My Joe Elliott Dream

I've always been a fan of Def Leppard, since they first became known in the US back in the 80s. I can remember the first time I saw one of their videos on MTV at my friend Elizabeth Castillo's house in Garland, Texas. It was 'Rock of Ages'. Most of my friends were absolutely mad about Rick Savage, but I have had a crush on Joe Elliott since the very beginning. I'm 38 years old now, and I still have a crush on him!

In fact, last night I had the most wonderful dream about him. Def Leppard was playing in concert, and I couldn't get tickets, so I waited outside their hotel, hoping to get an autograph. Then the band walked past, and Joe was signing whatever it was I had to sign. He looked into my eyes and asked me if I'd like to go for a coffee. Of course I said yes, so we went into the hotel and had coffee. After a while he told me he thought he'd fallen in love with me.

It wasn't a groupie kind of dream, it was really romantic. I woke up wishing I hadn't woken up. I blame the dog for that.

I know Joe doesn't live in Sheffield anymore, but I'm sure hoping that sometime he comes back and I can really get his autograph. I know the rest of it was just a dream. For now, I'll just settle for putting on the DVD of their greatest videos and dreaming a bit more.

Diary Entry

5.15 pm The crim justice essay is going well. I'm up to 2900 words and still have plenty to say, so that's good progress. It's probably rubbish, and it's rubbish that's going to count 100% of my grade for that module.

I probably would have managed to get more done, but Ricky woke up feeling sick this morning, and Jack decided he had sympathy pains. I would have managed to finish it by now, I'm sure, if I hadn't spent the day "entertaining" them and trying to get them to calm down. Jack has turned hyper on me lately.

Simon's measured out the area in the back garden where we're going to need paving slabs for my office, and he's found the cheapest place locally for buying them. Unfortunately it means that all the digging I did this weekend was for nothing since, after speaking to Graham, he's changed his mind about the foundation for it. Typical. Oh well. I lost two pounds over the weekend, probably through sweating while digging and mowing!

9.52 pm I've had to take Braden to Tesco to get him some new trainers (they seem to be the only place that stays open when it's convenient to do the shopping), and when I got back, Malorie was standing in her bedroom window, as usual, and the little monsters were still wide awake and causing trouble. They'd practically torn down the net curtains in their window. I still can't convince them to be quiet, they're just too hyper. They better get up in the morning when I tell them to!

I finished the crim justice essay! Yippee!!!!!!! Now I just need to finish the theory essay and get busy on the research methods problem questions I've been avoiding.

Diary Entry

6.56 pm I haven't got a clue what's gotten into everyone. They're all stroppy, argumentative and arrogant. All five of them. And I'm not talking about the five kids because Daniel isn't here. I'm talking about Simon and my four kids. Malorie was asked to do one of her chores. Instead, she disappeared most of the day and came home covered in black paint because she's been helping Lesley (Simon's cousin down the street) paint a fence. She can help others, but she can't help at home. When she finally came home, she was asked to do the same chore again. Instead she stood in the kitchen watching television.

I asked Braden to keep an eye on the little guys while they were in the shower. All he had to do was listen out for them, not go in the bathroom and do anything. Jack didn't have a towel, so when Braden told him to get out, he disappeared downstairs and told Jack he was just going to leave him there. I was in the living room working on my essay so I didn't hear Jack crying.

My blood pressure is up, and I have a splitting headache now. Just what I need.

9.53 pm I've reached the half-way point on my crim justice essay: 1722 words. That's two essays I have half written and one I've barely touched. Three full days left, plus what there is of tonight and Thursday morning. I swore to myself I wasn't going to do it all at the last minute, but there's always something that comes up.

Diary Entry

12.04 pm I have three essays due on Thursday, none of them are finished and I'm going nuts. The kids are so loud that I can't get anything done. I was going to stay up last night and get a lot done on one of them -- the one that counts 100% of that module's grades! -- but because I was up so early yesterday morning to go to my EU law lecture, I went to bed fairly early. Early for me anyway since it was only midnight. I did get up pretty early today, but unfortunately, so did the kids.

I'm going to have a "home office" built out in the back garden soon. It's just a shame it'll be too late to help me with this work load.

On the criminal justice systems essay, I have written 416 words out of 3500. Well, only about 3100 to go!

8.57 pm What a day! I spent most of the afternoon mowing the front and back gardens and digging up a big chunk of the back garden for the foundation of my new "office". I also had a check on the Argos website and found the exact same summerhouse I picked out from B&Q for £50 cheaper. Not too shabby.

It's not very big, but Simon said he's going to speak to Graham and see if they can't build me one a bit bigger for around the same money (or less). I'm really excited! Of course it means I need to make another trip to IKEA to get some stuff to go in it ...

I've made a bit of progress on the crim justice essay. I'm up to 687 words. The kids are still not being much help. Tomorrow night I'm going to have to go to the library for more research and to see if I can't get some work done! Sunday nights it stays open all night, and I don't have any classes on Monday. Come to think of it, I don't think I have any on Tuesday either. Just Wednesday and Thursday this week. Cool.

I've started adding to my "career" wardrobe. Okay, maybe that should be I've just started a career wardrobe. I found a gorgeous suit on sale last night -- trousers and jacket/blazer -- for £32. Beige with pink pinstripe. I was pleased with myself for getting it. And it fits! Well, the trousers are a bit tight, but I started a diet and exercise programme yesterday because I got on the scales and saw how much I've gained over the winter. Total shock.

12.01 am Okay, I'm making progress. So far 1297 words, almost double from the amount I had done at 9.00 this evening. The kids have all passed out, thank goodness, and I'm wrecked from all the gardening I did today, but I have complained so loudly about the noise they were making so I have to take advantage of the peace in the house now. I even put a sign on the living room door: "Do Not Disturb: You Have Been Warned". It didn't work. Malorie stood outside the door and shouted at everyone to come look at what I'd done. Jack completely ignored it and kept coming in here just because I'd put a sign up saying not to. That was a big help. The only person it's kept out is Simon, and that's mostly because he was at work all afternoon.

Things I Learned This Week

1. I need a vacation. I can't even come up with anything I've learned this week because I'm too stressed out from trying to get three essays written while revising for three exams. Maybe I'll have better luck next week. Anything I did manage to learn, you don't want to know.

10 (I mean 9) Ways for Women to Win an Argument

I don't know that I agree with all of these. I always figured logic was the best way to win an argument, but let's see what everyone else thinks. There are supposed to be 10, but for some reason the page that number 10 is on won't load, so I haven't got a clue what it is!

1. Cry. This works every time if it is not overused. Remember though, don't be too dramatic - there's no need to tear your hair, howl in anguish or throw yourself on the ground and cover yourself in ashes. On the other hand, a few meaningful tears will often soften him up enough to help him see your side of things.

2. Keep on talking Bore him into submission! This is particularly useful when justifying expensive purchases he doesn't approve of: 'I could have chosen the cheaper butcher's block (with no extra drawers or wine rack), but the deluxe version had hanging hooks, wine rack and removable dishwasher-proof chopping board. And although the super-deluxe (with fixable castors, a towel rail and two extra drawers) was very nice, I thought the deluxe, which came ready-assembled...'

3. Seduce him Let's not discuss the mortgage/new car/where we're spending Christmas right now - I'm so horny! You'll find he's far more agreeable after a good session. God, us girls can be wicked sometimes!

4. Get his mum on your side If he finds out that his mum agrees with you that nipple piercings on men are the best invention since sliced bread, you're far more likely to have him heading down to the piercing parlour. This can work with best friends, too, who also have a big influence over blokes, but Mummy is all-powerful and far more scary to defy!

5. Shout For preference, do this in public. Blokes hate a scene and will often back down rather than fight it out - especially in front of friends or at expensive restaurants. But you don't want him going home and changing his mind, do you? So don't stop shouting until he gives in and surrenders utterly, categorically and pathetically to your wishes. There, that's a good boy!

6. Flatter his ego 'You're so GOOD at putting at the rubbish out/booking holidays/choosing presents for me...' Get the idea?

7. Beg Say, 'Pleeeeease!' Be unashamedly abject. Stoop as low as you can, and then stoop lower! If something appears to mean so much to you, most men won't argue about it.

8. Blame your period You don't want him thinking you're completely useless for a week out of every month, but there are times when your period and PMT are great for getting you off the hook. Car accidents and forgetting to pass on messages are easily forgiven if committed at a certain time of the month. 'I'm sorry I slept with your best friend, but my period's about to start,' obviously won't go down so well.

9. 'I did it for you!' Claim that whatever you did wrong was done for the sole purpose of pleasing him. How were you to know he'd hate having a pink front door/a male stripagram (ooops!)/tickets to see Tom Jones?

Source: handbag.com

Diary Entry

12.37 am Poor Malorie's bruising has really come out now, but it's also healing up, so that's good. She's still being told by people that go to her school that she's going to have it happen again when that girl returns to school. Just what she needs. She's nervous now, and she shouldn't.

Simon's been cranky again today. He's always shouting, though he's careful not to shout at me for some reason. He spent all morning on his computer, then went to work for a while, then went straight out to his dad's, then came in and complained that he hadn't eaten all day. He called at the chip shop and picked us all up something, came in, fixed his plate, and left ours on the side. But if I bring home a take-away, I have to sort out everyone's plates. Lately he's just been more concerned about whatever it is he's doing on the computer than anything else, and it's pissing me off. And he knows it.

I did quite a bit of painting in the boys' room this evening, though I'm nowhere near finished. It's slow going because the walls are so crap. I can't use a roller, I have to use a brush to make sure I get all the little spots filled, or else I have to go over it all again with a brush anyway! I should have about half the room done by tomorrow night. I'm not sure I'll get a chance to do more before my assignments are due on the 28th.

Jack called this afternoon. I spoke to Ricky yesterday when he finished at the dentist's office, but Jack wasn't with him, and they went to the cinema last night. I think Jack was more interested in speaking to the dog than speaking to me, but at least he spoke to me! Strange child ... I can't wait to give them both a big hug on Monday.

Back to do some more scrapbooking, I think. My latest obsession, but I have to put it away soon or I'll never get my essays written or revising done!

Schumacher Considers

This pic is priceless!

A Cheeky Poem

I've been looking for quotes and poems to use in my scrapbooking, and I came across this one. It put a smile on my face just for being silly.

The Termite
by Ogden Nash

Some primal termite knocked on wood
And tasted it, and found it good!
And that is why your Cousin May
Fell through the parlor floor today.

Diary Entry

11.28 pm What a week! I am so ready to just collapse from mental and emotional exhaustion. Tuesday: migraine. Wednesday: Malorie to emergency room. Thursday: university. Today: more university. I don't even remember Monday.

I was up bright and early for a change this morning. Half past six. That's very unusual for me. Then again, I was in bed at 10.00 last night, though I didn't fall asleep until after 11. I tried to have a nap this evening, but the dog decided he was going to dig me out from under the quilt, then spun around in circles and jumped on me until I was laughing so hard I wasn't sleepy anymore.

For some reason, I've wanted to cry all day, apart from when the dog was making me laugh. Maybe it's just the stress from the last few days. I've been really uptight since Malorie was assaulted on Wednesday. I vented a bit that evening on my other blog, but I'm still very angry. I was going to stay at uni and work in the library last night until I spoke to Malorie on the phone. She didn't go to school yesterday, so her friend Leah stopped by and told her that a friend of the girl who assaulted her was threatening to assault Malorie when she came back to school. She blames Malorie for the fact the other girl was excluded. When I heard this, my blood pressure went sky high, my head started pounding, and I came home. I don't know how I managed to drive in that state, but I did.

Today she went back to school, but apart from being teased and the object of curiosity, her day was uneventful. There's word from the thug who hit her that when she comes back to school on Monday, there will be a repeat performance. I couldn't believe it when I heard that she was only excluded for two days! Malorie ended up being taken to the emergency room in an ambulance, and the girl who was responsible got two days' holiday. At least I've made sure the school is aware that I'm concerned about something else happening.

Not only was I stressed out from worrying about Malorie on Wednesday, but when the school called, I asked Simon to drive me to the school so I could go with her in the ambulance, then he would have the car so he could come get us when she was finished at the hospital. He didn't want to take me. He just said that I should follow the ambulance in the car. Yeah, and leave my scared daughter in the ambulance without me. It cost me £6.60 to get from the hospital back to the school because we had to take a taxi.

I came home early today because Simon was supposed to have sent a photocopy of the paper portion of his drivers license to his insurance company a week ago and didn't. They told him they needed it today, and he couldn't find it. Of course, that's my fault. We looked everywhere. I keep all important documents in one place, and it's not there. I haven't had it because I have no reason to get his drivers license out.

I thought it was just me, but I had an email from Jamie today apologising if I thought he'd seemed short with me this week. I hadn't realised he was. We're all stressed out from working on assignments and the regular crap that happens at home, and he's got more than his fair share. People wonder how I manage to go to uni with the kids and all that. I admire him for doing it with all he's gone through and is still going through. So, if he was short, and I didn't notice, he has every right to be.

Tomorrow back to decorating and studying. Simon has pointed out that I'm doing more painting this weekend. He also told me that I need to get on top of my studies. All this while he sits on his ass in front of the computer and complains the house looks like a "shit tip". Okay, he does work in the ice cream van almost every day. Other than that, his ass is welded to his desk chair.

Why I Owe My Mother ...

... and why my kids will owe me!

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE. "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

2. My mother taught me RELIGION. "You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL. "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

4. My mother taught me LOGIC. "Because I said so, that's why."

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC. "If you drown, I'll kill you!"

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT. "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7. My mother taught me IRONY. "Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

8 My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS. "Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM. "Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA. "You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER. "This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12 My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY. "If I told you once, I've told you a
million times. Don't exaggerate!"

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE. "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. "Stop acting like your father!"

15. My mother taught me about ENVY. "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION. "Just wait until we get home."

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING. "You are going to get it when you get home!"

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE. "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

19. My mother taught me ESP. "Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20. My mother taught me HUMOR. "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT. "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

22. My mother taught me GENETICS. "You're just like your father."

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS. "Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

24. My mother taught me WISDOM. "When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE. "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

Things I Learned This Week

1. There's a bookmaker in the UK whose name is Balthazar Fabricius. I saw him interviewed on Sky News about the Grand National. He works for Ladbrokes. If you don't believe me, do a Google search on his name. I wonder if his parents gave him that name or if he picked it himself. Not a bad looking bloke, really.

2. A new series of "Law and Order" called "Trial by Jury" has started in the US. It's so unfair how we have to wait (and wait and wait ...) for television shows from the US to show up over here. Can't we trade the Royal Family for keeping our favourite shows up to date? I only had to wait six months for "CSI: New York" to come on over here, even if I don't enjoy it as much as I like the Miami and Las Vegas versions.



3. Prince Charles's official occupation is "Prince of the United Kingdom". That's what he put on the marriage register, and you can buy a copy of the official Charles and Camilla marriage certificate from the registrar. (Source: Yahoo News)

4. An Australian politician thinks that cane toads should be used for golf practice. They are nasty little buggers, but I wonder what Steve Irwin thinks about people going around smashing the little toads' brains out? (Source: Reuters)



5. My daughter faints at the sight of her own blood. No one likes seeing their own blood, but I didn't expect Malorie to pass out! But on the positive side, when push comes to shove, my daughter can be very mature. I am very proud of how she behaved this week when she was assaulted at school.

6. There are times when I still need my mum. I admit it. I'm 38 and when things go wrong, just hearing the sound of my mother's voice makes me feel better.

7. In Morocco, it's traditional for the King to pardon prisoners when his son is circumsized. He pardoned 7000 this week, in fact, only 1000 less than he pardoned to celebrate his wedding. (Source: SkyNews.com)



8. A finger found in a bowl of chili at a fast food restaurant in California might have been bitten off a woman's hand in Las Vegas. Call Grissom. He'll figure it out. It's too confusing for us mere mortals. (Source: SkyNews.com)


Notice this has to be British chili ...

9. Never trust my husband with important documents. He can't find the paper part of his driving license, and his insurance company needs to see it ASAP. He can't remember where he put it. I have a place where all important stuff is supposed to go. Did he put it there? Do I have to answer that?

10. McDonald's is 50 years old this week. This is despite the fact that it opened in 1948. (Source: BBCNews.com)

No One Takes Responsibility Anymore ...

I need to rant. Boy, do I need to rant! My daughter was assaulted at her school today by a fellow student. Why did the girl do it? She didn't like the way Malorie looked at her. She said Malorie gave her a "funny look".

I'm Malorie's mum. Malorie looks at everyone like that. She's a teenager. Tell me what teenager isn't an expert at giving funny looks!

This might sound like it's going off topic, but a general election has been called for the 5th of May. I might not be eligible to vote (being a non-UK or EU citizen), but I still pay attention to what's going on. One issue that has been in the press lately has been the yobbish behaviour of British youth. The girl who assaulted my daughter definitely qualifies, in my eyes anyway, as a yob.

But the politicians, particularly those in opposition, would have us believe that it's the government's fault or the local council's fault that adolescents act anti-socially. I don't believe it for a minute. My children have been attending this school since January 2001, and I have never been able to fault how those in charge deal with those who break the school rules. I have some insider knowledge of the school's discipline since I am a former parent governor and have served on many disciplinary panels dealing with students who have been excluded.

The fault lies with the student who hit my daughter. The government didn't make her do it. The school didn't make her do it. She's 15 years old and should know that you just don't go around assaulting people. Evidently it's not the first time this has happened either, so some of the responsibility has to go to the parents.

I actually saw this girl in the emergency room while I was there with my daughter today. Seems that, in the process of hitting Malorie, she might have broken her hand. She blames Malorie for that. I know that my kids aren't perfect, but if Malorie were to assault another student, no matter how badly her hand hurt as a result, I would be furious with her. This girl's mum seemed to think it was no big deal.

I hope she continues to think it's no big deal while her daughter is sitting home for the length of her exclusion from school. Since they have a zero tolerance policy on assaults, this girl was excluded immediately. They can appeal, but it's an appeal after the fact.

They can also count their blessings that I'm not taking this matter further with the police. I would happily press charges, but I'm convinced that would make things worse for Malorie at school with the friends of the yob.

Diary Entry

9.12 pm I'm trying to pull myself together and get motivated to do my coursework before the last minute. Lately I've just been so lethargic it's unbelievable, which is why I haven't even been blogging much. I've managed to do lots of shopping on ebay -- just little bits and pieces for some Christmas presents I'm doing for my family. I was supposed to go to uni today, but Simon woke me up at 3.30 this morning feeling romantic, and after that I couldn't get back to sleep because I had massive stomach cramps. All day today I've had a banging headache. It's a bit better now, so I'm hoping to get some work done on my criminal justice essay.

I've taken up scrapbooking as an extension of my card making. Ricky and I went to Hobbycraft on Sunday so I could get some stuff to get started. I've done one page so far with pics of Simon. It's okay, but I'm sure I can do better.

Race For Life!

I have a new Mother-Daughter project for Malorie and myself to sink our teeth into: the 5K Race for Life for Cancer Research UK! It's a fund raising event for women, and in the past they've raised £70 million.

We even have our own Race for Life webpage which you can see if you click here.



I'm hoping that, between us, we can raise £150.00, more if possible, so if you would like to sponsor us, we would be eternally grateful! By using the link above, you can sponsor us by secure online server so you know your money goes straight to the cause. I never see it, so you can check out the charity for yourself.

Not Much Blogging Lately

I'm sorry that there's not much new blogging going on here lately. With university, the kids, decorating the house, bills, the hubby, etc., I've gone through about a week of total burnout! I've tried to unwind with a bit of cardmaking, scrapbooking, ebay shopping and extra sleeping. Hopefully I'll be back to normal soon.

Did I say "normal"?

The Royal Wedding

I thought it was a lovely wedding. Okay, not that I could see the wedding because I wasn't there, but the blessing ceremony was lovely. I would have loved to have had their budget when I got married two and a half years ago!







The dress she changed into for the blessing was very elegant, though I'm not big on feathers.

But take a look at some of the guests!



I think TPT must have caught jungle fever after her last stint on "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Outta Here". Or maybe is a souvenir from the Australian jungle. Hey, whatever happened to those baby emus Joe Pasquale was so attached to?



Zara's definitely a trendy Royal!



Hmmmmmm ... And this is the partner of the new Duchess of Cornwall's son! I thought the shoes were very chav!



Blackadder finally made it back to the palace!



I love hats, but Princess Eugenie found a plastic bucket!

Pictures from SkyNews.com and The Times Online.

Things I Learned This Week

1. "Father Dougal" of Craggy Island, Ireland, is a 1000 to 1 long-shot to be the new Pope. Who is Father Dougal? He was one of the characters in the television sitcom "Father Ted". He's not real. But bookmakers in the U.S. didn't seem to realise it! Father Dougal was played by Ardal O'Hanlon (on the right in the photo), who now plays an alien/superhero in "My Hero". He's a great comedian, but hardly Pope material! (Source: Reuters, Photos from this site)



2. People are actually trying to sell their votes in the U.K. general election on the 5th of May on ebay. So far the high bid seems to be £5. (Source: BBCNews.com)

3. The tea towels for the Royal Wedding have the wrong date on them now. Charles and Camilla have changed the date because of Pope John Paul II's funeral on Friday. All those souvenir manufacturers are stuck with memorabilia with the 8th of April on them ... or are they? Souvenir hunters are "panic buying" them in the expectation that the ones with the wrong date will become collectors items in the future, but chances of that are slim. (Source: BBCNews.com)



4. "No MP can die in the Houses of Parliament. Death certificates always have St Thomas' Hospital (directly across the Thames) as the place of death. " Is this like no Formula One driver ever dies at the track? Then the track can claim a 100% safety record. I wonder if it's the same kind of deal in the U.S. Congress. It might explain why Strom Thurmond lasted as long as he did. (MP fact source: BBCNews.com)

5. There are rules that say you can't take pictures of a dying Pope, but no rules that say you can't take pictures of a dead one. How many people do you think have pics on their mobiles now? (Source: BBCNews.com)



6. One of Britain's worst (if not THE worst) serial killers was recently cremated in Sheffield. Harold Shipman was cremated near where my university is a few weeks ago, though the media was only told today. Very creepy. He's only been dead more than a year. (Source: SkyNews.com)



7. Watch out when you wash your face in a stream. One woman sloshed a leech up her nostril, where it clogged up her sinuses for four weeks. I kid you not. (Source: SkyNews.com)

8. You can find strange things in blogs. Well, I knew this. I'm a blogger myself. ABC News in the U.S. seemed a bit intrigued with the idea though. They were most amused by the blog depicting different types of graffiti in public toilets. I prefer "Stand By Your Statue" myself. (Source: ABCNews.com)



9. The BBC requested an interview with Bob Marley. That's about as easy as getting an interview with the Pope, and for the same reasons, only Marley's been dead more than two decades!

10. If you live in Peru, you better learn to drive. A study has shown that 40% of the bus and taxi drivers in that country have psychopathic tendencies, including expressing claiming they would have no guilt over running over a pedestrian. (Source: ABC News in Australia)

11. Sometimes I wish I could throw my computer out the window. I'm including this number 11 because last night I typed up all ten of my newly learned things, only to have Blogger go down and erase the lot! Okay, not the computer's fault, but it was the closest thing to hand, and it took a lot of will power not to chuck it across the room. I couldn't find a couple of the articles I quoted, so I lost one good quote about Prince Phillip. Grrrrr ....

What Will Camilla Wear?

Having been a multiple bride myself, I'm interested to see what the bride-to-be, not to mention the wife of the future King of England, wears to this particular wedding. One website has given a few suggestions which are absolutely hilarious!











Photos from Handbag.com

Diary Entry

2.19 pm I just can't seem to get my sleep schedule right. I sleep all morning and stay up most of the night. I'm going to have to get up tomorrow morning though. I lost yet another filling, so I have an appointment to go have it replaced. If I lose any other fillings, I'm going to scream!

The plan is to do some more decorating today. Nice sweaty work. At least it'll help me stretch some muscles out. I ache.

Diary Entry

1.44 am I have been neglecting my blogs lately. I haven't lost interest. There just aren't enough hours in the day to do everything I want, and since none of what I've been doing is really that interesting, I've let the blogs slide.

Today, for instance: I over slept, got ready to take the boys to their dad's, stopped and paid the rent, dropped the boys off, went to the university library, studied there for seven hours, came home, cooked dinner, started studying again, and here I am! Fun, isn't it? I'm just too tired to ramble on about things that I like rambling on about.

I did, however, sign up for the Race for Life for Cancer Research UK. I also signed Malorie up for it. She and I are going to do the 5K run/jog/walk together. Now I just have to tell her I've signed her up for it. I told Simon that I'd registered us and bought us each a t-shirt, and he freaked out. I said I'd been considering doing this for a week, ever since I saw the commercial on the telly, and he said it was the first time I mentioned it to him. I told him I didn't want him to try to talk me out of it. It's for charity, but he still doesn't like money going to charity. Cigarettes and tobacco, yes. My "pet projects", no.

Diary Entry

11.46 pm God I ache all over! I have been stripping more wallpaper and made a start on painting the walls where the new wardrobes are going. I feel like I've been working out at a gym!

I did stop long enough to go to KFC and fill myself up on chicken. Not exactly healthy eating, but I didn't feel like cooking and wanted to get out of the house for a bit.

Unbelievably, before I left for KFC I was snacking on a few cream crackers and cheese to get a bit of energy back (I was absolutely boiling from using the wallpaper steamer and felt lightheaded), and another filling fell out! I couldn't believe it. At first I thought it was the one that has already fallen out twice in the past month or so, but no, it's a different one altogether! Back to the dentist this week, if I can get in, and I hope I can because hot and cold are painful on the exposed nerves. Thank goodness only part of the filling fell out, or I'd really be suffering!

I've had the news on all day, and just when I thought the Pope was going to hang on for a few more days, he died this evening. How very sad. I remember when he was elected Pope in 1978 because his predecessor had only been Pope for something like a month, and my mother told me to remember because I might not see three Popes within such a short timespan again in my lifetime. I have always remembered that, too. None of my kids even knew what the Pope was, so I've had to explain to them. I thought they would have learned this stuff in RE at school, at least Malorie and Braden, but they didn't have a clue.

Diary Entry

4.58 pm I've stripped wallpaper until I've developed blisters on my hand. And I still have a long way to go, but the boys seem to be doing a really good job on the rest of the room. It's just this one stupid wall where the woodchipped paper doesn't want to come off. We even found some old wallpaper behind the woodchip on one wall -- ships and lighthouses. That wasn't too bad because the old wallpaper made it easy to pull the whole lot off.

Ricky and Jack got home about 2.00. They're hyper, but seem to be settling down a bit.

I'm out with Shell tonight. Boy, do I need it! I bought a new t-shirt when I was at Tesco last night that says "Brunettes Are Better". That's what I'm going to wear.

Things I Learned This Week

1. The price of gasoline has doubled since I last visited Texas. I'd heard people complaining about how much it cost now, but I didn't realise it was hovering around $2 a gallon until I talked to my mother on Friday. The last time I was in Texas in 2000 it was about 99 cents a gallon. Still, that's not bad compared to what we pay over here for it. It's about 88p ($1.70) a litre!




2. Sex is good for you. Especially if you're a yeast cell. A study has shown that sexy yeast is healthier than yeast that isn't getting any. (Source: SkyNews.com)

3. Prince Charles doesn't like media attention when he's on holiday. Okay, maybe I did know that already. It's about time he said something though.

4. No matter what ringtone you choose for your mobile phone, you're still a dork. If you pick one type, it means you're self-absorbed. If you pick another type, it means you're pretentious. Other kinds mean you're childish. You just can't win. (Source: SkyNews.com)

5. The word "Tory" is derived from the Irish word "toraidhe" which means outlaw or robber. I can believe it. No wonder Tories don't like being called Tories, but if the shoe fits ...

6. The BBC has ruled that "Jerry Springer: the Opera" has "outstanding artistic significance". What have they been smoking?

7. The Home Office is being asked to pardon Anne Boleyn, 500 years after she was executed, because she was "obviously innocent". Cool! It's about time, though I don't think she'll be in the mood to forgive them, not with her head having been detached from the rest of her body. (Source: BBCNews.com)

8. A Belgian police training manual which aims to help recruits understand body language has caused a row by likening George Bush's facial expressions to a chimpanzee's. Why, does someone think it's wrong? (Source: BBCNews.com)

9. Monkeys like porn. Is this related to number 8 I've listed above? (Source: Current Biology Online)

10. Use of Viagra can cause blindness. Makes you wonder if your mother wasn't right about what would make you go blind, doesn't it? (Source: BBCNews.com)

Decorating Day Two

I'm going out tonight so I haven't had time to do as much in the boys' room as I would have liked. I think stripping the wallpaper is going to be easier than I thought at first on most of the room. In fact, Ricky and Jack have managed to pull a lot of it off by themselves, and Braden has done some of the higher parts of the walls they couldn't reach. There's just this one wall where the woodchipped paper seems to want to stay put. That's what I've been working on, so it looks like I haven't done as much. On the contrary, I've had to chip away at every little bit of wood that's adhered itself to the wall!

Hopefully tomorrow I can finish stripping the two main walls so I can paint them on Sunday and put the wardrobes together on Monday. Then their room can start looking more organised and less like a hurricane just passed through.

Malorie has disappeared for the day, so when she comes in, she can be the one who gets to pick up all the pieces of wallpaper the rest of us have pulled off. It's not all that much actually because I've been cleaning as I go along.

I'll have some pics of the progress soon. For now I'll try to find a "before" picture of the disaster zone.



You can't see a lot (which is actually a good thing) but you can see the hideous rug I put in there to hide it from the rest of the world after Simon's step-mother gave it to us, the colour of the walls, and the old wardrobes.

I've found some new beds at IKEA that I'm going to save up towards, but keep that a secret. Simon already moans every time I mention "decorating" because he knows where in Nottingham I'll be heading!

The new wardrobes look like this:



and I bought a new rug (blue and beige):



and these are the beds I like:



Ahh well, lots of work still to do!

Decorating Day One

I love IKEA! I could spend a lottery win there easily, but for now I'll have to settle with buying one bit at a time. Last year I bought furniture for my room. This pic shows the "in between" stage of decorating. I don't know why I didn't take another one when I was finished. I'll have to do that tomorrow when I have the energy.



I was going to take the wallpaper down and paint the walls, but in a few years when Malorie moves out on her own, we're trading rooms with the boys and turning hers into a dressing room/office for me. The wallpaper isn't bad, so I can live with it. I'm the one who picked it out in the first place, but the floral stuff was just a phase I was going through. I've gone off wallpaper all together now.

Anyway today was day one on the boys' room. I went to IKEA and bought their new wardrobes, a rug and a poster and frame. I also went to the DIY place to get the paints I thought they would like -- green and blue, as requested.

I've taken the old wardrobes down and hauled them outside. You don't want to know what I found behind those old wardrobes! Geez, I wondered why their room always smelled funny!

I made a small start on stripping wallpaper. I'm too wrecked now to do anymore. I ache all over, and I even smashed one of my fingers when Braden and I were loading the boxes with the new wardrobes into the car!