Summer 2008 was wonderful, in too many ways to try to recap. But now the fresh memories are fading and its time to have some more wonderful layers added.
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In four weeks I'm heading to one of my favourite cities in one of my favourite countries to spend some time with my all time favourite friend. And oh I'm excited. There will be sunshine and laughter and love. And visits to Lush
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This last week I've been surprised by the kindness of colleagues and overwhelmed by the care of friends. And parental issues have been raised to the foreground again. Mostly because friends can't believe the levels of effort I'm going through organising a surprise 70th birthday party for my father in January. Just because some of my family are rubbish doesn't mean that the rest are.
I've booked 5 rooms for family at a lovely little Coaching Inn for all, put down a deposit for a Saturday night dinner for 9 of us. And thanks to the wonders of facebook have been able to track down my fathers cousins who along with friends, in laws and siblings are going to turn up for a surprise Sunday lunch. I've got a flight back to the UK thats not going to cost more than a months salary and booked time of work. The ONLY thing my sibling has to do is to tell my parents she is taking them to dinner at the Inn on his birthday so they don't make other plans.
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Thanks to the best geek hero in my life I have also been able to catch the latest episodes of Emmerdale - clearly life is good!
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And I'm weighing up the options of downsizing all my worldly belongings to leave me free to just jump freely to a new country in the next six months. Which raises the questions, even if I scan in all my old photos from pre digital era what to do with the originals?
I've just had the most wonderful 12 hours sleep. It seems that if you spend the afternoon celebrating the end of a project by drinking cocktails, having 3 legged races and eating lamb chops you will sleep really really well when you get home at 7pm.
Right, now to start packing. 1 more sleep and I'm off On Tour.
I've been arranging a bit of a gathering for a while now. Out of an original 23 who said they would be able to attend its down to FOUR!! Plus 3 still undecided.
We're only a couple of weeks away from the event and its making me a little sad. So instead of counting the people who are not coming I'm trying realllllly hard to be excited about the 4 who are, and still holding out hope that the 3 undecided will make their decision in my favour soon.
~sigh~
I've already had to re write my menu plan and cancel accommodation.
Edit: Just to clarify and to put straight the person who has submitted comments laughing at me for only having 4 people in my life. The 23 I mentioned are those who were flying in from other countries for the party. As it stands now, there are nine people who have bought tickets to come to another country to join in the festivities. And I'm really looking forward to introducing them to my new circle of friends here.
. These days I hardly click on my own blogroll, most of my favourite reads come to me via RSS feeds, with 3 noticeable exceptions, James, Helen and E@L, they don't allow a feed. Still for those 3 its no great hardship to make the effort of a click. Although if E@L gets any more graphic about his feet I may have to take a break. So why do I still have a roll? Basically to be polite I guess, to let them know that I'm still reading, to encourage anyone that drops here to blurf their way. I do notice when I get dropped from other peoples blogroll and I wonder why? Was it that my rambling chat finally bored them? Did they disagree with something I posted? Or do they just plain not like me any more? I usually don't give it more than a fleeting thought, although seeing one of my very old and rather dullconversations with Indiana being dredged up to illustrate his post does raise an eyebrow, given that he doesn't think I'm worthy of a place on his blogroll after all the time we've known each other. We go back to the days of being Discombobulated and Platypus, I know he still reads here (Hello You) as he comments from time to time. Yet do you see me on his blogroll - nope. This irks me slightly.
I know some people use their roll as a way of showing how popular they are, how fashionable/trendy they are, in much the same way that 'impressive' books will be scattered around an apartment for visitors and the old quote of judging a man by his friends probably stands true for blogroll as much as real life. I use mine as a small way of saying I read what you write, sometimes I don't like it, but often it interests me.
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DISCLAIMER: I'm on day 4 without sugar, so perhaps a little sensitive?
So next week I'm heading off to Thailand for some R&R followed by a work 'thing', all paid for by the new boss. I'll be seeing my good friend Madame Chiang and also keeping an eye out for the 2 dodgy expats from Singapore.
I'm leaving the apartment at 8:00am and heading off to Hong Kong tomorrow, hip hip hurrah. It's going to be quite odd because I'm travelling with a few new friends - showing them the high lights of my favourite city in the world. Far too much alcohol will be consumed and a bundle of laughs all wrapped up in some brand new memories.
Last week I tried out my first attempt at a new dessert.
Today I tweaked it a little more
3/4 cup of caster sugar 500g mascarpone cheese 3 tablespoons of Cointreau 6 tablespoons of orange juice Small amount of chocolate
Beat together the cheese and sugar until thick and pale. Add Cointreau and orange juice, beat again. Fill small martini glasses (makes 6) & chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
Grate chocolate on top and serve with a small spoon
. Just last night I was thinking about the eb and flow of bloggers, about how few of my 'must reads' of only 18 months ago are still the ones I turn to when I log on for my blogfix. And then today I log in and see that Wombat at the wonderful Kiss & Blogg has decided to call The End. I understand completely that sometimes the world takes a turn which means that something has to give, after all it was only 5 months ago that I took a time out, so although I will greatly miss Wombat's often thought provoking, frequently amusing posts I do understand.
Plus, some of my favourite writers have been introduced to me via the K&B blogroll.
. It has come to my attention in the last few weeks that there are a number of cultural references that I make that fly past the heads of those who come from the Colonies*.
#1. 'Bob' Yes when you make me say the name 'Bob', it has to be said with a pop to it in the style of Blackadder - (NOT to be confused with Mr Bean). Blackadder is the best of British comedy
Blackadder is the generic name that encompasses four series of an acclaimed BBC One historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments. The shows were produced by John Lloyd, and starred Rowan Atkinson as the eponymous anti-hero, Edmund Blackadder, and Tony Robinson as his sidekick/ dogsbody, Baldrick.
In 2000, Blackadder Goes Forth ranked at 16 in the " 100 Greatest British Television Programmes", a list created by the British Film Institute. Also in the 2004 TV poll to find " Britain's Best Sitcom", Blackadder was voted the second best British sitcom of all time, beaten by Only Fools and Horses .
Although each series is set in a different time era, all follow the fortunes (or rather, misfortunes) of Edmund Blackadder (played by Atkinson), who in each is a member of an English family dynasty present at many significant periods and places in British history. Although his intelligence levels rise over the course of the series (the character starts as being quite unintelligent in the first and gradually becomes smarter and more perceptive through each passing generation while ironically decreasing in social status), each Blackadder is similar in that they are all cynical cowardly opportunists concerned with maintaining and increasing their own status and fortunes in life, regardless of their surroundings. In each series, however, Blackadder is usually a cynical (almost modern) voice puncturing the pretensions and stupidity of those around him, and what might - through modern eyes - be seen as the more ludicrous and insane follies of history (from the cruel and unjust medieval religious witch-hunts and the petty whims and insanities of various British monarchs to the pointless bloodshed of World War I).
The lives of the four Blackadders are also entwined with their servants, all called Baldrick (played by Tony Robinson), who in each generation acts as Blackadder's dogsbody/punching bag and who decreases in intelligence (and in personal hygiene standards) just as his master's intellect increases. Each Blackadder and Baldrick are also saddled with the company of a dim-witted aristocrat (who is even dimmer than even the dimmest Baldrick) whose presence Blackadder must somehow tolerate. In the first two seasons, this role was taken by Lord Percy Percy (Tim McInnerny), whereas this position was assumed in the third season by Prince George ( Hugh Laurie) and in the fourth by Lieutenant George, again played by Laurie.
Each series was set in a different period of English history, beginning in 1485 and ending in 1917 (with one special set on New Year's Eve 1999) In addition to these, three specials were also made: " Blackadder: The Cavalier Years" appeared as a 15-minute insert during the 1988 Comic Relief telethon; Blackadder's Christmas Carol was a 45-minute Christmas instalment, broadcast the same year; and Blackadder: Back & Forth was a 30-minute film originally shown in a special cinema at the Millennium Dome throughout 2000.
#2 Curly Wurlys
Curly Wurly is a type of chocolate bar manufactured by Cadbury and sold in the UK and Australia. It was launched in the UK in 1971 and relaunched in 1976. Its shape resembles two flattened, intertwined serpentine strings. The bar is made of chocolate-coated caramel. Also available are "Curly Wurly Squirlies," which come in a bag and are just the cross beams of the ladder.
A 2004 online poll found that the Curly Wurly was the most popular chocolate bar still in production.
#3 Richmond Park is one of my favourite places in London. At almost 1000 hectares (2500 acres), it is the largest Royal Park in London and is home to around 650 free roaming deer.
Especially of note is the Isabella Plantation. Many many happy hours spent there and one of my top 4 places to have a picnic.
* Colonies - It seems that most if not all of my favourite people (outside of family) come from the former colonies, so you know that was meant in fun right! ~grin~
A chance meeting with a friend led to sharing of nachos, ice cream and long long chats under the shade of the tree.
Someone else made me cry, the good tears, with kind words that mean more than he'll probably ever realise. And still another friend gave me some great news about her future.
I had planned to take some time to visit my favourite 2nd hand book shop, but instead I got 'lost' in a fresh of the shelves book shop and bought myself Imperium & The Female Brain.
. I've just sent an email to a friend in another country, saying that I'll be landing in her city at an ungodly hour of the morning and wondering if I might be able to come for breakfast. Her reply
"You absolutely must come, of course. Could be faintly chaotic, but you don't mind that sort of thing! I do b & b for foreign language students these days and I have some French lady in the spare room arriving on the 30th for 3 weeks. If all goes according to plan both C and W will be here, and I don't think H has broken up from school at that point, but we'll squeeze you in somewhere for as long as you want."
That response is just like her home, filled to bursting with love and affection. I feel wanted and I can't wait to visit.
Recent events have been conspiring against me, but with more than a little help from my friends (being able to let off steam is such a good thing) there is a possibility of there being a light at the end of this particular tunnel, perhaps.
. I love the opportunity to get dressed up and enjoy a great meal at a nice restaurant, but I equally love my own home grown version.
If I had to chose my top 5 activities then preparing a meal for a guest rates up there for me. Giving it some thought a few days earlier, checking on allergies and dislikes then concocting a menu that will give the guest an enjoyable taste sensation, as well as give me a very satisfied and contented result. It doesn't have to be the most expensive of meals (although I do always get the best ingredients I can afford) that is not what counts the most when winning and dinning at home.
One of my most successful meals was on Bonfire night a few years ago for a group of friends after we had been in the local park watching the fireworks and getting cold noses. They were all busy professionals who were used to eating at some very nice places, but all 5 of them fell over themselves with praise for the simple yet perfect-for-the-occasion meal of Toad In The Hole . With lashings of onion gravy and mountains of fluffy mash potato, very tasty it was too.
Hmmm I think it's time I invited some more friends over for supper.
We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person.
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W. Somerset Maugham
