on my chances of becoming roadkill. It's fun to cycle past workmen and watch their faces as they think, 'Woman. Cor. But wait! Yellow jacket means workman. Leering wrong. Not poof or workman-fancier. But wait! Woman. Leer. No! Erk.'
Perhaps I am being too mean.

Mr Johnson is delectable

Lovely lovely Boris

I am a good person

I have not been drinking during the week, which has left me all bright eyed and whatnot. I may well go for a healthy cycle ride later. La via e bella! (Yes, I'm in the manic phase of my cycle.) Emily, when do you want me and Lilly to come and visit you? Otherwise we will spend all our money on weekends in Prague.

I am getting really stressed and upset

Rachel has a friend that she's known all of two months or so, from work, who is going to have a kid. So Rachel said to this friend that she could go through my Grandmother's house and pick out any stuff she wanted. Is it just me or would that be really upsetting to you too? I don't want some stranger poking through my grandmother's attic and taking all my family's children's books and toys. I am really wound up about this. Plus the house is now on the market Stanton and apparently there's been lots of interest. I have to go over there this weekend and pack up all her books.

Houses. Again.

Hay guys. I know it's really sad to get excited about a kitchen but... well, look at this.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-4571941.rsp?pa_n=false&tr_t=buy&ep=via_sl#skip

Mmm, sloping windows.

Book launch

Frday's book launch was successful - we all went back to Bardwell Road afterwards for supper and your parents were there Emily. Lilly, do you want to go to see Serenity at some point? Cheapo supper at Fishers and then a film? Let me know - I know you're busy most of this week but maybe after work one day next week?

Spain was...

28 degrees everyday. There was sun and sand and if you say "Buenos tardes! Una copa de vino rosado de la casa per favor!" they bring you lifegiving booze! The house was in an English enclave with several Indian restaurants and a pub called the Royal Oak, which was funny. I came back with a suntan - in the middle of October!

I have booked plane tickets to Murcia

and opera tickets too, so if you want to come to the opera Lilly let me know. Barber of Seville or the Merry Widow, both Welsh National. And then next summer I have booked Tosca and Don Giovanni. Hurrah!
I am going to go and view this house soon I hope:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-4699861.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy
I decided I was not doing enough things, so I have made a conscious decision to Do Stuff. I am going to see Curse of the WereRabbit when I get back from Spain, and I am going to book myself a back massage as a treat for my birthday. Splurge!

Sunday morning

and I am googling for cheap flights to Murcia. Neil's brother has lent us his place in Spain and we are off for an off season break next week. Neil really listened to me saying I wanted to do a bit of travelling. I know it's not the Amazon, but we will get a car and explore, and I have never been to Spain (well, once, but only for a couple of hours). Ole, ole ole ole! A la la la la la bamba! Torremolinos! etc.

Someonegot into the lift with me the other night

and started coughing and spluttering and hacking and wheezing without their hand over their mouth, filling the whole lift with EVIL MICROBES. And now I have a horrible cold. Why aren't people taught to put their hand over their mouth when they cough? I am serious. It is really revolting. I ache. I can't take another day off work. Gah. Whiny whine whine. Apologies, I'm feeling all sorry for myself.

Three beers last night...

And then home sensibly early. Am I good or what? Lilly and I went to say goodbye to Nishma yesterday, she is off to Italy for nine months. Jess came too, briefly, with Leo. Lilly, I hope you got home OK!

I just had lunch in the Uni Parks with Jess and Leo

Leo is the best baby ever. She tumbled over but was all brave, and then she went straight for my diamond necklace (good taste, that girl), and if you say "a-da' to her she replies "a-da"! Not scintillating conversation yet I admit, but very sweet.

Neil downloaded Skype onto our home computer last night

I don't think we have a microphone though. Maybe I ought to get one of those and a web cam too.

Picture of health

No booze for me last night! I read my book and had a reasonably early night and this morning I changed the bed and did a load of laundry and did the washing up and tidied the kitchen and had some breakfast and showered and dressed and cycled to work all before ten. All bright and chirpy.

I am somewhat hungover

Lilly you are a bad influence on me and it is not the other way around, Oh no. Poor Neil had to put up with me coming home late and squifffy last night and trying to make a morrocan themed supper. The kitchen looks like a couscous bomb has hit it.

I am so jealous

Rachel is going to Vancouver on business. So jealous. Very happy for her obviously but mainly hugely jealous. I have got the travelling urge.

Nobody knows that I am here.

This amuses me strangely.

Ooh it's so clever

Lilly is not the only preson who can do linky linky

http://www.alice.dryden.co.uk/ho_for_hoggwarts.htm

Still here

I fully intend to do this blog thing properly in the near future, once I have sorted out finishing my job and starting a new one, freelance, and also possibly buying a new house. IT WILL HAPPEN. Oh yes. I need to buy a proper computer as well.