Four mopey girls, one harassed bloke and an ironing board

Last night was an evening of domestic chores prior to me heading to Haarlem later today and Mendi preparing for the arrival of her parents who will be looking after Alexi and Ivan whilst Mendi joins me in Haarlem for Bridget-Jones-esque City Break.

I arrived home to be confronted with the challenge of emptying, defrosting and sorting out the contents of our two freezers – joy. This took me nearly 2 hours and involved much head scratching as I discovered packages of unidentifiable “stuff”. Alexi and Ivan were happy because they were able to have a snowball fight with snow they saved from the winter.

Pixie and Daemongirl arrived during this excitement and proceeded to be depressed and mopey. I struggled on and completed cleaning the freezers and then got dinner ready for us all. At this point another mopey woman arrived in the form of Kanga who went with Mendi to walk Maggie (she wasn’t mopey). This left Pixie, Daemongirl and me to climb the ironing mountain and work through countless shirts etc. Kanga must have had an effect on Mendi because it was a mopey Mendi that came home to help finish the ironing.

Bed and sleep were a blessed relief.

Oh yes and they were all listening to Gabrielle which got them even mopier, especially, "Out of Reach"

Four mopey girls, one harassed bloke and an ironing board

Last night was an evening of domestic chores prior to me heading to Haarlem later today and Mendi preparing for the arrival of her parents who will be looking after Alexi and Ivan whilst Mendi joins me in Haarlem for Bridget-Jones-esque City Break.

I arrived home to be confronted with the challenge of emptying, defrosting and sorting out the contents of our two freezers – joy. This took me nearly 2 hours and involved much head scratching as I discovered packages of unidentifiable “stuff”. Alexi and Ivan were happy because they were able to have a snowball fight with snow they saved from the winter.

Pixie and Daemongirl arrived during this excitement and proceeded to be depressed and mopey. I struggled on and completed cleaning the freezers and then got dinner ready for us all. At this point another mopey woman arrived in the form of Kanga who went with Mendi to walk Maggie (she wasn’t mopey). This left Pixie, Daemongirl and me to climb the ironing mountain and work through countless shirts etc. Kanga must have had an effect on Mendi because it was a mopey Mendi that came home to help finish the ironing.

Bed and sleep were a blessed relief.

Oh yes and they were all listening to Gabrielle which got them even mopier, especially, "Out of Reach"

A-Z Meme

A - Act your age?
Not if I can help it – I feel happiest being 11

B - Born on what day of the week?
Friday – so that makes me giving and loving.
(I found that out by winding back the date on my Clie – I have now set my birth as an event!)

C - Chore you hate?
Dusting, which is why Mendi and I pay cleaners to do it

D - Dad's name?
Evan (Also my youngest son’s name) but always known as Tudno (pr Tidno) or Tud (pr Tid)

E - Essential item of luggage when travelling?
A book – Never leave home without one

F - Favourite Cabbage?
Savoy

G - Gold or silver?
Platinum

H - Hometown?
Llandudno

I - Instruments you play?
None, nada, rien – I am the most musical Welshman that was ever hatched

J - Job title?
Systems Audit Manager

K - Kids?
Got two of ‘em – Alexi (11) and Ivan (almost 10) Really wanted a daughter so we got ourselves as spare daughter - daemongirl (15)

L - Living arrangements?
100 year old converted butcher’s shop (and slaughterhouse) in Rutland. 4 bedrooms, lots of mess and lots of plans

M - Mother's name?
Brenda

N - Number of people you've slept with?
Between 1 and infinity

O - Overnight hospital stays?
A few:
When I was 4 whilst my collar bone was repaired after a bad commando roll out of the top bunk
When I was 8 to have my nosebleeds sorted out (it didn’t work)
When I was 20 after head-butting the inside of landrover after some un-planned zero-g training
Again when I was 20 to recover from having my heart kick-started after collapsing with Hepatitis
Finally, when I was 33 to have some tests following developing all sorts of nasty lurgies after being jabbed up for Gulf War I

P – Paracetamol, Ibuprofen or Aspirin?
Paracetamol (but Ibuprofen for hangovers)

Q - Quote you like?
All of the Notebooks of Lazarus Long by Robert A Heinlein such as…
“What a wonderful world it is that has girls in it!”

R - Religious affiliation?
Church of England, but currently trying to understand elements of faiths that influenced Christianity as it spread into Europe.

S - Siblings?
Graham – 51 and Chrissy - 48

T - Time you wake up?
About 6.40 am.

U - Unique habits?
Chewing plastic and paper
Kicking my shoes off when I’m at my desk and walking around the office in my socks

V - Vegetable you refuse to eat?
Well that used to be parsnips, but we sort of have a truce developing at the moment

W- Worst habit?
Nails and nose

X - X-rays you've had?
Lots and lots – teeth, jaw, head, nose, chest, collar bone, hand, foot

Y - Yummy food you make?
Most stuff – you tell me what I make that you like.

Z - Zodiac Sign?
Taurus, born in the year of the Rabbit

A-Z Meme

A - Act your age?
Not if I can help it – I feel happiest being 11

B - Born on what day of the week?
Friday – so that makes me giving and loving.
(I found that out by winding back the date on my Clie – I have now set my birth as an event!)

C - Chore you hate?
Dusting, which is why Mendi and I pay cleaners to do it

D - Dad's name?
Evan (Also my youngest son’s name) but always known as Tudno (pr Tidno) or Tud (pr Tid)

E - Essential item of luggage when travelling?
A book – Never leave home without one

F - Favourite Cabbage?
Savoy

G - Gold or silver?
Platinum

H - Hometown?
Llandudno

I - Instruments you play?
None, nada, rien – I am the most musical Welshman that was ever hatched

J - Job title?
Systems Audit Manager

K - Kids?
Got two of ‘em – Alexi (11) and Ivan (almost 10) Really wanted a daughter so we got ourselves as spare daughter - daemongirl (15)

L - Living arrangements?
100 year old converted butcher’s shop (and slaughterhouse) in Rutland. 4 bedrooms, lots of mess and lots of plans

M - Mother's name?
Brenda

N - Number of people you've slept with?
Between 1 and infinity

O - Overnight hospital stays?
A few:
When I was 4 whilst my collar bone was repaired after a bad commando roll out of the top bunk
When I was 8 to have my nosebleeds sorted out (it didn’t work)
When I was 20 after head-butting the inside of landrover after some un-planned zero-g training
Again when I was 20 to recover from having my heart kick-started after collapsing with Hepatitis
Finally, when I was 33 to have some tests following developing all sorts of nasty lurgies after being jabbed up for Gulf War I

P – Paracetamol, Ibuprofen or Aspirin?
Paracetamol (but Ibuprofen for hangovers)

Q - Quote you like?
All of the Notebooks of Lazarus Long by Robert A Heinlein such as…
“What a wonderful world it is that has girls in it!”

R - Religious affiliation?
Church of England, but currently trying to understand elements of faiths that influenced Christianity as it spread into Europe.

S - Siblings?
Graham – 51 and Chrissy - 48

T - Time you wake up?
About 6.40 am.

U - Unique habits?
Chewing plastic and paper
Kicking my shoes off when I’m at my desk and walking around the office in my socks

V - Vegetable you refuse to eat?
Well that used to be parsnips, but we sort of have a truce developing at the moment

W- Worst habit?
Nails and nose

X - X-rays you've had?
Lots and lots – teeth, jaw, head, nose, chest, collar bone, hand, foot

Y - Yummy food you make?
Most stuff – you tell me what I make that you like.

Z - Zodiac Sign?
Taurus, born in the year of the Rabbit

Off On My Travels Again or No Mopey Women, One Bloke and a Coffee Shop!

Here we go! Here we go! Here we go!
Haarlem for a whole week and the_mendicant is coming over for the weekend - maximum yayness!
I've just got to the hotel room and am in the process of unpacking. Then I think I'll call my friend M and suggest we meet for a few beers and a jenever or two at his local. Only for medicinal reasons don't you know - to help me sleep!

Off On My Travels Again or No Mopey Women, One Bloke and a Coffee Shop!

Here we go! Here we go! Here we go!
Haarlem for a whole week and the_mendicant is coming over for the weekend - maximum yayness!
I've just got to the hotel room and am in the process of unpacking. Then I think I'll call my friend M and suggest we meet for a few beers and a jenever or two at his local. Only for medicinal reasons don't you know - to help me sleep!