There was a song in one of my favourite Meg and Mog books in which Mog gets ill which goes:
'Baked, boiled, grilled or fried, show us what's in Mog's inside!' In that case it was revealed there was a huge fish skeleton stuck in there if I remember correctly.

I want this spell. I still not right and I resent it. Am much better but something has offfended and I know not what it was. I didn't even want any gin and tonics last night!

Tube this morning was ghastly. A train had derailed (an empty one) down the line and all was chaos. Of course, it being both seething and the most humid day we've had for a long time, they had the heating going full blast. People were rammed in, getting irritable, and one guy even yelled at people trying to cram on because they were preventing one very small lady from getting off, who had no chance of being heard or seen. People yelled back at him, whilst still pushing. That started a snarky row, with one person occasionally piping up, not unlike Mary in Pride and Predudice 'of course, if people were kinder to one another, we would not have these problems' - which made her Miss Popularity with the snarkies, I can tell you! I felt hot and sick, yet very thankful for my seat. Then Bank station was closed and I had to walk from London BRidge making me even more late! Bah I say.

I am manky today - not sure why but there you go. Is not much fun. After having a sleep and a lot of water I am wrapped in jumpers and taking a look at my prep for Scary Interview on Thursday - might as well not have the whole day a waste. I may go back to sleep for a bit afterwards though.

We are seeing how long we can hold out before we put on the heating - doing well so far. There has been the odd evening where a blanket has been needed for watching TV, and it's definately jumper time, but not heating time yet.

Have done too much laundry and run out of places to hang things out to dry. Am hoping the 2 danglers' worth I have put outside will dry despite it being chilly!

Uggh. Anyone got a wand of banish-feeling-crappy? Still, so far in life I have been blessed with a constitution not unlike that of a cement mixer inside a rubber ball. This has seen off many a cold (I tend to carry them about sharing them out rather then get them badly) or manky bit of dinner, so I spect I shall be fine shortly.

The only major exception to this history was the Great Unwell about 9 yrs ago when something horrid in the hall dinner made me violently, hideously ill and whilst I was only bad for about 3 days, it took about 2 years for my insides to fully recover - I had to be careful with things like peppers for a long time. Put me off bolognaise for a while too - especially with any kind of limp, wet lumpy pasta. *shudder*

On shelf at Waitrose:

'Santa with chocolate balls'


Oh I AM easy to please!

Got some stuff to do today which is totally time critical, so time for a meme....

Changing the rules slightly - say who tagged you, if tagged you were and pass it on if you want to! Replace any question that you dislike with a new question.

( meme )

Had fun at the quiz last night - although had more beer than I usually would and so am correspondingly blearly this morning! DT - bad influence that man!

I've just read a great definition of being old - age being today's theme it seems.

Being old is when you 'have a fall' instead of 'fall over'.

This!

Morning all! My boss is gearing up for his 3 week sojurn in Hollywood, leaving me in charge! Agggggh! I mustn't press anything....

Am looking forward to this evening - we have lots of interesting TV to watch and a nice chiled out dinner planned. More House is always good - even though he's gone beyond annoying, the cases are great. We have more Heroes too, although I must say it's been pretty boring so far - episode 2 was much better than 1, during which I could feel myself ageing. I hope the pace picks up and we get less of the introspective rubbish.

Hmmm time for coffee number 2 I think!

I decided to grill myself a veggie burger for lunch. THe grill being a bit more effective than I expected, I singed it a little on one side, releasing that which makes the smoke alarm go off. It hadn't gone off, so I thought I'd just open the front door for a bit and let some fresh air in as a preventative measure.

I opened the door to be met with thick billows of smoke. Hmph. I think (I hope) someone is having a bonfire....

Still no parcel containing new music stand for keyboard. Have day off for stupid parcel as it's one of those courier companies who only deal with people who stay at home all day. Bastards. Was sorely tempted to let them take the damn thing back again, but I saved 25 ordering it from Amazon.

And is LJ being an arse today? Or just the computer? I cannot get a whole page of anything to load. I've already noted that it simply cannot cope with the amount of work I used to give the mac to do. This PC does NOT like to multi-task. I only expect the ability to rip a CD, play other music and surf the web, nothing heavy, but no. It sulks and freezes.

It's rather like exchanging a really too small but pretty cupboard with decorative knobs, for a huge rather plain wardrobe with doors that stick.

I did! I decided to have a good Sort Out of the various papers and dooberries that came with the new PC, and also to finally burn my classical collection onto my new much more roomy hard drive.

I spent some time sifting and making piles, occasionally changing a CD, oblivious to much else, including the tea light I had burning off to one side. It brought itself to my attention when I noticed a slightly stronger smell of burning than one might usually expect from a candle. Glancing up, I saw a column of flame shooting up from the desk to my left! How I had missed that I am not sure, but you know how it can be....

Anyway, I did what one always does when met with unexpected fire, I dithered. I mau have glanced about with wild surmise. I definately swore. All about me seemed valuable or important and therefore not suitable for putting out a fire which had now spread to my CD folder taking a plastic bag with it on the way which was gushing not a little melted plastic. In the end I opted for flapping it out with the other end of the plastic bag, resulting in a burned finger with melted plastic stuck to it. This smarted not a little, but was thankfully only minor. I didn't even get a bandage or anything!

Sadly about 8 CDs did not make it, being now most interestingly shaped and bubbly!

caddyman has decided that I have learned the lesson of being far too absorbed when sorting, and as extra punishment is sending me out to buy a little fire extinguisher for the house tomorrow.

In other news, Karen and Ant came round and took away the imac for its new life, and we had beers in town and met up with Tony and then had wine and things. K was most right about wine putting burns to rights!

I have all the feelings of having a headache without the pain. It is most odd. I've been proof reading and making many many tiny amends to the intranet and I just started getting confused. Lots of things I looked at got super-imposed on other things and it got all blinky and made my eyes feel tight and my head all heavy. Swirly.

The remove-glasses cure-all had a good effect. Without my specs everything is so utterly blurred my head seems to relax.

I got really really annoyed with the formating on things here too - have had a lot of temper surges this past week, which is rare. I suspect this is mostly owing to my already small pool of computer-issue tolerance being used up and then some, by endless formating at work and sussing out the new pc, possibly made worse by tension from what might well be a spot of eye strain.

Shall go home later and take off my specs!

This post mostly to show off my new icon wot Bry fixed up for me!

Bank station is a most confusing place. Actually leaving the place is a challenge in itself (I think they amuse themselved by funneling people from one platform to another with distantly glimpsed signs that might be Way Out signs) and when you do you are invariably on a completely different street than the last time you managed to escape the place.

I think there are about 12 exits that are spread out all over London. It is most sneaky. I got completely turned around this morning which made my walk that much longer, if healthy!

I also walked up the stairs to my floor. I have been working up to this for a few months as an extra healthy thing I could be doing. And no, I am not on the first floor, but the 5th, which is plenty for me to be going on with thank you!

I have had to book a day off work just to be in for a parcel. I am sorely tempted to make them send it back and get my money back. They won't redeliver evenings or weekends and you get 2 goes to be in the house during working hours or you've lost it. The depot is miles away near a motorway and totally out of the question for someone without a car. Bastards.

Just had a text from Mum (this shows how bored she is - she NEVER texts!) telling me that she is sitting in the rain on the village green, waiting for a new bench to be delivered and has finished her book. So am guessing she hasn't even got anywhere to sit!

Parish council work - it is stern and it is earnest.

Turns out I have to meet one of our designers downstairs later, so of course I got caught in the rain meeting my sister, and now look like Wurzel Gummidge on a caffeine high. Also have had onions. Please to send mints, hairdresser and poise.

Do pardon the extra post but...

FREE BACON SANDWICHES just appeared!

This will make you go flop.

Last night my boss was drinking out of a bottle of water when he turned and walked into a wall, ramming the bottle into his mouth and the neck of the bottle cut out a chunk of the mebraney bit that sticks the underside of your tongue to the bottom of your mouth!

Eeww ewwww ewwww!

He seems fine though, if a little quiet :D

Big publication I organised arrived today all beautifully printed - ooo I LOVE the smell of freshly printed paper! It's right up there with petrol and marker pens!

I really must try and get to bed early tonight. Too many late nights does not a bright and bushy furtle make. Or is that too many ginantonix?

( comptuer stuff )

I have a new computer! I must admit my lip wobbled a bit when we turned it on and there was the horrible windows screen - looks like my work PC! No longer can I swoosh all the panes about with a flick of the mouse, and no longer are all the programs nicely bouncing up at the base of the screen when I want them. On the other hand, it is very shiny and gorgeous looking , especially the monitor. Glynn was also able to set it up so the 2 pcs talk to one another and I can actually print! I do not like the security things though - they keep popping up and pestering me with questions!

It went rather pear-shaped when I turned on the macbook, which had been sitting quietly in sleep mode whilst all this went on. It sat up, had a look about and promptly nicked the isp my new machine had been allocated, casually dismissing the interloper as a minor nuisance. This caused everything to go kerfloofy. I drank gin with increasing enthusiasm, whilst Bry tinkered with it and we got it sorted in the end without even having one of those pointless PC/DIY rows you have when you get mad at things.

I must admit that warcraft now runs perfectly. 60fps rather than my usual 8 - and there's an awful lot more scenery than I had previously believed! And all for a third of the price of a new imac - including monitor! I think the people on wow who thought I needed to spend 1K minimum didn't realise how low my starting point actually was.... Am sure there are many tweaks it could still have, but this is infinitely better than I had before! And one day I will be able to afford a new mac again.

I was up until 2 tinkering and at the same time trying to get the imac cleansed and ready for its new owner - decided it was a longer job than I had time to do and crashed out. Bit bug-eyed this morning....

Must admit my desk looked cool with an imac, a macbook AND a swishy looking PC all running at once! Overkill anyone?

P.S. Anyone who saw the roof of the Carpathia lifting slightly yesterday, be warned, caddyman may be developing a cold....

Tired furtle today. Also feeling guilty as I forgot to bring in West wing 3 for my sis to borrow. Totally slipped my mind - she says she has watched the last episode of season 2 three times now and is desperate! I understand this pain! Oh well.

Could have done with about 2 more hours of snooze methinks. Desk move means that am next to boss, rather than opposite with 2 computers between us, so rather obvious now if I look like dozing off!

Could just fancy one of those iced frappawhotsit coffees.

Must say, however, that the weather as I left the house was just how I like it. Crisp, cool and everything smelled good. I like autumn best.

I should like to know where my bad travel karma has come from, and where I can return it please.

Not only did I have the 6hr journey to Manchester and the 3 hr journey from Reading back to north London, but today, Canary Wharf conspired against me.

I kid you not when I say that what was stated as a 10 min walk took me over 40 mins. The map was bad, the streets are badly labelled, there is (of course!) a large amount of building work going on, effectively disguising turnings and preventing you from finding out where the hell you are, as well as cunningly funneling you down damp passages that end in water and/or private roads.

My usual method in this situation, of stomping through a series of increasingly cross turnings, resulted, inevitably, in emerging back at Canary Wharf. Following another foray I emerged by Billingsgate fish market. Then by someone's boat on a private dock. Finally I found someone who recognised one of the roads I was aiming at and discovered I had to walk down some cunningly disguised stairs and all the way around a large industrial estate to get at it. Grrr and bah and curse the smart yet uncomfy shoes!

I got there at 9.15 and was only needed until 10 so it all became rather point-free.

Phew!

I just took delivery of a long parcel addressed to me. Inside were many sheets of thick glossy A1 paper with the graphics from a publication I'm arranging the print for. Proofs normally arrive electronically, so for a truly awful, hideous second I thought I had accidentally ordered vast posters instead of A4 booklets at great expense!

Fortunately they are proper print proofs...and relax....

Now the job of checking them at my desk without sweeping everything off all nearby surfaces!

Do not wish to go and help at v important event tomorrow morning as it requires being on the other side of London by 8.30am in a suit. Still, my bit finished at 10.00 or so - I have a suspicion I am there to wrangle arrivals in an all hands to the pump sort of scenario. Hope cheesecake obsession has not made suit too tight....

OK on a whim I tried some vegetarian sushi.

UTTERLY REPULSIVE. So disappointed, as I like rice and veggie things. But no, the seaweed they use tastes like steeeeenky feeeeesh! Exactly the fishy taste that makes me want to gag, the reason I don't eat most seafood. In fact it tastes like old fish.

Uggh ugggh uggh. I need mints.

Every time I begin to think I'd like to try fish again as it looks so pretty and interesting I get a taste-jolt to remind me why I don't eat it! That it should come from something vegetarian this time is most sad.

Thus far I can manage nibbles of fresh cod, very fresh mussels and very occasionally if they are not too fleshy and big, scallops. And scampi, but that's cos it tastes of breadcrumbs. And I can only manage the mussels if I don't look inside at all the black tubes.

Fish. Want to love it, but it brings me out in a horrible welter of misery and nausea. Not sure why. I am sure I used to eat it as a kid.

I am not having much train luck at the moment. It took me 3 hours to get back to north London from Reading. I think I made a poor decision taking the slow train to Waterloo rather than waiting 45 mins for the next fast train. I was getting very cold though and wanted warms! Honestly, I should be able to get across the whole country in that time....

I had a burst of musical enthusiasm yesterday and bought myself a keyboard! I am a terrible pianist, but I can play a little. I think it takes far more dedication than I have to learn an instrument from scratch as an adult, but you can re-visit an old one and improve without too much trauma. I fancied another thing I could do about the house when at a loose end or a bit low.

We moved from caddyman saying in most stern (and somewhat alarmed) tones "You are NOT getting a piano!!!" to me getting a small, cheap, quiet keyboard. Always start higher than you intend to end up! Would like a digital piano but alas space, cash and talent do not allow it.

Anyway, I was most pleased to discover that I still had a battered copy of Chirstmas Carols for beginners (that earned me a look, but feeling that might wear thin rather fast, I also got some classics. Some of them have too many notes for my liking, but others are pleasingly sparse.

I need some headphones....

Off to Reading shortly! Have decided to sneak out early and meet snorkel_maiden for some beers before Ol's exhibition. Only drawbacks are peak-time train travel on a Friday (ouch! expensive!) and that the pubs will be full of people. If anyone else is going and early, give me a poke and you may also have beers!

Excursion!