Grand Day Out

This weekend saw me attend the Grand Shop opening of Chimera, where my friends the shop owners had laid on a prizes and caricature drawings by Mark, the shop was very busy and had a nice buzz about it.

I woke up on Saturday morning with badly pulled muscle in my right shoulder, I've no idea how I did it but it was bad enough to need pain killers. This did not go away and while driving made looking over my shoulder excruciating, one junction which needed me twist right round and to keep looking right while a endless queue of cars came made my eyes water, the pain is was less this morning but I still needed to drive all the way to Buxton so took a few more pain killers, and at the time of writing this its only just starting to subside.

Julie and Dave arrived and we went to the shop for mid morning, talked with the odd fellow larper from Ascendancy before setting off to the Hurt Arms (I now thanks to Julie think of a man bleeding badly from arms, although if you read the link the pub is named after a Francis Hurt who built it) at Ambergate for a spot of lunch.

After that we did a short tour of Cromford, calling in at Cromford Mill which is very much a work in progress as far as a museum goes and lacks heating, in fact the walls seemed to absorb any heat in the room, their were a couple of shops selling your usual crafty gift stuff, but nothing inspiring.

Then we followed that by driving across the road to Scarthin books which is basically a old fashioned 2nd hand book store full floor to ceiling with books in every nook and cranny, most nooks only big enough for one person to enter, and the crannies requiring you to breath in to get between the books.

While at the book shop we stopped in their cafe for a tea and cake, the cakes were yummy and good sized portions, the tea unfortunately was not so good. They brought a tea pot with just tea bags in and no hot water, and after staring at it for ten minutes, and realising yes they really had forgot the hot water and no it wasn't a quaint local custom, we sent Dave to tentatively ask for tea that was slightly less dry.

By the time we travelled home with me pointing out the local tourist sites of interest that you could not see in the dark it was early evening so we exchanged a few presents, played with the cat and a cardboard box, drank another cup of tea and then Julie and Dave left never to be seen again until next year.

Today which is Sunday my brother had booked another lunch time meal at Buxton in Derbyshire this time to celebrate my mums birthday. Buxton is about an hours drive from me, so I picked my mother & sister up and then followed my brother, before calling for my other brother at Cromford, then we went in convoy of 3 full cars.

The restaurant which was empty, but the food was good, unfortunately the tea wasn't. I ordered a pot of tea, rather than coke or wine like everyone else and did not notice the tea bag had burst, spitting tea leafs is not pleasant.

Then spent the rest of the afternoon ironing and watching telly. (hmm while out I learned by brother still takes his ironing to my mums, missed that one)

Update & photo's

I decided to update by blog template and header, still not sure I'm happy with it, but I just wanted a change.

I've also found a few of the worst photographs of me I could find and added them to the sidebar for your enjoyment. (although not the worst of the worst)

Comments welcome

Shopping can be fun

This year somehow I've got my Christmas shopping organised, almost all presents are purchased and it's only November.

This to me is both an incredible feat and an immense relief, because I won't have to take holidays off to join stressful town centre queues to the tills, dodge weaving shoppers, fight my way into underground car parks, or get up early to try and beat the jams.

My normal practise is leaving it until the last weeks of December when the pressure to find gifts for people becomes actual stress and you start to wander around shops you don't normally enter hoping for inspiration, not finding it so end buying something just because you feel the need to.

I talk to my fellow male shoppers, and I'm not alone in this, it's normal I guess most men are not good shoppers.

Yes online shopping helps, last year I purchased nearly half my gifts that way, this year it was only a few gifts the rest purchased from various medieval fairs, games shops, and craft shows.

So who do I thank for being in this unfamiliar and happy place, well both Julie, & my friends at the Chimera shop for getting me started very early by my standards and also for both pointing me at the odd gift, it's a relief, anything else I buy will only add to presents already purchased.

Happy Christmas (I know its only November but I'm already in the mood)

Best get them Christmas cards next, and I suppose if I want last minute I can leave the wrapping until Dec 24th

Wet and very very wet

I was shattered last night and too busy at work to write about my weekend, my lunch was filled with a trip to Ripley to return a pie dish to Frizbe and watch Andy and Frizbe's Dad work away on shelving for the shop while I supped a quick coffee. Anyway by the time I got home and thought about writing something I had read Julie blog and thought that about sums it up in every aspect, apart from I didn't have drive home home through the snow, so to avoid repeating things read here for my weekend.

I'm now still waiting for the wool to dry, the cloak in particular seems reluctant, its spread tent like over the back of chair and radiator but after a full day is still sodden in places, last night the parts on the radiator were almost foaming with the escaping moisture, the purple robe I wore below took the next brunt of the rain and as dried, but layers below seemed to remain relatively dry, my car on the other hand is still very damp inside.

I also managed to tread in some dog poo on Saturday along with Julie and few other players which was messy, dog owners please bag your poo even when its in the grass next to the path.

Here is photo of the snow, (it was whiter but by time of the photo it had started melting) while it lasted. The photos bit bleary but was hand held, through a steamed up window, in the dark.

Just to say (or repeat) good company, fun weekend, shame about the weather, Jasmine even managed to spend almost all evening on Julie knees, which seemed to make Julie happy, espcially since cats are always a topic of conversation when she visits. Did stop her knitting though.

Jamine below helping to dry my cloak (click for larger image)

Communication failure

Its surprising how much communication relies on people being on the same wave length; then again it could be my hearing or the sales girl’s speech, or a deep desire for cake.

I asked for a warm Cornish pasty from the bakery stand behind the girl, "the one at the back" and she replied with “Cream tart”, I said “no the Cornish pasty” “Yes” she said ”Cream tart” as I realised we where failing to communicate so listened harder while I reached over and pointed at what I wanted “Crinkle topped” hmm obvious once you understand the Cornish pasty terminology.

Snail overtook car

Spend I did, bought wonderful gifts I did, enjoyed my weekend I did.

This Saturday I went with my friends Jock & Bridgette to the Original Reinactors Market at Coventry, determined not to spend on me, unless I saw the tall Gandalf hat hat I failed to purchase at the other fayre 2 weeks ago. Well I succeeded, and purchased 3 Christmas gifts, and actually did not feel tempted, I did see several nice things that would have been great if not for being a pound short of hundred and looking like they should have been valued at fifty, until you look at the work content and your realise that hundred quid is probably a bargain. Ran into lots of people I know, from Staffords or Buckinghams and other places including Ghost who I had not seen for couple of years, plus Tee, Paul Hadfeild, Andy, Emma, Daren, Rachel, Catherine, Tom, and others, nice to greeted enthusiastically

After the market we went into the outskirts Coventry for a meal at pub, they specialised in pies which were good value and tasty, before driving home to see Jasmine. Talking of which Jock is the worlds slowest driver, regularly overtaken by electric milk floats (Not kidding) and with a unnatural instinct to stay in the slow lane of the motorway no matter what, even behind the lorry struggling to get up hill at 40mph, he's never had a accident, so I should have no complaints, but when you are a passenger and you can see you need to pull out into another lane 10 hours before the driver it can be irritating, no other driver in world is as slow.

Anyway Sunday I went with my other friends Julie and Dave to Birmingham Exhibition Centre, when I say other friends I do have more than 2 sets of friends even if most have Children to look after 1st before me.
Back to the point this was Christmas shopping outing a new place to visit for me, not the NEC that is been there plenty of times but the event Hobby Crafts and Crafts for Christmas so I was not sure what to expect.
Well Hobby crafts is basically a big gathering of everything you need to make, stamp, glitter and decorate your own Christmas, birthday cards & tags with the odd knitting, sewing, embroidery, bead stand, of course you could also do beaded, sewn or embroidered cards, I didn't see any knitted cards, but perhaps I missed them. At the side of Hobby Crafts was a Artist hall, which sold pencils, paints and other arty stuff, a place which actually served tea that wasn't too bad, and also a cat walk fashion show, which consisted of models dressed in cloths decorated in cards, gift tags and wrapping paper. I do mock it wasn't that bad, a eye opener into the world of card making and I bought 3 or 4 presents from there, but no card stuff.
The other hall was Crafts for Christmas which was a smaller version of Chatworth Country fair, but free of mud and sheep dogs and selling the gifts at the time of year you want to buy them, so I bought another 3 or 4 gifts from there, Dave bought a walking cane flute which was interesting. All in a very worthwhile visit, nice clear roads in both directions, good company and bit of inspiration from Julie, who I can now blame, when my mother thinks I fell my chair and banged my head when buying her, her presents.

Having examined my hoard from this and previous shops I think I'm about 75% there with Xmas shopping, still my dad to do, my nephews, one of my brothers and a couple of friends.

Good film

On Tuesday night I went to see "Stardust" a fantasy film at the local Odeon cinema, my friend Ste described it as Fantasy chick flick, personally I disagree I thought it more a light hearted fantasy in the same vein as the Princes Bride, anyway I really enjoyed it.



Based on a book by Neil Gaiman

Bushey tailed cat

Last coughs of my cold, I wish, I'm never sure if the worst part of a cold is the initial headache, feeling tired, the follow on running nose, sneezing, eyes watering stage or the recovery when it turns to a horrible dry cough, I can live and function with a cough I guess, even if it make sleep hard.

Anyway this weekend I was slowly recovering from my cold, but still did the shopping rounds and ironing. On Saturday I went round to my friends Ste & Debbie for a meal and jolly nice meal it was. Debbie stole a Jamie Oliver recipe card from Sainsbury's with Chicken, rosemary, cherry tomatoes, bacon, some very nicely done potato wedges and various other bits which I couldn't get enough of. The stater was nice too, and then we finished with a very, very rich, shop made orange and chocolate pudding, one spoon would have been sufficient to fill you.

By about 10pm however my cold had caught up me and I was feeling decidedly drowsy and uncommunicative, so by 11 I left and not too soon, it was a short 20 minute drive home but long enough to have been feeling quite dizzy.

Tonight I was supposed to go to my brother Roberts house for fireworks, but Jasmine had gone very bushey tailed (her tail had expanded to the thickness of her body) and wouldn't leave my lap with all the banging and fizzing outside, she was not a happy cat, so I stayed in and watched 'Nacho Libre' which was quite a funny DVD.

Angry Men

I’m struggling to concentrate since I have a cold, which is at the dribbley, sneezey stage, so I’m writing this which I hope will make sense when I read it back.

This week I’ve had a driving nightmare on the way home from work possibly due to dark nights and snarled up traffic.
On Tuesday I was queuing on a main road and driving slowly so I was not stop starting all the way up the hill, when the car behind jumped the queue and made up a place, swerving past me into the small space I had left for no good reason. I hooted him (I admit several times) for the very cheeky manoeuvre and he objected to this. He showed his bad mood by stopping in the middle of the road putting on his hazard lights then when I tried pass him he shot forward then proceeded to slam his anchors on several times, which you can imagine did not go down well, not wishing to escalate the situation I however did nothing more. However at the next bend he pulled over, letting me pass, shot out between me and the car behind me and followed me home, I decided not go home not wishing to meet a road raged maniac outside my house so drove around the housing estate until he gave up. Not pleasant, next time I will keep my displeasure at being overtaken to myself.

Then Thursday I watched in disbelief when after letting someone out of a side road, I moved forward, but someone else decided they wanted out this side road as well and could not wait their turn, spun their wheels shot out causing me to brake, did a u turn around me and then had stop for traffic coming the other way blocking me until someone on the other side of the road let him out as well.

Its now Friday and I’m still not sure I’ve recovered from Tuesday, I’m still expecting a car to turn up behind me and a man with shotgun blow me away for daring to express my displeasure.