Well while fine in themselves the rats are getting quite old... Unfortunately, they have both developed tumours that can only mean the end is nigh. Which is a great shame as they are two wonderful characters. So before we lose them to Rat Heaven I though I'd post a vid of them at their best;
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Catching up...
Good grief, where does the time go?
Been very busy since the last blog, with little time for the computer, so I have quite a bit two write about...
Christmas went off well, the kids were spoilt by their grandparents, and everybody got what they were hoping for. I got a sausage making kit! The family is already fed up with sausages and the freezer is full of them! I am really enjoying them but Katie has come out and admitted she does not like my sausages. Ho hum. :(
Lorii's sister Mel came over from Australia for Christmas and the New Year. We all had a good time and I've a video to put together and post on YouTube when I can get the time.
Izzy has yet to give birth, but she is very gravid, it must be any day now. That, or we do have two girls, and Izzy has eaten all the pies! Watch this space for more news...
I've turned 41. It was inevitable really as I turned 40 last year. My mother has marked the date by posting a picture of a very young lad in black tie on her blog. I'm not sure why...
Lorii has been to see the surgeon who performed her laparoscopy. After discussing it with her we have decided to see if a hysterectomy may be the solution to Loriis' problem. The first stage in this is a series of injections into tricking the body into thinking the womb and ovaries have been removed. This will be accompanied with HRT. If this works, and the pain is removed, then the hysterectomy will be performed. She is also being referred to a specialist to ascertain if she does indeed have fibromyalgia, and a letter is being sent to her surgery to tell the doctors there to stop cutting down her pain medicine. There is one doctor at her surgery who, if he intercepts her repeat prescriptions, has a nasty habit or refusing them on the grounds she has been taking them too long. This has been causing Lorii a lot of stress, as well as leaving her in quite a bit of pain on occasion. Anyway, Lorii is pretty pleased with these new developments, and we are both hoping this is some real progress towards her being cured.
Katie has won a scholarship to study extra maths on a five week seminar at Edge Hill University. We could never have afforded this extra tuition and are very proud of her. Her first day is today so I'm expecting her to come home full of tales about how wonderful university is. This will be her first experience of a campus environment and she was pretty excited.
I have bought a bench drill and am trying my hand at a little light metalwork. The idea it to see if I can make something that may sell well on ebay. Whether I succeed or not is moot a the moment as I'm simply enjoying the process of remembering and learning knew skills. If I actually manage to make anything worth showing off I'll post pictures.
Been very busy since the last blog, with little time for the computer, so I have quite a bit two write about...
Christmas went off well, the kids were spoilt by their grandparents, and everybody got what they were hoping for. I got a sausage making kit! The family is already fed up with sausages and the freezer is full of them! I am really enjoying them but Katie has come out and admitted she does not like my sausages. Ho hum. :(
Lorii's sister Mel came over from Australia for Christmas and the New Year. We all had a good time and I've a video to put together and post on YouTube when I can get the time.
Izzy has yet to give birth, but she is very gravid, it must be any day now. That, or we do have two girls, and Izzy has eaten all the pies! Watch this space for more news...
I've turned 41. It was inevitable really as I turned 40 last year. My mother has marked the date by posting a picture of a very young lad in black tie on her blog. I'm not sure why...
Lorii has been to see the surgeon who performed her laparoscopy. After discussing it with her we have decided to see if a hysterectomy may be the solution to Loriis' problem. The first stage in this is a series of injections into tricking the body into thinking the womb and ovaries have been removed. This will be accompanied with HRT. If this works, and the pain is removed, then the hysterectomy will be performed. She is also being referred to a specialist to ascertain if she does indeed have fibromyalgia, and a letter is being sent to her surgery to tell the doctors there to stop cutting down her pain medicine. There is one doctor at her surgery who, if he intercepts her repeat prescriptions, has a nasty habit or refusing them on the grounds she has been taking them too long. This has been causing Lorii a lot of stress, as well as leaving her in quite a bit of pain on occasion. Anyway, Lorii is pretty pleased with these new developments, and we are both hoping this is some real progress towards her being cured.
Katie has won a scholarship to study extra maths on a five week seminar at Edge Hill University. We could never have afforded this extra tuition and are very proud of her. Her first day is today so I'm expecting her to come home full of tales about how wonderful university is. This will be her first experience of a campus environment and she was pretty excited.
I have bought a bench drill and am trying my hand at a little light metalwork. The idea it to see if I can make something that may sell well on ebay. Whether I succeed or not is moot a the moment as I'm simply enjoying the process of remembering and learning knew skills. If I actually manage to make anything worth showing off I'll post pictures.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Happy Christmas
Well Christmas Eve draws to a close and the big day looms. I hope you are ready, and are looking forward to a great time. Have a very happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Iron Maiden
No prizes for guessing where I was on Thursday! Not with this picture to accompany the blog entry anyway! I first saw Maiden in my teens at the then Hammersmith Odeon, this time I got to take my teenage daughter with me too.
Initially the plan had been been for the whole family to go. Richard, a best mate from the age of around ten, had phoned and asked if I wanted tickets while he was buying his? I'd asked for four and started counting the days... Then Lorii's health got really bad, and three weeks before the gig she is on the operating table. I asked Richard to see if he could find a buyer for the fourth ticket, as Lorii was sure she would not be fit enough to go.
Come the day of the gig I come home to find Lorii ready to go and Jacob still in his school uniform. It was a very generous gesture by Jake; especially as this would have been his first ever concert. So we pile in the car and drive down to Richard's place, in Liverpool, where we intend to rendezvous before heading to Manchester and the show. Now Lorii had evidently had a few fortifying vodka drinks before I had picked her and Katie up. Lorii managed to demonstrate the wonders alcohol has on your co-ordination by upending her handbag into the passenger foot-well, forgetting the maps to Richard's place (I had never been before!) and, through miss-use, exhausting all my credit on my mobile phone asking for directions. Luckily the driver was both sober and in possession of a good memory, and remembered Richard's instructions on how to get to his house.
On arriving at Richard's he generously gifted us our tickets as an early Christmas present! (Thanks again Ric!) We then met up with Tim, the taker of the fourth ticket, and made our way to the gig.
We arrived for the end of Trivium's set. I know nothing of this band, Katie did not seem impressed, but a large part of the crowd seemed to enjoy them.
The first part of the Maiden set was their new album, A Matter of Life and Death, cover to cover. Now there were some great songs in there, but as poor me doesn't own the album I did not know where to sing along. I think a large part of the crowd were suffering the same problem because once this part of the show was 'out of the way' the gig really took off. Old hits were pulled out and the whole arena sang along. I felt fourteen again! Eddie, the band's mascot, made two appearances and the band finished on one of my favourite songs; Hallowed Be Thy Name.
Unfortunately Lorii was not up to standing throughout the gig, once the alcohol wore off I think the pain killers were not up to the job of sustaining a frail Lorii through the rigours of a Maiden gig. Worse for her; she is not a life long Iron Maiden fan and did not know the lyrics to the hits they did play. The Number of the Beast, No More Lies and Run to the Hills did not get an outing, which was a shame as Lorii had learnt those!
We came out of the arena into pouring rain and were utterly soaked by the time we reached the car. We picked up a KFC supper and were in bed by two in the morning. Three hours later I was up and off to work. So now I feel a little tired....
Initially the plan had been been for the whole family to go. Richard, a best mate from the age of around ten, had phoned and asked if I wanted tickets while he was buying his? I'd asked for four and started counting the days... Then Lorii's health got really bad, and three weeks before the gig she is on the operating table. I asked Richard to see if he could find a buyer for the fourth ticket, as Lorii was sure she would not be fit enough to go.
Come the day of the gig I come home to find Lorii ready to go and Jacob still in his school uniform. It was a very generous gesture by Jake; especially as this would have been his first ever concert. So we pile in the car and drive down to Richard's place, in Liverpool, where we intend to rendezvous before heading to Manchester and the show. Now Lorii had evidently had a few fortifying vodka drinks before I had picked her and Katie up. Lorii managed to demonstrate the wonders alcohol has on your co-ordination by upending her handbag into the passenger foot-well, forgetting the maps to Richard's place (I had never been before!) and, through miss-use, exhausting all my credit on my mobile phone asking for directions. Luckily the driver was both sober and in possession of a good memory, and remembered Richard's instructions on how to get to his house.
On arriving at Richard's he generously gifted us our tickets as an early Christmas present! (Thanks again Ric!) We then met up with Tim, the taker of the fourth ticket, and made our way to the gig.
We arrived for the end of Trivium's set. I know nothing of this band, Katie did not seem impressed, but a large part of the crowd seemed to enjoy them.
The first part of the Maiden set was their new album, A Matter of Life and Death, cover to cover. Now there were some great songs in there, but as poor me doesn't own the album I did not know where to sing along. I think a large part of the crowd were suffering the same problem because once this part of the show was 'out of the way' the gig really took off. Old hits were pulled out and the whole arena sang along. I felt fourteen again! Eddie, the band's mascot, made two appearances and the band finished on one of my favourite songs; Hallowed Be Thy Name.
Unfortunately Lorii was not up to standing throughout the gig, once the alcohol wore off I think the pain killers were not up to the job of sustaining a frail Lorii through the rigours of a Maiden gig. Worse for her; she is not a life long Iron Maiden fan and did not know the lyrics to the hits they did play. The Number of the Beast, No More Lies and Run to the Hills did not get an outing, which was a shame as Lorii had learnt those!
We came out of the arena into pouring rain and were utterly soaked by the time we reached the car. We picked up a KFC supper and were in bed by two in the morning. Three hours later I was up and off to work. So now I feel a little tired....
Sunday, December 03, 2006
A Bit Windy...
I took the dogs out for a walk on the beach today... only it was too windy to get down to. It was all I could do to stand up on the top of the sea wall!
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Oh No!
Well we are soon to be blessed with the sound of tiny feet! Nutmeg is a boy not a girl, and he and Izzy have been doing the wild thing! Despite the pet shop having the boys and girls segregated we have ended up with one of each. Have you ever tried to sex a guinea pig? My attempts obviously failed! Though a good clue that Izzy is a girl is all the dried semen in her fur around her privates! We are expecting the babies around Christmas and Nutmeg has been renamed Spunky!
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Grounded!
For the past few days the kids have been grounded. Grounded in our house does not mean that they are confined to the house, they would not find that a punishment. Rather that they are banned from computers, playstations and the cartoon network. The reason for this was, that with their mother ill, they had not been doing even the every day chores, let alone helping me out with the increased workload. So they were grounded until they changed their ways.
So last night Lorii and I discuss the situation, decide they have both made an effort, and resolve to lift the grounding. With Lorii installed on the sofa to get a break from the bedroom, I make my way up the stairs to give the kids the good news.
Now earlier on that evening I had had to pull Jacob up about the state of his bedroom floor. (Those who know me from my own childhood will be detecting a fairly hypocritical poacher turned gamekeeper thing going on here.) My parting words on this occasion were along the lines of, "Next time I enter your room all this mess will be picked up." (Oh how my parents must be reminiscing to those words!) So confident that Jacob would be happy to see me with my happy news I enter his bedroom. To find not one thing has been lifted up or put away.
Now when I was a nipper this would have been because the first thing I picked up was a book or comic. I'd start reading it, I can not help myself when it comes to words on a row, and time would be suspended until my mum caught me loafing about.
Jake was doing his homework; which made it hard to be really cross. So I told him he was ungrounded on the understanding that the floor was clean next time I came in his room.
So next I enter Katies room. Now her room was tidy, and without being told, and Katie was busy doing some clay modelling for her art homework. I tell her her grounding is lifted to which she replies, "Can I stay grounded please?" My jaw hits the floor. It turns out that she does not want any distractions from her homework. I swear she is not normal!
So last night Lorii and I discuss the situation, decide they have both made an effort, and resolve to lift the grounding. With Lorii installed on the sofa to get a break from the bedroom, I make my way up the stairs to give the kids the good news.
Now earlier on that evening I had had to pull Jacob up about the state of his bedroom floor. (Those who know me from my own childhood will be detecting a fairly hypocritical poacher turned gamekeeper thing going on here.) My parting words on this occasion were along the lines of, "Next time I enter your room all this mess will be picked up." (Oh how my parents must be reminiscing to those words!) So confident that Jacob would be happy to see me with my happy news I enter his bedroom. To find not one thing has been lifted up or put away.
Now when I was a nipper this would have been because the first thing I picked up was a book or comic. I'd start reading it, I can not help myself when it comes to words on a row, and time would be suspended until my mum caught me loafing about.
Jake was doing his homework; which made it hard to be really cross. So I told him he was ungrounded on the understanding that the floor was clean next time I came in his room.
So next I enter Katies room. Now her room was tidy, and without being told, and Katie was busy doing some clay modelling for her art homework. I tell her her grounding is lifted to which she replies, "Can I stay grounded please?" My jaw hits the floor. It turns out that she does not want any distractions from her homework. I swear she is not normal!
Friday, November 24, 2006
007
I took the kids to see the new James Bond movie, Casino Royale, last night. Daniel Craig makes an awesome Bond, with the whole genera getting the "Batman Begins" treatment; that is, they have dumped all the foolish frippery, and kept the core elements that make bond movies great. Aston Martin cars, martinis, womanising, explosions, M, and great spy gadgetry all stay, but in a more believable and realistic way. The fight scenes are more realistic too, this bond cuts and bruises, and right from the start of the film you can tell there is a more brutal edge to 007. As an Audio Slave and Soundgarden fan it was nice to have Chris Cornell singing on the opening credits too. I'll not spoil it for you by revealing the plot; I'll simply say that if you enjoyed the Sean Connery Bond, and enjoyed Daniel Craig in Layer Cake you will find Casino Royale to your taste.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
New look...
Well blogger have reinvented their interface. I was going to overhaul the complete look of the blog, but have settled on some minor changes. Let me know what you think...
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Endometriosis
Well Lorii's ailment finally has a name and it is endometriosis. It's been a long journey with quite a few scares on the way (We still have to wait for the re-scan of her chest to see if that nodule has grown.) but at least we now know what is causing Lorii so much pain.
Lorii had a laparoscopy on Monday afternoon. The surgeon found numerous lesions and adhesions which she sorted out. She also cut some of Lorii's nerves, where needed, to ease her suffering. Right up to the day of the surgery Lorii had been terrified that the surgeon would find nothing; and that she would be dismissed by yet another member of the medical profession. However after the surgery Lorii's surgeon told her that she described the site of the pain so precisely that it had helped her get straight to the seat of the problem. Obviously Lorii is feeling enormously vindicated.
Where we go from here we are not too sure. Endometriosis is incurable. But now the doctors know what her problem is there is a lot they can do to ease her pain and suffering. There may be further surgery, a hysterectomy may be on the cards, or there are some hormone treatments that may help. In the short term she is simply recovering from the effects of the laparoscopy. Bizarrely the gas they use to inflate the abdomen causes severe shoulder pain, added to the surgery and the endometriosis and Lorii is feeling pretty sore right now. I'll keep you posted as she recovers.
If you are interested to find out more about endometriosis here is a link to a site with a pretty good description of the symptoms and side effects.
Lorii had a laparoscopy on Monday afternoon. The surgeon found numerous lesions and adhesions which she sorted out. She also cut some of Lorii's nerves, where needed, to ease her suffering. Right up to the day of the surgery Lorii had been terrified that the surgeon would find nothing; and that she would be dismissed by yet another member of the medical profession. However after the surgery Lorii's surgeon told her that she described the site of the pain so precisely that it had helped her get straight to the seat of the problem. Obviously Lorii is feeling enormously vindicated.
Where we go from here we are not too sure. Endometriosis is incurable. But now the doctors know what her problem is there is a lot they can do to ease her pain and suffering. There may be further surgery, a hysterectomy may be on the cards, or there are some hormone treatments that may help. In the short term she is simply recovering from the effects of the laparoscopy. Bizarrely the gas they use to inflate the abdomen causes severe shoulder pain, added to the surgery and the endometriosis and Lorii is feeling pretty sore right now. I'll keep you posted as she recovers.
If you are interested to find out more about endometriosis here is a link to a site with a pretty good description of the symptoms and side effects.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
The Yawn
A friend once told me there was only one yawn in the world. But I've been thinking about this and I'm not so sure it is true. I think there may be two!
You see a yawn is capable of instantaneous travel from person to person. Sometimes a yawn will jump around a room making each person yawn in turn. It is this phenomenom that has led others to believe that the yawn is infectious. My friend has never seen two people yawn at exactly the same time; a syncronised yawn. So he has deduced that there is only one in the world.
But I think the yawn is searching. I think the yawn is lonley. If you fake a yawn you are probably going to yawn for real soon after. This is a yawn visiting to see if the fake yawn was the 'other' yawn. If someone else yawns you may find yourself yawning too; once again this may be the other yawn in search of its mate. I think yawns get a kick out of performing a syncronised yawn. They strive to perform this rare feat of bodily puppetry. To jump into two people, take over their bodies simultaniously, and to make them yawn in unison brings the simple yawn great pleasure.
So next time you yawn be ready to repeat the feat, as the other yawn takes over your body in search for its mate.
You see a yawn is capable of instantaneous travel from person to person. Sometimes a yawn will jump around a room making each person yawn in turn. It is this phenomenom that has led others to believe that the yawn is infectious. My friend has never seen two people yawn at exactly the same time; a syncronised yawn. So he has deduced that there is only one in the world.
But I think the yawn is searching. I think the yawn is lonley. If you fake a yawn you are probably going to yawn for real soon after. This is a yawn visiting to see if the fake yawn was the 'other' yawn. If someone else yawns you may find yourself yawning too; once again this may be the other yawn in search of its mate. I think yawns get a kick out of performing a syncronised yawn. They strive to perform this rare feat of bodily puppetry. To jump into two people, take over their bodies simultaniously, and to make them yawn in unison brings the simple yawn great pleasure.
So next time you yawn be ready to repeat the feat, as the other yawn takes over your body in search for its mate.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Mel & Andy
We got a phone call this afternoon from Lorii's dad to say Mel was on a web cam in Alice Springs. We dutifully logged on to look; and low, there was Lorii's little sister. Getting bladdered in Oz! Seemed very odd to look at all the people in shorts and summer dresses while rain lashed down here in Blackpool.
Anyway there was a facility to request songs from the bar's playlist and have messages read out to those in the bar. I had a go, but kept getting a 404 message from the bars server once I submitted the request. However it must have worked though coz shortly afterwards we get a phone call from a sozzled Mel thanking us for the request! I'd hate to see her mobile bill for that night!
Anyway there was a facility to request songs from the bar's playlist and have messages read out to those in the bar. I had a go, but kept getting a 404 message from the bars server once I submitted the request. However it must have worked though coz shortly afterwards we get a phone call from a sozzled Mel thanking us for the request! I'd hate to see her mobile bill for that night!
Steak
Last night Katie cooked us all sirloin steak for dinner. It was practice for a proposed fillet steak meal next week. All I can say is if this was the run up I can't wait for the main event. It was fantastic!
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Juggling
Katie is making juggling balls as a business exercise at school. This prompted me to dig out my clubs and make what follows...
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
G Pee's
The ginger one is Nutmeg and the black one is Izzy. Please don't ask me why I allowed the kids yet more pets... I must be a soft touch!
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Jake & Friends
Well Jacob had a utterly fantastic day today. On Thursday, when Jacob picked up his first prize for his poem 'Suicide,' he also received an informal invitation to visit the Mayor of Blackpool, in his Parlour, on the Saturday morning. There we met both the Mayor Allan Matthews and his wife Mayoress Angela Matthews, who had a lot of time for Jacob, as well as Norman Warwick of Just Poets and Brandon, a fellow poetry prize winner, and his mum Anne. Jake was gifted both a pen and a badge. Had a "really interesting" conversation with the Mayoress, as well as an informal photo-shoot in the council chambers. (He also got fed several pieces of cake, cups of tea and a small stick of rock!)
On from there I took Jacob shopping with his prize money. He bought himself a new sim card, for the mobile his granddad has gifted him, as well as the third book in the Lion Boy series The Truth by Zizou Corder.
Once home he got so animated telling his Mum all about it we actually had to tell him to stop and breathe! One happy lad.
On from there I took Jacob shopping with his prize money. He bought himself a new sim card, for the mobile his granddad has gifted him, as well as the third book in the Lion Boy series The Truth by Zizou Corder.
Once home he got so animated telling his Mum all about it we actually had to tell him to stop and breathe! One happy lad.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Poetry Award for Jacob
I really messed up the exposure on this video, but you can still hear his poem...
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Slide Show
Keen to experiment in the art of posting videos on YouTube I have made a brief slide show. I've used some of my better pictures from Flickr. If you like anything you see in the slide show, pop over to my Flickr account where you can view the images in high quality.
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