So....not only did our excursions whilst on vacation in Egypt involve getting up at 3 in the morning and coincide with us being sick, but also meant our credit card details have been sold round the world!! Wot all-round deep and unsurpassed joy.
We got the credit card bill for the card we used for the excursions and were puzzled by charges for dry cleaning in California. When we phoned we discovered that there were charges from all over the world which the bank had already picked up and filtered out. Remember that we had all the problems with the payment being accepted at the time? I wonder if they kept us changing cards until they found one they could rip the details from...
Mind you, I'm blaming Ahmed and it might be the usual culprits I suppose - the petrol stations. It was they who were to blame last time. Why are people so dishonest? Grrrrr......
Friday, 14 August 2009
Sunday, 9 August 2009
10 years younger
When we were out for dinner last weekend Stephen had been talking about his ever-improving prowess with Photoshop and said, in his usual gallant way, he could make me look 10 years younger with a few waves of his mouse. There was a ripple of "I can't believe he said that - and she hasn't killed him" then, as our friends are much more gallant and polite that Stephen (I think he may have been dragged up during his formative years) they all insisted that there would be no need to make me look 10 years younger. In fact to do so would be impossible as I would revert back to looking like a mere infant...etc etc
Anyway - it turns out that he was correct. He CAN make me look 10 years younger....
Before
After
Its bloody scary! I didn't realise my crows feet were so bad until my face was larger than life size on screen with every wrinkle and pore magnified. Time for botox!!!
Summer is back - but for how long?
Summer is back!! YAY! It has not rained for 3 days now - which is amazing considering it was miserable and rained every day for most of July.
After a day in the garden hacking back the shrubs by the gate (so I could exit without getting soaked by the leaves when it rains - which is most of the time!) I had sore arms from wielding the loppers, scratches from the nasty thorny thing I didn't know was in there and a rash from the sap. After I had done all the hard work (it is "my" garden as Stephen keeps telling me!)Stephen called the guy from next door and the pair of them loaded the cuttings into his van and took them off to their family Christmas Tree farm to go onto the bonfire.
After a day spent playing with photoshop and doing sudoku whilst watching me do hard physical labour, Stephen offered to grill dinner. Just as well really as I'd have brained him if he'd asked me to make it!! We popped round to Sainsbury's for some groceries and to check whether they still had their bargain prices on Veuve Cliquot champagne, which they didn't - tres disappointing.
We had a really nice evening drinking fizz, eating grilled steak and listening to my ipod by candlelight. We even had a little dance to Beyonce's version of "At Last" before retreating inside for warmth - although I think we're lacking the moves that the Obama's had on Inauguration Day!
After a day in the garden hacking back the shrubs by the gate (so I could exit without getting soaked by the leaves when it rains - which is most of the time!) I had sore arms from wielding the loppers, scratches from the nasty thorny thing I didn't know was in there and a rash from the sap. After I had done all the hard work (it is "my" garden as Stephen keeps telling me!)Stephen called the guy from next door and the pair of them loaded the cuttings into his van and took them off to their family Christmas Tree farm to go onto the bonfire.
After a day spent playing with photoshop and doing sudoku whilst watching me do hard physical labour, Stephen offered to grill dinner. Just as well really as I'd have brained him if he'd asked me to make it!! We popped round to Sainsbury's for some groceries and to check whether they still had their bargain prices on Veuve Cliquot champagne, which they didn't - tres disappointing.
We had a really nice evening drinking fizz, eating grilled steak and listening to my ipod by candlelight. We even had a little dance to Beyonce's version of "At Last" before retreating inside for warmth - although I think we're lacking the moves that the Obama's had on Inauguration Day!
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Off we go to the circus
What a whirl of activity our social life has been this week! We've had dinner with Richard, Justine, Steve and Graham at a most excellent country pub. We met Chris for dinner in Ask - and had a very strange experience with the waiter! When Stephen was off collecting Chris from the bar where he was waiting for us, the waiter showed me to the table.
"I recognise you from somewhere"
"Oh-oh, really?"
"Yes....did you buy and Audi?"
"Yes"
"Its Mr & Mrs Spark isn't it?"
"Crikey - you're good! That's a bit scary!"
I have no recollection of having seen this guy at the dealership at all. But he was able to tell us that it was Martin that sold us the car, what kind of car it was and what colour. Spooky!!
Then the following night we had a curry with Richard, Kate and Tom. We went to Zam Zams - the food was delicious, but the wine let us down rather. You have to take your own wine so we'd all popped into the wine shop. Their chilled wine selection was exceedingly poor! It was mostly dodgy stuff from a local vineyard, so I ended up with a bottle of Californian paint stripper which cost four quid as that was the best they had. Ah well. At least it stopped me drinking it and saved the sore head the next day!
We had decided to go for a meal at the Fig Tree on Friday night. We did that and so much more too! I had spotted that Le Grande Cirque were performing at Malvern Theatres so we stopped in on the way home and got stand-by tickets for the 8:30 show. So not only did we have an absolutely gorgeous pre-theatre meal (the food there is stunning), but we saw quite a spectacle at the Theatre.
Oh My God, these people are incredibly fit, strong and flexible. What amazing feats of balance and strength. It was awesome! We had a great time. There was a big burst of streamers at the end of the shop and one giant silver streamer pooled neatly down into my lap so I had a fun time on the walk back to the car pretending to be the Silver Lady with my streamers flowing and flapping behind me. (Did I mention I'd had wine with dinner?)
"I recognise you from somewhere"
"Oh-oh, really?"
"Yes....did you buy and Audi?"
"Yes"
"Its Mr & Mrs Spark isn't it?"
"Crikey - you're good! That's a bit scary!"
I have no recollection of having seen this guy at the dealership at all. But he was able to tell us that it was Martin that sold us the car, what kind of car it was and what colour. Spooky!!
Then the following night we had a curry with Richard, Kate and Tom. We went to Zam Zams - the food was delicious, but the wine let us down rather. You have to take your own wine so we'd all popped into the wine shop. Their chilled wine selection was exceedingly poor! It was mostly dodgy stuff from a local vineyard, so I ended up with a bottle of Californian paint stripper which cost four quid as that was the best they had. Ah well. At least it stopped me drinking it and saved the sore head the next day!
We had decided to go for a meal at the Fig Tree on Friday night. We did that and so much more too! I had spotted that Le Grande Cirque were performing at Malvern Theatres so we stopped in on the way home and got stand-by tickets for the 8:30 show. So not only did we have an absolutely gorgeous pre-theatre meal (the food there is stunning), but we saw quite a spectacle at the Theatre.
Oh My God, these people are incredibly fit, strong and flexible. What amazing feats of balance and strength. It was awesome! We had a great time. There was a big burst of streamers at the end of the shop and one giant silver streamer pooled neatly down into my lap so I had a fun time on the walk back to the car pretending to be the Silver Lady with my streamers flowing and flapping behind me. (Did I mention I'd had wine with dinner?)
Tuesday, 4 August 2009
Mmmmm....coffee........
Hey! Guess what we bought at the weekend? An espresso machine - yay! It's the kind that takes the capsules (a lot less trouble that dealing with all those grounds). It makes delicious espresso's and - this is the great bit! - it makes latte's too! In a matter of a mere 90 seconds I can have a delicious latte... FANTASTIC! I am totally hyper most of the time now...!
Monday, 3 August 2009
Oink?
I woke on the Saturday after Eastnor with a sore throat and one blocked nostril. There were some weird moments when I was practically walking in a circle as my balance had gone, but that didn't stop me getting my hair cut (I'm a girl with her priorities right!). By evening I was a sick girlie. I was getting worried that I was going to be going oink oink as I was feeling absolutely awful, but thank goodness it was a bad cold and not swine flu. I didn't make it out of bed on Sunday until the evening when I woke up ravenous (surely another sign of a cold rather than flu - "starve a fever, feed a cold"). Stephen had failed to make it to a grocery shop so he suggested pizza. "What kind do you want?" "Chinese" and because I was the ill person I got to dictate for once! Yay! Bring on the Sweet & Sour Chicken and Egg Fried Rice.
I was at home for the whole week. Thank goodness for remote logon, so I could work from home. I tried to go into work on Thursday. I got up, got showered and washed my hair, dried it and immediately got back into bed feeling absolutely rotten. It took a full week before I was feeling human again, but I'm feeling reasonably perky now.
I was at home for the whole week. Thank goodness for remote logon, so I could work from home. I tried to go into work on Thursday. I got up, got showered and washed my hair, dried it and immediately got back into bed feeling absolutely rotten. It took a full week before I was feeling human again, but I'm feeling reasonably perky now.
If music be the food of love, play on
We've been braving the summer weather again. (Where did the sunshine go? It has rained almost every day in July!) We spent last Friday on the Terrace at Eastnor Castle watching a bit of Shakespeare. How terribly cultural! It was performed by an all-male cast in proper Shakespearean tradition so, as it was Twelth Night, we had men, playing women, playing men. It was exceedingly good!
We were there for doors opening so go a pretty good spot near the front - close enough to see and hear, but far enough from the front that we weren't starring in the production. We got settled in, dug out the picnic and opened the fizz. It is a truly stirring sound - the virtually simultaneous popping of 40-odd corks. It was a veritable salvo of synchronised popping to the silent 1812 overture playing in our heads!
I was too busy listening to the silent 1812 overture to pay much attention to what Stephen was saying. Which is why I did a double take before bursting into hysterical laughter when he spoke to me. He was brandishing a camera and a bottle of fizz when he said to me "blah, blah...get you... top off, take your photo". Queue choking/laughter.... Of course, what he actually said was "we'll get you a top up and take your photo"... Thank goodness he wasn't actually suggesting that I begin my Page 3 modelling career!!
We only had one small downpour to contend with, but it did get a bit chilly. I had my cozy fleece (with a hood) and the picnic blanket for my knees, but I really could have done with my pashmina too. I had forgotten how many clothes its necessary to take to an evening picnic in England!
A lovely summers evening in England - only a hooded fleece required to keep warm!!
We only had to dodge one shower - any more would have diluted the champagne
The all male cast in action
We were there for doors opening so go a pretty good spot near the front - close enough to see and hear, but far enough from the front that we weren't starring in the production. We got settled in, dug out the picnic and opened the fizz. It is a truly stirring sound - the virtually simultaneous popping of 40-odd corks. It was a veritable salvo of synchronised popping to the silent 1812 overture playing in our heads!
I was too busy listening to the silent 1812 overture to pay much attention to what Stephen was saying. Which is why I did a double take before bursting into hysterical laughter when he spoke to me. He was brandishing a camera and a bottle of fizz when he said to me "blah, blah...get you... top off, take your photo". Queue choking/laughter.... Of course, what he actually said was "we'll get you a top up and take your photo"... Thank goodness he wasn't actually suggesting that I begin my Page 3 modelling career!!
We only had one small downpour to contend with, but it did get a bit chilly. I had my cozy fleece (with a hood) and the picnic blanket for my knees, but I really could have done with my pashmina too. I had forgotten how many clothes its necessary to take to an evening picnic in England!
A lovely summers evening in England - only a hooded fleece required to keep warm!! 
We only had to dodge one shower - any more would have diluted the champagne
The all male cast in action
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