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More Houses
Mar. 13th, 2025 07:38 pmI went down to Hastings again last week to look at some houses. As usual I stayed with Rob and his cats...
"Who are you? Why are you in our house?"
( Read more... )
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House Hunting in Hastings
Apr. 18th, 2024 05:30 pmOn Monday I went down to the Hastings area to stay with Rob and Meg and have a look at a potential house. The house itself is great, so much space, but the garden isn't good at all. We keep saying how we want a flat garden that we can walk straight out to and enjoy, which we definitely wouldn't be able to do there. So I don't think it will work for us, which is a shame cos I would love to have a house that big!
But it was still a very nice trip. I had a bit of time to spare when I first got to St Leonards so I went and sat by the seafront cos I do love the sea:
Beautiful. I can't wait to live close enough to be able to do this regularly!
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It's finally Friday! Yay! I'm completely worn out from this week at work and am very much looking forward to two days of doing absolutely nothing but building jigsaw puzzles and watching Leverage. I had been thinking that I should be productive and do some gardening this weekend cos the plants are getting a bit out of hand, but then the sky decided to open and a ridiculous amount of water decided to rain down upon us today so that's probably not going to happen. What a shame.
It is a bit of an abrupt change in weather though. It was lovely and sunny yesterday. I went outside to take my picture of the day and ended up making friends with the neighbours' cat. He was walking up our garden and I thought he would run away when he saw me, but he came up and rubbed his face against my hand and let me stroke him while he rolled around in the sun. It was very sweet. I hope he's somewhere warm and dry at the moment.
So yes, my plan for this weekend involves watching a lot of my latest binge-watch, Leverage. After watching through The Mentalist twice in a row I thought I should probably go for something else before cycling round a third time! Leverage came highly recommended by someone on Tumblr, although it has taken me a long time to actually get around to watching it. At first I was a bit unsure, I thought it was ok but not great, but I'm loving it more and more as it goes on. So far I've avoided reading fic for it but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I get sucked into that too. Especially since the show has two couples that I'm shipping equally at the moment - Sophie/Nate and Parker/Hardison. I'm also being very good at avoiding spoilers so far and hopefully that will continue.
It is a bit of an abrupt change in weather though. It was lovely and sunny yesterday. I went outside to take my picture of the day and ended up making friends with the neighbours' cat. He was walking up our garden and I thought he would run away when he saw me, but he came up and rubbed his face against my hand and let me stroke him while he rolled around in the sun. It was very sweet. I hope he's somewhere warm and dry at the moment.
So yes, my plan for this weekend involves watching a lot of my latest binge-watch, Leverage. After watching through The Mentalist twice in a row I thought I should probably go for something else before cycling round a third time! Leverage came highly recommended by someone on Tumblr, although it has taken me a long time to actually get around to watching it. At first I was a bit unsure, I thought it was ok but not great, but I'm loving it more and more as it goes on. So far I've avoided reading fic for it but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I get sucked into that too. Especially since the show has two couples that I'm shipping equally at the moment - Sophie/Nate and Parker/Hardison. I'm also being very good at avoiding spoilers so far and hopefully that will continue.
Jane Austen's House
Sep. 7th, 2018 07:12 pmMum and I went to the Jane Austen House museum in Chawton for my birthday today. I filled in their survey at the end and when I got to the question about age I had to hesitate cos this particular birthday puts me in a whole new age bracket and I've always been a stickler for recognising the exact time I was born, which we had not yet reached. I stuck to that and went for the younger bracket, although now I would be in the higher one.
It was a good trip, really interesting to see the house that Jane Austen lived in, and the garden was lovely. There was also a really cute cat roaming around, which is always a good thing!
I took lots of photos, naturally:
( House )
( Garden )
I took a lot more pictures of the garden, mainly close ups of flowers, which I'll put in another post cos I don't want to overload this one too much!
Of course as it is my birthday it's traditional for me to regale you all with my epic poem of birthday brilliance:
This morning I was 34
That's not the case any more
Now it's time to laugh and smile
Cos 35 is now in style.
(That was harder than usual, cos my brain just kept singing "35" to the tune of "Stayin' Alive"!)
And finally, I've noticed a bit of a theme with my presents this year:
Those are from three different people. Clearly my love of gin is well known!
It was a good trip, really interesting to see the house that Jane Austen lived in, and the garden was lovely. There was also a really cute cat roaming around, which is always a good thing!
I took lots of photos, naturally:
( House )
( Garden )
I took a lot more pictures of the garden, mainly close ups of flowers, which I'll put in another post cos I don't want to overload this one too much!
Of course as it is my birthday it's traditional for me to regale you all with my epic poem of birthday brilliance:
This morning I was 34
That's not the case any more
Now it's time to laugh and smile
Cos 35 is now in style.
(That was harder than usual, cos my brain just kept singing "35" to the tune of "Stayin' Alive"!)
And finally, I've noticed a bit of a theme with my presents this year:
Those are from three different people. Clearly my love of gin is well known!
Picture Post
Aug. 1st, 2018 07:04 pmIt was my Mum's birthday a couple of weeks ago and knowing how much she likes puzzles I decided to give her a bit of a challenge in order to get to her presents:
She had to put together four jigsaws, solve the picture riddles that were on those jigsaws, and use the resulting code to open the lock on the bag containing her presents. I think she enjoyed it.
~*~
Last weekend I went to Emma's house for the next stage of our Marvel Movie Marathon. We watched Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Age of Ultron while gorging on obscene amounts of chocolate and pizza. And one of the best things about going to Emma's house is that I get to see her cats. Gizzy is a bit shy and didn't come to see us much, but Moose curled up in her chair and joined us for most of the evening, which was adorable. And so, naturally, I had to take loads of pictures:
( Kitty )
So cute!
~*~
Earlier today Mum and I went for a walk around Frensham Pond for our first trip there without Tilly. It felt strange not having her with us but I think it's good to still go for walks, and I wanted to take my new camera on an outing. The LCD screen is really bad in bright sunshine so I had to rely on the viewfinder, and I do miss the long zoom my compact camera had, but overall I'm still really pleased with the A6000:
( Great Pond )
Normally that heather would be a beautiful purple colour, but the recent heatwave has clearly taken its toll.
She had to put together four jigsaws, solve the picture riddles that were on those jigsaws, and use the resulting code to open the lock on the bag containing her presents. I think she enjoyed it.
~*~
Last weekend I went to Emma's house for the next stage of our Marvel Movie Marathon. We watched Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Age of Ultron while gorging on obscene amounts of chocolate and pizza. And one of the best things about going to Emma's house is that I get to see her cats. Gizzy is a bit shy and didn't come to see us much, but Moose curled up in her chair and joined us for most of the evening, which was adorable. And so, naturally, I had to take loads of pictures:
( Kitty )
So cute!
~*~
Earlier today Mum and I went for a walk around Frensham Pond for our first trip there without Tilly. It felt strange not having her with us but I think it's good to still go for walks, and I wanted to take my new camera on an outing. The LCD screen is really bad in bright sunshine so I had to rely on the viewfinder, and I do miss the long zoom my compact camera had, but overall I'm still really pleased with the A6000:
( Great Pond )
Normally that heather would be a beautiful purple colour, but the recent heatwave has clearly taken its toll.
Well, he made it through the night and died this morning while I was at work. He was on the sofa when it happened, which is nice. It was another one of his favourite spots and there were people around so he wasn't alone.
It'll be strange without him though. I'll miss how he would jump on my lap and curl up there, making me stay for longer than I intended to cos I didn't have the heart to move him. And sometimes when he knew I was coming in he would sit by the sofa and look at me, waiting for me to sit down before he jumped up. I'll miss how affectionate he could be (when he wanted to, of course), a marked change from how he was when the neighbours first moved here and he would run at the very sight of us. I'll miss the way he would steal my chair after I got up for just a second. I'll even miss the way he would refuse to let me use my iPad or laptop sometimes, insisting that he should have all my attention and that pointless device was just in the way. I can't say I'll miss him meowing at 5am, but it will be strange not to hear it any more.
We buried him under the bush at the side of the garden, one with lovely purple flowers. Now I'll always think of it as the McGee bush.
It'll be strange without him though. I'll miss how he would jump on my lap and curl up there, making me stay for longer than I intended to cos I didn't have the heart to move him. And sometimes when he knew I was coming in he would sit by the sofa and look at me, waiting for me to sit down before he jumped up. I'll miss how affectionate he could be (when he wanted to, of course), a marked change from how he was when the neighbours first moved here and he would run at the very sight of us. I'll miss the way he would steal my chair after I got up for just a second. I'll even miss the way he would refuse to let me use my iPad or laptop sometimes, insisting that he should have all my attention and that pointless device was just in the way. I can't say I'll miss him meowing at 5am, but it will be strange not to hear it any more.
We buried him under the bush at the side of the garden, one with lovely purple flowers. Now I'll always think of it as the McGee bush.
I think McGee is on his last legs. He's off his food and he's been getting more and more unsteady on his feet over the last three days. Today he could barely walk. I suppose I can't be too upset; he must around 19 or 20, which is damn good for a cat! And he wasn't even our cat to begin with. He was the neighbours' until he decided that he would rather live with us. But that was a while ago now and he's been here for years and I do think of him as ours. Or, rather, us as his. I'll miss him when he goes.
He's currently lying down in the conservatory. He always liked that spot. I kinda hope he just stops breathing there, it would be a nice way to go.
He's currently lying down in the conservatory. He always liked that spot. I kinda hope he just stops breathing there, it would be a nice way to go.
Cold Tardis Cat
Nov. 29th, 2012 10:47 pmAck, it's cold. I just took Tilly out and I think it's actually freezing out there.
My Tardis skirt arrived today. It took nearly a month to get here and I'm actually really disappointed with it. It's more grey than blue and doesn't look very good at all. Oh well, live and learn I suppose. I'm just sad because it looked so good in the picture and I waited so long for it.
And now the cat is meowing at me. And sitting under my chair. Weird kitty.
My Tardis skirt arrived today. It took nearly a month to get here and I'm actually really disappointed with it. It's more grey than blue and doesn't look very good at all. Oh well, live and learn I suppose. I'm just sad because it looked so good in the picture and I waited so long for it.
And now the cat is meowing at me. And sitting under my chair. Weird kitty.
Catching Up with Chuck
Nov. 17th, 2012 10:55 pmI didn't feel well today so I spent most of my afternoon curled up on the sofa watching episodes of Chuck while the dog and the cat cuddled up to me. It was a nice way to spend a Saturday.
Also, I have just seen the Coca Cola advert. That means it is officially Christmas.
Also, I have just seen the Coca Cola advert. That means it is officially Christmas.
Oscarszzzz
Feb. 26th, 2012 11:48 pmOk, it's time. I am already tired, which isn't a good sign. And the cat keeps trying to jump on my laptop. I'm not sure if he wants to write his own posts or just stop me from saying anything. Either way he's not happy with me for shifting him off.
Hey, Tonks from the Harry Potter films is on the discussion panel. Cool.
Lucy Cotter is on the red carpet. Hopefully she'll have better luck this year since I seem to remember that last time she was in such a bad position that we had to cut to an American feed in order to actually see anything. Judging by how few people are around her I'm not hopeful.
Hmm, I don't think I'm going to last. I'm thinking about recording it and watching it tomorrow when I get in from work. It's not quite the same, which will be a shame, but I'm not sure I'm going to enjoy it tonight and what's the point of forcing myself to watch something I'm not going to enjoy?
Of course if I find out who's won it won't be as fun either, but I can try to avoid that.It'll be like that episode of How I Met Your Mother where they record the Superbowl and try to make it through the day without finding out who won. (I'm not hopeful about my chances for that either. Especially not with the big awards.) QQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
And those 'Q's are from McGee, who is once again trying to climb on my laptop. I think he's judging me.
Hey, Tonks from the Harry Potter films is on the discussion panel. Cool.
Lucy Cotter is on the red carpet. Hopefully she'll have better luck this year since I seem to remember that last time she was in such a bad position that we had to cut to an American feed in order to actually see anything. Judging by how few people are around her I'm not hopeful.
Hmm, I don't think I'm going to last. I'm thinking about recording it and watching it tomorrow when I get in from work. It's not quite the same, which will be a shame, but I'm not sure I'm going to enjoy it tonight and what's the point of forcing myself to watch something I'm not going to enjoy?
Of course if I find out who's won it won't be as fun either, but I can try to avoid that.It'll be like that episode of How I Met Your Mother where they record the Superbowl and try to make it through the day without finding out who won. (I'm not hopeful about my chances for that either. Especially not with the big awards.) QQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
And those 'Q's are from McGee, who is once again trying to climb on my laptop. I think he's judging me.
Kitty Passes Judgement on Your Tree
Dec. 16th, 2011 07:27 pmApparently McGee doesn't approve of my decorating skills. From his position in a chair next to the tree he used his paw to pull one of the decorations from its branch and knocked it to the floor. He wasn't even playing with it, he just carefully removed it. I suppose he thinks he could have done a better job. Or maybe he just didn't like that particular decoration itself.
Also, it actually snowed today. Only briefly and then it was gone, but still. It was apparently enough to keep the customers away for a while. I was thinking about how weird it was not to be completely manic so close to Christmas, so of course we got really busy not long afterwards. Must be all that Multi Coloured Crack that we sell.
And now it is the weekend. Yay! I'm planning to make eggnog tomorrow and hopefully watch something Christmassy while doing so. Tis the season and all that. =D
Also, it actually snowed today. Only briefly and then it was gone, but still. It was apparently enough to keep the customers away for a while. I was thinking about how weird it was not to be completely manic so close to Christmas, so of course we got really busy not long afterwards. Must be all that Multi Coloured Crack that we sell.
And now it is the weekend. Yay! I'm planning to make eggnog tomorrow and hopefully watch something Christmassy while doing so. Tis the season and all that. =D
Ready, Set, Go!
Feb. 27th, 2011 11:41 pmHere we go! Oscar time! Yay!
Paul and I are here again with our snacks and Mountain Dew and CyberCandy bet. This year we're also joined by McGee the cat, who I'm sure has predicted all the categories perfectly but he's not telling.
Our host is Alex Zane? Really? Huh, could be good. I wonder who he has with him. Hopefully they won't anger me this year.
Ok, apparently Alex Zane's panel is made up of Brix Smith-Start, Edith Bowman and Robbie Collin. I have no idea who Brix or Robbie even are. Also, Brix looks ridiculous in that outfit.
And our red carpet reporter is Lucy Cotter. What's with all these people I've never heard of?
Hopefully I'll have more to say once the celebrities start arriving...
Paul and I are here again with our snacks and Mountain Dew and CyberCandy bet. This year we're also joined by McGee the cat, who I'm sure has predicted all the categories perfectly but he's not telling.
Our host is Alex Zane? Really? Huh, could be good. I wonder who he has with him. Hopefully they won't anger me this year.
Ok, apparently Alex Zane's panel is made up of Brix Smith-Start, Edith Bowman and Robbie Collin. I have no idea who Brix or Robbie even are. Also, Brix looks ridiculous in that outfit.
And our red carpet reporter is Lucy Cotter. What's with all these people I've never heard of?
Hopefully I'll have more to say once the celebrities start arriving...
2010 Memes
Jan. 1st, 2011 10:05 pmHey, everyone! Time for my New Year's memes. My answers this year are more upbeat than I can ever remember them being previously, which has to be a good thing!
( Meme One: The Questions )
( Meme Two: The Sentences )
( Meme One: The Questions )
( Meme Two: The Sentences )
Tags:
Hey everyone. I know I haven't been around much (even less so than usual) and I thought I should explain why.
Two weeks ago we noticed that our cat Zack was looking unwell so we took him to the vet. He was admitted for a week while they did blood tests, took a bone marrow sample and gave him a blood transfusion because his count was so low.
Last week we got to take him home while they tried to work out what was wrong with him. We had to give him various different pills morning and evening. I was the bad guy who forced him to take them. I hated upsetting him like that but if it would help him get better I was going to do it.
But he just got worse. And today they told us it's cancer of the bone marrow. He had no chance of getting better and it was kindest to have him put to sleep.
So that's it. First Sammy, then Fury and now Zack. Three cats gone in six months and none of them older than a few years. Fuck you, universe. You are unbelievably cruel.
Two weeks ago we noticed that our cat Zack was looking unwell so we took him to the vet. He was admitted for a week while they did blood tests, took a bone marrow sample and gave him a blood transfusion because his count was so low.
Last week we got to take him home while they tried to work out what was wrong with him. We had to give him various different pills morning and evening. I was the bad guy who forced him to take them. I hated upsetting him like that but if it would help him get better I was going to do it.
But he just got worse. And today they told us it's cancer of the bone marrow. He had no chance of getting better and it was kindest to have him put to sleep.
So that's it. First Sammy, then Fury and now Zack. Three cats gone in six months and none of them older than a few years. Fuck you, universe. You are unbelievably cruel.
Various Things
Jul. 22nd, 2010 07:51 pmYesterday was fun. It was good to see the Wednesday crew again, although I was disturbed to discover that there are still people out there who have not seen the awesomeness that is the Old Spice guy. So if you're reading this and you haven't seen the adverts, go Google them now. It's ok, I'll wait. And once you've done that you have to go to his YouTube playlist and watch his responses to people on Twitter...
*Monocle Smile!*
If you understand the above reference we can continue...
In a sharp downturn of mood, yesterday night was not so good. Zack hadn't come in for a while and I couldn't sleep because I was so worried about him. He appeared at 2:30, which made me feel a lot better, but I still wasn't able to get to sleep until past 5.
That meant that I was pretty tired at work today. I also had to stay late for a meeting about the new catalogue. Fun! But I did win a bar of chocolate for getting a perfect score on the mystery shopper criteria, which just proves that I am a profoundly sad individual. A profoundly sad individual with chocolate, though.
In other news, I am running out of time to register for BiCon. I keep doubting myself because of the whole shyness thing and not having any idea where I'm going. Pride was daunting enough and I'm pretty familiar with that area of London. I know nothing about UEL or how to get there or what to do once I arrive. (Yeah, for all my talk about not letting anxiety rule my life any more, I'm not doing a very good job of it. I suppose it's definitely easier said than done.)
*Monocle Smile!*
If you understand the above reference we can continue...
In a sharp downturn of mood, yesterday night was not so good. Zack hadn't come in for a while and I couldn't sleep because I was so worried about him. He appeared at 2:30, which made me feel a lot better, but I still wasn't able to get to sleep until past 5.
That meant that I was pretty tired at work today. I also had to stay late for a meeting about the new catalogue. Fun! But I did win a bar of chocolate for getting a perfect score on the mystery shopper criteria, which just proves that I am a profoundly sad individual. A profoundly sad individual with chocolate, though.
In other news, I am running out of time to register for BiCon. I keep doubting myself because of the whole shyness thing and not having any idea where I'm going. Pride was daunting enough and I'm pretty familiar with that area of London. I know nothing about UEL or how to get there or what to do once I arrive. (Yeah, for all my talk about not letting anxiety rule my life any more, I'm not doing a very good job of it. I suppose it's definitely easier said than done.)
Hey everyone. I want to say I'm sorry for not replying to comments or people's posts for the past week but I really haven't felt up to it after what happened on Sunday.
I'm sure those of you who have been to my house will remember Fury, the little ball of black fluff who grew up into one of the most handsome cats I've ever seen. His fur made him look like he was wearing puffy trousers and long boots and he had such a personality on him.
We're not sure how he died. He was found in the neighbours' driveway so he could have been run over, but he didn't have any obvious injuries and he'd lived here for nearly three years now so I would have thought he would have known better than to go on the road. He did have grass in his mouth, which cats often eat when they're feeling sick, so now I'm really worried that he might have been poisoned by something. We still have one cat left, Zack, and whenever he goes out now I worry so much about what could happen to him.
This is the hardest part about having pets. They become members of the family and you love them so much and when something like this happens it's devastating.
It's so weird to think that he's gone. I keep expecting him to saunter around the corner in that way of his that says he owns the place, for him to scratch at the door to demand entrance and then, when someone gets up to let him in, he jumps into their recently vacated chair and just gives them that superior look of his so they know that he is the Fury and this is his chair now.
He really was a character. We often wondered if he'd mellow in his old age, but now we'll never know. :(
I'm sure those of you who have been to my house will remember Fury, the little ball of black fluff who grew up into one of the most handsome cats I've ever seen. His fur made him look like he was wearing puffy trousers and long boots and he had such a personality on him.
We're not sure how he died. He was found in the neighbours' driveway so he could have been run over, but he didn't have any obvious injuries and he'd lived here for nearly three years now so I would have thought he would have known better than to go on the road. He did have grass in his mouth, which cats often eat when they're feeling sick, so now I'm really worried that he might have been poisoned by something. We still have one cat left, Zack, and whenever he goes out now I worry so much about what could happen to him.
This is the hardest part about having pets. They become members of the family and you love them so much and when something like this happens it's devastating.
It's so weird to think that he's gone. I keep expecting him to saunter around the corner in that way of his that says he owns the place, for him to scratch at the door to demand entrance and then, when someone gets up to let him in, he jumps into their recently vacated chair and just gives them that superior look of his so they know that he is the Fury and this is his chair now.
He really was a character. We often wondered if he'd mellow in his old age, but now we'll never know. :(
Small Pleasures
Apr. 19th, 2010 07:55 pmFirst of all I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who commented on my previous post. I appreciate it more than you know. I would reply to you all individually but I'm worried that I'll start crying again. That's also why I'm writing another entry today, I'm finding it hard to see Sammy's picture at the top of the page every time I come to my LJ.
Of course now I have to actually come up with something to write about, which is easier said than done.
How about work?
See the thing is I hate my job, I really do, but occasionally there are bright moments that almost make up for the soul-crushingness of it all. Today we put together a Cozy Coupe car for the shop floor:
Car. Children not included.
I wasn't involved in the actual construction of the car, which disappoints me cos I'm a big fan of putting stuff together, but K and I did stand and watch andmock offer helpful suggestions to the people who were putting it together. And that was when we discovered that the plastic screw-in circles that pretend to be lights make really good spinning tops.
And now I am realising just how empty our lives are that this brought us so much pleasure. But still, I'm sure there are people out there who desperately wish they too could play with little pieces of plastic at work but are sadly denied the opportunity that I am blessed with.
Of course now I have to actually come up with something to write about, which is easier said than done.
How about work?
See the thing is I hate my job, I really do, but occasionally there are bright moments that almost make up for the soul-crushingness of it all. Today we put together a Cozy Coupe car for the shop floor:
I wasn't involved in the actual construction of the car, which disappoints me cos I'm a big fan of putting stuff together, but K and I did stand and watch and
And now I am realising just how empty our lives are that this brought us so much pleasure. But still, I'm sure there are people out there who desperately wish they too could play with little pieces of plastic at work but are sadly denied the opportunity that I am blessed with.
Last night Sammy jumped up on the table and I made a fuss of him for a while until I picked him up and moved him to the chair, after which he quickly jumped down and stalked off. That was the last time I saw him and I can't help thinking if I'd stroked him a little longer maybe he would have stayed inside, maybe he would have gone to sleep and then today he could have enjoyed the sunshine and explored the fields behind the house instead of the road. There is so much land behind the house, why did he have to go into the fucking road?
Sammy was one of the sweetest and most affectionate cats I've ever known. I'm really going to miss him.
Weee, no work for me today! We're not even open so I don't have to feel guilty about not making it in. Instead I have gone out and taken lots of pretty pictures of the snow with my shiny camera.
( Snow )
( Snow )
