All good things come to an end, as the saying goes...

Way back in November 1993 I was doing management relife work at a pub in Kingsthorpe called the White Horse. I was with Linda with who I helped run the Rifle Butt, but in October we got a message that we were being moved to this new pub. As I remember the regulars were outraged that Scottish and Newcastle could move us so quickly, and questions were asked, angrily, about what was going to happen to our planned bonfire party. Well, when all said and done all Linda and I could do was to pack up all our stuff and move to the White Horse about 3 miles away.
The White Horse was an "L" shaped building on the corner of a busy crossroad towards the town centre. The Sunday before we moved, Derek and I went to take a look at it (I had only met Derek the month before) and I must admit on first sight I was rather unimpressed...it was tiny inside!!!! With a tiny bar and an even smaller clientelle consisting of Irish "old boys". Interestingly enough there was a skittles run as skittles in pubs is quite rare and seems to only belong in Northamptonshire. Anyway 4 days later Linda and I moved in her tiny car, stuffed to the rafters with our belongings! But no sooner had we got through the door, as the outgoing stock was being assesd and taken by a stocktaker, a rather angrey, red faced chap bustled from nowhere, a bit like in Mr Benn, and blurted out to me "Its was you who came snooping on sunday!!!!!!!!!!!" I tried to explain I was not snooping, it was just curiosity, but he wasent listening..."So you send your "lackie" to snoop after me eh?" He had screeched at Linda... "Now listen hear!!" I yelled, but before I could say anything Linda gently pulled me away and whispered "lets just get our stuff eh?"
The next three weeks was like a holiday for us!!!
Now both me and Linda had come from a megga busy pub to a megga quiet one!
There was only two other members of part time staff and we were lucky if the till took £50 at lunchtime! There was absolutly no catering facillities, a massive celler but only two cask conditioned ales were on offer, and a very dissused and very musty smelling function room!...Oh and a pool table! We had no cleaner so me and Linda did the cleaning between us of a morning then Linda would give me shopping money for our lunch and I would have a couple of pints in "the Keep" which was another pub by the shopping centre. In the evenings I would work "early doors" from 5:30 - 8pm and then I had the rest of each night off!!!!!!!!!!!!! Linda, despite being over 20 years older than me, we a bit of a party animal and preffered doing the later evening work which she would often turn into lock-ins for a few of the locals and she certainly dident mind very late nights. Me on the other hand, am not a party animal and most of my evenings were spent upstairs in the living quaters watching TV. On one of the first evenings he came around I had cooked a special meal for us of steak, salad and jacket potatos with sour cream and chives. As he entered the tiny kitchen I noticed an oblong wooden box under his arm..."Whats that?" I had asked "Its a game I want to teach you!" he had said rather sheepishly...and so the evening began after dinner with Derek teaching me how to play Mah Jhong for the first time! and I loved it because I kept beating him!!! LOL!!! On another evening Derek coulden't make it so I trotted off to the off-licence for some booze and spent the rest of the evening getting sloshed while I watched my favorite film "the Fog" on video! I had a light supper of veg baked on puff pasty and slumped into bed at 11 as Linda rang the bell for last orders...Oh I was so very used to going to sleep with the muffled sounds of chat and laughter coming from downstairs! Some how I found it soothing....

Today, Derek and I drove past the White Horse in Kingsthorpe and all the windows were boarded up with steel plates and there was a huge "FOR SALE" Sign outside what had once been my bedroom window!...the same windows I would look out of, to watch excitedly for Dereks red Vauxhaul Belmont to drive past, in November 93'!

Just a tad sad today..................

Iam just watching the daftest film yet, on the Sci-Fi channel about killer bees swarming around a house!!!
I am tempted to switch over but any more Only fools and horses and I will scream!!

The close ups of the bees are just pain ordinary honey bees that will certainly not harm you unless you harm them!! Its more than their lifes worth as, unlike a wasp, a honey bee only has one sting and if it looses that it dies!!
As a child I watched many of these killer bee films and subsequently became scared of bees, even more so in the summer time some time in the early 80's when one accidently flew down my Mums top while she was putting the washing out and she started to batter herself to kill the bee, which did sting her on the chest!
Back in the Spring of 1999, Derek and I took a picnik to a lovely spot in the country, next to a stream. It was a beautiful day, warm and very quiet and tranquil. I began unpacking the sandwiches, fruit, bread and a small quiche and just as I was a bout to pour my first plastic mug of tea from my flask, I heard a weird sound...
"Do you hear that?" I had asked Derek, my brain trying to figure out what this sound, which was almost like a quiet rumble, was? At first Derek had said no, but as the sound grew in strength, he had presently said "yes I do hear somthing now" and we both looked around to the back of us where the sound appeard to be coming from and at first I just saw trees and fields...then to my horror of horrors the quiet rumble became that fearsome mass buzzing you hear in the killer bee films. As I looked up with a sudden huge surge of adrenillin in my veins to my compleate terror I saw a grey patch in the sky...and it was darkening, getting bigger and very loud, and heading right in our direction!!!!!!!!
It was a swarm of some 80 thousand honey bees!!!!!!!!!!!
Briefly I remember looking down at the food I had just opened and I began to panic seriously, thinking the bees (like wasps or so I thought at the time) would some straight for the food...AND US!!!!!!!! "Derek" I had squeeled "we gotta run back to the car NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Now Derek does show his brains occasionaly and said to just sit tight, as he grabbed my arm and pulled me gently back into a sitting position! They are honey bees, he had simply said, they are looking for their new home!
What followed next was the most wonderfull and one of the most spectacular sights I have seen since I first gazed with bated breath, at the Taj Mahal in Agra!...A full swarm of honey bees swam like a living black cloud over our heads by only about 30 feet, not one bothered to come town to investigate our goodies! I swear I dident breath for about 20 seconds, as I watched, mesmerised by this awesome sight. The beautiful bees appeared to move as one with subtle ripples through the "bee cloud!" which is the only way I could discribe it!! and suddenly they were gone, over an oppersite hillock. Now like most things that scare people it is just fear of the unknown so after being treated to this amazing feat of Nature I began reading up on bees on the internet. Apparently when bees are out flying in a swam they are at their most docile because they are indeed focused solely on finding a new home for thier hive, which usually happens in early spring approx April time (as I remember this was a warm April day) and only when the weather conditions are absolutly perfect will they fly in their swarm to find a new home. Needless to say I am not scared of bees any more and infact I would like to have a go at bee keeping myself. They are fascinating creatures, who are the goveners of pollenation and nature itself, and now I have learned about them I think they are simply wonderfull!!
However I still hate wasps!! the scourge of the pub garden in summer!!!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!
Also some wasps kill spiders (which I love) In fact the story behind the "Alien" films is based on how some species of wasps, first paralise their spider and inject its eggs into the spiders body, so the poor spider is literally eaten from the inside out by the wasp lave, and the poor spider is paralized and is helpless to do anything about it...its also still alive untill the lave have eaten all the spider. Grousome I know, but this is nature, and why I hate wasps! Years ago I kept a Mexican Rosey Tarantula in a huge tank at my flat in Warrington but being a male he dident live long, and it broke my heart when he died...I would love to get a Cobolt Blue Tarantula!!! these rare and very beautiful "living Jewles" are very viscous and nasty which is ofcourse becuase of the fear of the wasp (they come from the same region in south America) it is recommended that owners of these gorgeous creatures NEVER handle them! Which is a shame as handling a Tarantula is an amazing and oddly a very relaxing expierence!
But watch this absolute LOONEY!!!!!!!!!!! handle his "Blue"



Notice that he is very gentle and is wearing little clothing which is the right was to handle Trantulars as their tiny claws get stuck in matieral.The bite from these spiders is painfull (I am told but I have never been bit) but no worse than a bee sting!

BTW phone is now fixed...apparently some vandles had damaged the wires in a box across the road! Gits!!!!

Some of you may have read that I have had laptop probs recently...well now its the turn of the phone.......

Last night I tried to give Mum her usual 9pm call but the phone (land-line that is) simply rang a couple of times and then went dead. I tried to call a few times more but to no avail, so I tried my mobile...UGH!! No charge, so I put it on charge and asked Derek if I could borrow his mobile so I could chat to Mum and only stayed onthe phonefor about 10 mins. This morning I woke to hear Derek making string of 4 letter expleatives from his office!!! What the heck was going on? I was thinking as its quite rare to hear him swear so badly. Apparently he had phoned the phone company on his mobile which then, at a crucial time in the conversation to the engineer, cut out because he had ran out of credit!!!!!!!
It never rains but it pours!!!!!!!!!
...and to top all this my mobile (which is contract) does not seem to be charging properly, and was still not fully charged this morning! Anyway it turns out an engineer is coming to sort out the phone later today, sometime in the afternoon! But what the heck is up with the charging of my phone as its an almost brand new Samsung and only takes about 2 hours to charge normally, if less. The only good thing about being on contract though is I can get a new free phone anytime, so if its broke I should have no trouble getting a relacement!
Ho hum....back later when hopefully it will be sorted!

x

My current reading is "Jane Boleyn" by Julie Fox and she appears to be much kinder to Jane's character, than other historians have painted her!
Let me explain...
Jane Boleyn Lady Rochford was born Jane Parker circa 1505 into a noble family, with excellent connections wealth, and royal blood. Her Father was the Duke of Morley and he packed Jane off aged just 14 to be a lady in waiting to Kathine of Aragon, and spent most of her life in Royal service. Poor Jane was forced into an arranged marriage to George Boleyn, brother of the ill fated Queen Anne, and as sister in law to the then future Queen of England (during the time of Henry's "Great Matter") she became royalty herself, but history has not been kind to her, and her marrriage to "possibley" homosexual George was a VERY unhappy one...I say possibley because its never been historicaly proven that George was indeed gay, as he appeared to be a womaniser, but this issue has been re-dressed in the recent TV production "The Tudors" and its certainly worth considering, and would indeed explain why Jane's marriage was so miserable as she was know to be very beautiful and much sought after by the men of the court! Now down to why history has painted Jane as a coniving, evil, jealous bitch....During the time of Cromwells plotting to get Queen Anne on the block, he had to fabricate something that would most certainly put her there and came up with the idea of adultery. So Cromwell and his men began questioning the ladies of the Queen, which included Jane Boleyne (Lady Rochford) about the goings on in the Queens privvy chamber. It was Anne's character that gave Cromwell most of his evedince. Apart from being a shewd politician, and business woman and being an intelligent woman and a force to be reconed with...Anne was also naturally flirtatious, and overly friendly with her favorits in perticular Mark Smeaton who was her musician. Poor Mark wasent just questioned by Cromwell,he was brutaly tortured almost to the point of death and forced to say he had "known" the Queen "and her private person. (In other words had slept with her, which was total rubbish as a woman of Annes standing would have never considered a commener such as Mark to be a suitable lover, they were simply the best of friends and Anne adored music) Anne was also very close to her brother George, who would visit her privatly many times and for many hours where they would talk, play cards and drink wine! In fact when Anne fell out of favor with the King becuase she failed to give him a son, her brother George became her only true confidant and friend. History reads that Jane was very jealous of Annes realationship with her brother and this is why, under heavy questioning from Cromwell she snapped and said Anne and George had, had an incestious relationship. I think it is more likely that word had got about court of Mark Smeatons terrible torture, and this had left poor Jane terrified the same would have happened to her! (it wouldent because Jane was a noble woman and noble women werenever tortured) Also Mark had forceabley confessed! Sadly Jane was not known for her intelligence and I belive she just blurted out the incest admission just so Cromwell would stop his terrible questioning. Historians have been baffled as to why Jane told Cronwell such a horrible lie about Anne, so they concluded it was Janes jealously of Anne and her closeness to George. When infact Jane was just a pawn dragged into the malestrom of Cromwells plotting....by this time Cromwell must have been rubbing his hands with glea, and Annes trail was arranged but the result was a forgone
conclusion...GUILTY....even before Anne had stepped into court.
Jane left court as soon as she possibley could, in terror following the murders of both her husband and her sister in law. George was executed on the 17th of May 1536, along with the other innocent men caught up in this plot, and Anne was executed on the 19th of May as Henry had commisioned a swordsman from France but he had been delayed on the road...it took about 6 months for Jane to return to court, and it was after the death in childbirth of Henry's 3rd wife, Jane Seymore, that Jane become more settled...Now it was Cromwells turn to recieve his just deserts 2 years later when he convinced Henry to marry a protestant Princess from Germany called Anna Von Clevv (Anne of Cleaves) Cromwells arranging of this marriage back-fired on him and cost him his life, as when Henry eventually met Anne it was a case of hate at first sight, instead of love. After his almost instantaianious divorce from what I would consider this lucky Princess, his eye had been caught by one of her very young ladies, Kathryn Howard. Aged just 16 and utterly gorgeous, Kathryn was also rather promiscious, and like Jane Boleyn, who was still at court was about as thick as too short planks! Both ladies one, old enough to be the other's mother, became firm friends both before and after Henry has made Kathryn his 5th Queen. During a progress of the King and new Queen to the north, Kathryn became captivated by Henry's favorite servent, and member of the privvy chamer, one of the highest positions at court! His name was Thomas Culpepper, and by all accounts Thomas and Kathryn were at it like rabbits the moment the Kings back was turned........aided and abetted by Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford!! Why Jane helped the couple in their illicet affair is unclear but some belive its because Jane could see how desperatly unhappy Kathryn was with her marriage to the now aged, gross and indeed impotent King, even with his gorgeous young wife he was unable to get an erection at this point, hence no male hiers were forthcoming!!!! So between Jane Boleyn and the Duke of Norfolk they both came up with a plan to help Kathryn have the hansome, young and very virile Thomas Culpepper so as the young Queen might concieve a son, to keep the King happy. This was ofcourse high treason!!! to plan to put a bastard on the throne of England, let alone the fact that the child would be a bastard of a commoner and not of the Kings royal blood. Both Kathryn and Jane apparently had a lack of discression and word soon got around the court of what was going on. One morning in the Royal Chaple a note was secretly placed, adressed to the King, informing him of his wife's indiscressions, along with Janes help!! At first Henry refused to belive it but when the whole affair finally came to light, he flew into the famous Tudor Rage, and sent both Jane and Kathryn to Syon house underhouse arrest, before their executions!!! Jane went compleatly insane at this point and Herny had to make Parliment pass an act to make executing the insane legal, as Jane had compleatly lost her mind. The act was passed swiftly, and the axe fell just as quick on the 13th of February 1542. Kathryn was executed first aged just 17, then Jane aged about 37 offered her neck to the axeman on a block still wet and warm with the blood of her mistress and friend Kathryn. By all counts Jane was rather composed at the end...after all, she was born of noble blood, but had told some horrible lies in her life, and some would say her end was justified, but I dont think so...she was just an unfortunate, pawn in the court of Henry the 8th, perhaps a little unintelligent but her unhappy marriage to George hurt her badly, as it would with any woman....
Sadly I know....I have been there.... (my first marrige that only lasted 2 years)

....And my poor little love is driving me BONKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It began 4 days ago with the usual symptoms of flu and then he passed out twice in the bathroom and I almost called the Doctor untill he appeared to be getting better, sitting up in bed, but he wouldent eat anything and even half a bowl of soup made him feel sick!!! So I gave him some dry bisquits and he nibbled on them for a few days...I have been out shopping for him every day, walking Sirius more than I normally do, and running up and down stairs like some wild Banshee taking him and fetching him things. Needless to say I have been so exhausted at the end of each day I have been collapsing in bed and sleeping like a baby!! He appears to have the Gastric flu that I have had, but I recovered in just 3 days!! This morning, however, he looked a lot better and has even had his normal breakfast but as soon as I suggested going into town he said "No!!! I will drive you to Morrisons" to which I responded "well if your fit enough to drive your fit enough to walk Sirius!"... "Oh no!!!" he moaned! "I am not up to that yet!!"..."well I am going to walk Sirius and go to town on my own then, because if your not fit enough to take a simple walk around a park for 15 minuits, your not fit enough to drive! What happens if you faint at the wheel????" I retorted!! to which he threw a wobbly and bounced up stairs, and sulkily got back into bed! When I got back from walking Sirius I asked him if he wanted another Lemsip? But he just ansewered with a blunt "NO!!!" ....now why is it when chaps get ill they make such a song and dance, drama queen act out of it????
Good grief!!!!
I just have perhaps a day or so in bed and then get on with things, if I am bad, as do most women I think...and then I will just moan about it on here!! LOL!!!
Well all I can hope is that he gets better soon, and gives me a break!

AAAAAArrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This morning I nearly threw my lappy through the window when I switched on and the"configuring updates" thing kept repeating itself and would not even let me log on!!!!!!!! This lasted for nearly two hours so I decided to do a full systems diagnostics which took over two hours and I had to compleatly wipe my "C" drive so basically I lost everythig!!! all my passwords, pictures, music, EVERYTHING!!! and then to my horror of horrors I realised I lost my Virgin broardband wireless connection too!!!!
*screams, stamps feet and throws a wobbly"
So next I raid Dereks office for the Virgin media paperwork which I found....tried half a dozen potencial passwords to get me re-connected, all to no avail...so eventually I resorted to the phone to talk to someone in tech support, only to be passed from piller to post and ended up talking to a lady in India. Now I have visited India about 5 times and consider myself fairly good at understanding even the thickest Indian accent, but this woman, I could not understand what so ever, and I am convinced she was swearing at me influent Urdu!! so as I just could not understand a word she was saying I felt the advice she was trying to give me a bit pointless, so I cut the conversation short and decided as a last resort to go back to my Eathernet cable and hay presto!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A MAGICAL BROADBAND CONNECTION!!!
Anyway folks, untill I am fully up and running again, properly things might be a bit slow around here!

Please wish me luck!
luv Vix

While I was waiting alone in a darkened anti-room at my potencial Masonic Lodge, the door opened slowly and a very familier head poped in........

"Hello I am the Doctor!!!!!!!!"

Naaaw!!!!! just kidding folks!! LOL!!!

But the guy who entered the room, who was peticioning to join the lodge just like me was the ABSOLUTE SPITTING IMAGE of David Tennant!!! Goodness konws what the look on my face must have been like but I felt my face blushing furiously!! "Hello, lovely to meet you!" I said as we shook hands and he said like wise in a heart melting French accent!!
Had I died and gone to Heaven, or what????
It turned out we were joining at the same time and we were left alone for to get to know get to know each other for about half an hour....it turned out we had much in commen, like travel and even a love of Dr Who and just like me he is not too keen on Torchwood because of its occasional adult content! He is originally from Montpellier in France and used to work in London but hated the hussle and bussle and the transport hassles, so he moved to Luton and now teaches French at a Collage there. Slightly younger than me as it turned out at age 38 but looked much younger. We had a great deal to chat about, but a bit embarracingly our conversation was not very Masonic!! Eventually we were intoduced to the Bretherin and then the Grand Master and a great feast followed on a long table with the Grand Master (who is a lovely lady) at the top of the table and I had the honoured place next to her...as the food was passed around I was offered a seafood salad, now not a lot of you know I am allergic to shellfish (apart from small shrimp) but not wishing to offend my delightful hosts I had a tentive spoonfull of muscles with rice...but OMG did I suffer on Sunday!!!! I could not stay off the toilet and had a raging body temp of 101.5 F (almost 39 degrees C) ...I think if there is a next time I will politly refuse!! LOL!! I managed to get my temp down to almost normal by drinking lots of iced fluids and stripping down to my underwear while wiping myself down with a cold face cloth and taking Ibprofen.
Anyway, when it came time to say good bye I kissed Claude (Mr Tennant) on both cheeks French style to be polite and bid him a "Au revoir" which seemed to impress him I think...The next stage will be a more formal interview, before I am balloted on...I realy hope with all my heart I am inniciated as they seem like lovely people with superb standards, and I felt much welcomed!!! I will let you all know if I make it to Apprentice Mason but I wont be able to go into much detail about it, sorry....
Now I must get back to another rehydration powder!

love vix

Some of you may remember that I mentioned my interest in FreeMasonry a while back and now I have decided to take that plunge!!!

Are there women Freemasons, I hear you ask????

Well yes, there are many branches of ladies Masonry, two of them being Co Freemasonry and the Order of the Easten star which I think is strictly ladies only....I have chosen Co Freemasonry as it has mixed lodges of both men and women, and my nearest lodge is in Hardingstone which is not far from me and called Lodge Mercury!
Yesterday I had a meeting with a very important Gentleman and it was very interesting...I can't write most of the content here though because of the secrecy code. But he was very kind and explained a lot to me!!. Freemaonry appeals to me because of its good values of:

* Brotherly Love

* Relife

* and Truth in all things

and I firmly belive it will make me a better person!!
I will freely admit I am not the nicest of people as I have a "big mouth" and tend to speek my mind nearly always, which can upset folks, but my life has been far from perfect and in my early 20's I went though Hell!!!! I "was" like a loud mouth chav who I can only compare to being a mad Rotweiler!!! As I have grown older I calmed a lot and dont let things bother me too much, But as this Gentalman said yeterday "We take good people and make them better people" Also I have great interest in the history of Freemasonry such as the first Crusade, Knights Templer and the building of King Solomans Temple, so I know I will find it very interesting!
I have a meeting with the Worshipfull Grand Master on Saturday and I am hoping all goes well...I am told she is a lovely lady and I should be welcomed!! But I am still nervous but excited at the same time!
I am so sorry if this news upsets some of you as I know freemasonry is not everyones cup of tea...but belive me its not a secret society or a sect or a cult of any kind!! Take a read about it on the internet, and I am sure you will develop some understanding, of what I find I need to do!
This is the link to my Co Freemasonry page, so please have a read!...but please remember I could get "black-balled" and if that happens I will be refused admission, but if this happens, I have the conslation that at least I have tried!

http://www.droit-humain.org/uk/

I feel I am about to take one of the most exciting journeys of my life!!

love and hugz from Vicky

Some jokes to brighten your day!!!

***********************************************

I met this bloke with a didgeridoo and he was playing Dancing Queen on it.

I thought, 'That's Aboriginal.'

-----------------------

This lorry full of tortoises collided with a van full of terrapins. It was

a turtle disaster.

------------------------

I told my girlfriend I had a job in a bowling alley. She said 'Tenpin?' I

said, 'No, permanent.'

-----------------------

I went in to a pet shop. I said, 'Can I buy a goldfish?' The guy said, 'Do

you want an aquarium?' I said, 'I don't care what star sign it is.'

----------------------------

I bought some Armageddon cheese today, and it said on the packet. 'Best

before End'

---------------------------

I went to buy a watch, and the man in the shop said 'Analogue.' I said 'No,

just a watch.'

------------------------------

I went into a shop and I said, 'Can someone sell me a kettle.' The bloke

said 'Kenwood' I said, 'Where is he then?'

--------------------------

My mate is in love with two schoolbags. He's bi-satchel.

------------------------

I went to the doctor. I said to him 'I'm frightened of lapels.' He said,

'You've got cholera.'

---------------------------

I met the bloke who invented crosswords today. I can't remember his name,

its P something T something R.

----------------------------

I was reading this book today, The History of Glue. I couldn't put it down.



----------------------------

I phoned the local ramblers club today, but the bloke who answered just

went on and on.

---------------------------

The recruitment consultant asked me 'What do you think of voluntary work? I

said 'I wouldn't do it if you paid me.'

--------------------------

I was in the jungle and there was this monkey with a tin opener. I said,

'You don't need a tin opener to peel a banana.' He said, 'No, this is for

the custard.'

----------------------

This policeman came up to me with a pencil and a piece of very thin paper.

He said, 'I want you to trace someone for me.'

--------------------------

I told my mum that I'd opened a theatre. She said, 'Are you having me on?'

I said, 'Well I'll give you an audition, but I'm not promising you

anything.'

----------------------------

I phoned the local builders today, I said to them 'Can I have a skip

outside my house?' He said, 'I'm not stopping you!'

--------------------------------

This cowboy walks in to a German car showroom and he says 'Audi!'

--------------------------

I fancied a game of darts with my mate. He said, 'Nearest the bull goes

first' He went 'Baah' and I went 'Moo' He said 'You're closest'

------------------------------

I was driving up the motorway and my boss phoned me and he told me I'd been

promoted. I was so shocked I swerved the car. He phoned me again to say I'd

been promoted even higher and I swerved again. He then made me managing

director and I went right off into a tree. The police came and asked me

what had happened. I said 'I careered off the road'

----------------------

I visited the offices of the RSPCA today. It's tiny: you couldn't swing a

cat in there.

-------------------------

I was stealing things in the supermarket today while balanced on the

shoulders of a couple of vampires. I was charged with shoplifting on two

counts.

------------------------

I bought a train ticket to France and the ticket seller said 'Eurostar' I

said 'Well I've been on telly but I'm no Dean Martin.

---------------------------

I phoned the local gym and I asked if they could teach me how to do the

splits. He said, 'How flexible are you?' I said, 'I can't make Tuesdays or

Thursdays.'

--------------------------------

I went to the local video shop and I said, 'Can I borrow Batman Forever?'

He said, 'No, you'll have to bring it back tomorrow'

--------------------------------

A waiter asks a man, 'May I take your order, sir?' 'Yes,' the man replies.

'I'm just wondering, exactly how do you prepare your chickens?' 'Nothing

special, sir. We just tell them straight out that they're going to die.'

************************************

love vix x

There is about a foot of snow outside my door at the moment and I am worried that the birds are having a hard time finding food in all this snow!! Thankfully its not this bad all over the country but around here its like the arctic!!and I am not kidding...if you have a 99p shop or a pound shop or even a Wilkinsons near to you its easy to find and buy "bird balls" which are specially designed for all types of garden birds and are filled with fat which is what they need in the cold! Also they enjoy any kind of nuts or specialist bird feed, pet food (for eat eaters like Magpies, Crows, and Rooks) and another good one is cut up bacon rind or just bacon fat which any kind of bird will enjoy!!. Plus you get the added benifit of watching which type of birds visit your garden (if you have one) and if not there is always the option of feeding birds at your local park.

In other news we took mum shopping today and she said "oh I just want a few bits from Tesco" and came out with a trolly overflowing with goodies...but to be fair she can't get out because of the bad weather, but she knows I am always here to fetch her some shopping or even a newspaper. I finally convinced her to get a walking stick and she admitted today its very usefull. Also her washing machine has broke so I am doing all her washing to the extent my dining room looks like a mad persons laurndrette!!!...and I have an important person visiting me this week to help me in a new venture (I can't say much more) and I just hope he sticks to my much tider livingroom!!
Won a nice auction tonight for a rare Sylvac piece which I should make a good profit on....we shall see but I got it for about a 3rd of its proper value!!

Anyway, please look after your garden visitors!...they will return in spring and thank you with their beautiful songs!

Vix x

new pix though.........quite boring realy.........

Had propababally the worst January EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SORRY.........TO SOUND SO DEPRESSIVE!!!

Firstly, boxing day I started to the worst bout of Gastric Flu EVER!! (so much so for my cooking *sulks*) and spent the most of the new year with my head down the loo being sick. Mum came to look after me and tucked me up on the couch with my trusty bucket nearby and I went through both seasons of the "Tudors" to take me mind of it! The first thing I managed to eat in two weeks was Mums steak stew and dumplins! Fortunatly I feel fine now, but lets just say I dident have much fun seeing in the new year as I couldent even drink my port!...secondly I was conned BADLY on ebay by, buying a Troika mask that I paid £900 for and turned out to be fake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I even emailed the artist, Simone Kilburn, to confirm it was fake, which she did, and now, surprize, surprize, the seller, Zigmatrade, has vanished and wont ansewer any emails, which I have sent dozens. Now for this kind of thing I am supposed to be covered by paypal as I paid with my credit card, and I have filed a dispute and have heard nothing from them either. I am going to phone them later and see what is happeneing....but on the upside this fakery has happened to dozens of collectors of Troika as the complaints are everywhere on ebay...Apparently the police are now aware of this fraud, and several buyers have banged off nasty emails to ebay but again, have heard nothing. Th rouge seller has at least 4 different ebay accounts but is mainly known as "Mr Phluffy" and it appears he bought a consignment of unpainted, buscuit, unfinished Troika when the went bust in 1983 and decided it would be great fun to paint it himself and sell it as "genuine" Troika!!...so now I am stuck with a rather ugly mask vase, if genuine would be worth somthing in the region of £3,000, and its actually worth nothing!!!.....
Oh..........and then I lost my credit card............
Anyway had a lovely day out with Mum and Derek to Aldebrough yesterday, so that cheered me up a bit, but it was freezing cold!!!

Hope everyone had a better new year than me!!
.........this January I would rather forget, and just hope the rest of the year gets better!

love Vix x

FLUE!!!!!!!!!!!

To be honest its been coming for a few days now, with coughing sneezing and an itching at the back of my nose...but yesterday I saterted being violently sick, felt all hot and cold all over and was sweating like I had been locked in a sauna!! Every single muscle aches in my body, so I guess this is my punishment for going out into the sales and taking bus rides with loads of people coughing and sneezing!...Anyway I ph oned NHS Direct ( and dispite what folks say about them they are brilliant) and give thm my details and then they phone you back in 15 mins for a chat with a specilist nurse! I told her my symptoms and because of the aching muscles and the vomiting she said it was flue and I should check with my Doctor...No a chance!!! I 'aint siting about my Doctors surgery collecting even more germs from strangers, but I have had flue before so I am self medicating with Asprin, gallons of fluid, and Barocca for my lost vitimins, but how to stop being sick I have just no idea!
You see, flue is a virius so it constantly changes, hence ther is no known cure! The only helpfull thing is t drink tons of water, juice, cordial, tea,....back soo, but I realy do feel terrible..........

...and hears hoping that you all had a wonderful Christmas, be it quiet or party-filled!!
My Christmas was a quiet one with just one party at a neghbours house, but we dident stay long! My "Nigella" seasoned Turkey though was perfection!!! even if I do say so myself!! *blushes*...and Mum shocked the life out of me when she gave me a huge Clinique gift set that must have cost a fortune!!! She knows I only ever use Clinique and although it costs a bomb, it last ages and keeps my "monthly" spots at bay. Derek got me some "hot socks" which you actually microwave and they keep your feet warm for ages, and also a 3 disc set of Loreena McKennit which I adore, but my main present from him hasent even arrived yet!!! (Christmas and new year post I suppose) which is a Troika mask vase!!!...I have had fun in the sales too, which this year has been excellent for a change! Although my credit cards are quivvering with fright! LOL!!! Among the things I bought were a half price Sanctury Spa set from boots, half price Vivien Westwood perfume, 2 pairs of half price "Ecco" boots, a pair of diamond stud earings, and a crystal pendant to hang by my bed!...Its mums birthday in two weeks too so I have bought her some Bronnley body loation (she likes Bronnley because the Queen wears it!!! I am sure Mum is turning into Mrs Bucket!!...sorry, Bouquet!) and a Royal jelly gift, pamper set, which I know she loves, and I plan to take her for a birthday lunch at House of Fraiser!
In other news we had to take Sirius to the vets yesterday becuase he has an ear infection! I noticed it about a week ago as when I tickled him behind his ears he would yelp in pain, and everytime I cleaned his ears the smell was dreadful so I figured he had picked up some kind of infection! Anyway the vet examined him and gave us some drops for him which we have to use twice a day, and if it hasent cleared up in a week we should take another trip back to the vet to see whats realy wrong! I hate my poor baby being in pain!

Ok...new years resalutions.....??? LOL!!!
I have made 5, all privatly to myself...as usually if I mention my resalutions I normaly break them within a week so I now think its bad luck to talk about them........One of them though is to spent much less time on the internet, and to throw myself head long into antiques dealing! I will still post lots on my blog though and I am still on ebay, mySpace and facebook, but that will be all........

Hear are some piccies of my baby boy at Christmas!!







All my wishes to you all for a wonderful new year!!!!!!!!!!!!
lots of love
from Vicky xxx

With loads of best wishes and hugs and kisses and wot-not!! :-)) to Kate, Richard, Michael, Steve, Julie, Rich8, Ali, Colin, Donna, David KB, Louise, Nic, Anne-Marie, Toby, Jane E, Andrew, Bob, Emma, Gary, Linda B, Christopher, Liv, Debs, James, Glen, Katrina, Lucia, Alex, amd Jon!!! and anyone else who I know! Have a wonderfull time!! xxxxx

Well since about 6am this morning I have been chopping, slicing, seasoning and simmering so now I have decided to have a break and a cup of well deserved tea!!...I like to be well prepared and I am happy to say about 90% of my dinner prep is done!! I have even seasoned my Turkey crown (doing a Nigella!!) by pulling back the skin and pricking it all over and then rubbing butter into the breast with some lemon juice and a sprinkle of rosemary!! Should be nice, I hope!!...but I still have heaps to do before I can realy put my feet up and relax! Also Derek finishes work early today so I will have to get his dinner ready soon after which I am going to clean my kitchen from top to bottom, ready for tomorrow! My fridge is stuffed to bursting though and I am finding it very difficult to fit stuff in there. This evening Derek and I are off to a neighbours party which should be fun, but I am realy looking forward to my bath, Port and supper! and a reletivly early night as the roast will need to be cooked from about 8am!

Anyway!! here are some piccies of my home in this festive season!
Looks like a bleedin' fairy grotto to me!! LOL!!!

MY TREE!!!........compleate with obligatory Troika pottery!!







.......and I even decorated my Henry VIII tapestry!!



Have a wonderful time folks! and see you next week!!

Lots of love
Vicky xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

What century is Pope Benedict the 16th, living in??

I find it absolutly unbelivable to hear that the Pope has said saving humanity from Homosexuality is as important as saving the enviroment!!! Did this chap just step out of the Doctors Tardis from the Dark Ages? and does he understnad just how horribley hurtful such a comment is to gay and transgendered people? Now I am not going to waffle on about theolgy or the Catholic faith, but I am wondering what a man in his position is doing saying such things!
I, myself am not gay or a Catholic, although I am married to a Catholic! Derek was embarraced to hear the Pontiff's comments, and I just listened in disbelif!! I find it scarey that there is just a tiny hint of naziism in these kind of comments...sorry if this upsets folks, but thats just what I am thinking. I consider myself a Christian (actually a Baptised Methodist) but a Christian, if albeit a non practicing one, and belive in the teachings of Jesus in that we should love our neighbour as ourselves and be tolerent in all things...The Pope's comments are non of these things! In fact they are dangerous, coming from a man who is head of one of the biggest faiths on the planet! and coming so near to Christmas too, that this is going to stay in peoples minds for a long time, I think. At this time of year, what ever our faith, we should be celebrating the exquisite patchwork that is the human race! Not condeming it!! Try to imagin living in a world where everyone was EXACTLY the same!!! How boring would that be??? As a traveller I have lived and breathed the wonderful diversity of this world! I would not be totally besotted with half of Asia if it was not so colourfull...just as life itself is colourfull and Homosexuality is a part of life in this world!! To me, what the Pope said is like saying "we have to protect the world from redheads!" (of which I am one!) which sounds absolutly stupid...a little anecdote for you!! During my time as a travel manager, a respected banker from Barclays, next door to my shop, called in one day and asked me for information on all gay holiday resorts, for him and his partner! He was whispering to me, and then said "Is this ok?" is what ok, I had asked not understanding him, but he felt embarraced to be asking about gay resorts, poor chap! No one should be embarraced by their sexuality!!! Anyway I set to work finding him a company called "Respect Holidays" (the have now ceased trading) got on the phone to them, sorted my commision levels and hey Presto!! A Happy client, booked on a wonderful holiday! He came back to me time and time again, which I was very pleased about because he spent an absolute fortune, and whats more he recommeneded my humble travel shop to all his gay friends, to such an extent myself and my staff became gay specialists!!! On a different level another anecdote!!! A lady came to my shop one day and asked about flights to Etheopia. With a few taps on my keyboard I had a whole list of flights to Addis Abba and pointed them out to her! She looked at me in disbelife and said "You know the airports of Etheopia???" hehehehe well I just smiled but inside I was thinking "ofcourse I know!!! I am a bloody travel agent!!!"
Opppssss....I have gone off on a travel tanget again!!!....sorry!!
Anyway, basicaly I was discusted by the Pope's comments!!
They are damaging and upsetting, and soooooooooo not in touch with the real world!!!
Whether we are gay or strait we should love and celebrate just being who we are, and respect each other, always!

I promise my next entry will be more cheerfull!
I just got very annoyed by the Pope today!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

.......well I dont like hum bugs...but I do like Chocolate Eclaires!!

Ok........MOAN TIME!!!!

Mum!!!
God Bless her little Olbas Oil covered hanky!!!...Decided it would be great fun to drag me around town today on a last minuite shopping trip which included, Primark, the Pound shop, TK Max (I actually enjoyed that one because I got some nice Ecco boots) Wilkinsons, Debhanams, and Beatties!! PHEW!!!! She might be 75 but she can out shop me anyday!! Now I absolutly detest crowds so during a phone call early this morning I suggested we meet up at 9am at Primark, but Mum said no becuase she can't use her bus pass untill 10am, so she would have to pay, so I agreed to 10am. With it being just a few days away from Christmas the town centre soon got packed out with chav's, kids, prams, mobility scooters, and genrally all the pushing and shoving and barging about that ususaly goes on when town is at its busy, but this was madness!! Two of my bigest "room 101's" are HUGE prams and mobillity scooters! Supermarket trollies fall into this catogory for me too! For all 3 I belive folks should have to take a driving test!!!!! Honestly!! & Piped Chirstmas music in every shop grates my nerves too!! Yes!!! We all know its Christmas but do we realy have to listen to the same "best of" Chirstmas album over and over again in every shop we go in? Its not a bit of wonder that folks like me of a certain age realy do go all bah humbug this time of year! Also how the heck has Woolworths managed to clear their shelves so quickly when their so called "sale" was nothing more than a 10 % off if your lucky, debarcle! ...I went in our Woolies today and there was almost nothing on the shelves!! BUT they were still selling the Dr Who Micro Universe packs for £9.99!! I must admit though, that was all they had left!......AND Northampton dosent even have a real Christmas tree this year!! Instead we have somthing that resembles a giant green traffic cone with things stuck on it! Surely our council is not so hard up that they can't even aford a real tree?.....AND while I am having a moan, Derek commented on the fact that this is the 3 rd year we have not had a card from his Auntie Annie in Donegal, Ireland...He mentioned it as he went through today's post this evening after he came home from work, and stood counting on his fingers just how many years since we last had a card from her. Now the lack of a card is a very long story but to cut it short Auntie Annie (Derek's Mums sister) who was always very regular with her Chirstmas cards, stopped sending us one, abruptly, after Auntie Kitty died and left Derek a "substantial" chunk of her money in her will!!! Since this happened we have not heard anything from Dereks realitives who live in Ireland, but this is just plain simple jealousy! In reality it was Derek and I who cared for Auntie Kitty in her final years and even when she eventually went into a home because she had altzimers (like my Nanna) we always visted her every week and basicaly Derek was her only living relative who gave a hoot about her! Since her death Derek and I have been compleatly cut off from his Mums family becuase of the will...Now the lack of a Chirstmas card is realy sad!! But for some people the true spirit of Chistmas is over-ridden by jealousy, hate and lack of forgiveness! and what make it even more sad, is that these people freely call themselves "Christians"...???.....emmmm...I think not...
Now with all this off my chest, I should feel better....well I promise I will after a hot bath and some Port.........
.....And I just had a parcel arrive from Egypt!
Its tablets for my nerves!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a sad world we live in!

........AHEM

Of Troika that is as I have just listed my first peice for sale on ebay!
Its a nice, classic piece, coffin vase designed by Alison Brigden who was one of Troika's top artists in the late 1970's...Now the question is "will I make any money on it?" To be honest I choose this piece because it was my cheapest piece to date coming to mummy (me) for the princley sum of £85!! I have been busy listing other things too like some Dr Who videos, a 7 cassete lot of William Hartnell with a free gift and I had take piccies of other things I was going to list untill I realised that, listing things today means a finish day on Christmas Day!!!!!!!!! Arrrghhhhhhhh!!!! so I stopped listing for now as I dont think for two minuits folks will be looking for stuff on ebay on Christmas Day!! OMG I am dumb somtimes!!
*slaps head*
I have also listed my treasured collection Henry's six wives by Regency Fine Arts! Now this set orignally cost almost £500 about 10 years ago and its condition is pristine so I have started them at £69 with a "buy it now" for £250...I just hope the people that might bid on these dolls realises how valuable they are. What ever (if any) money I make on them will be going toward a Troika face mask which is the rarest of the rare! One sold yesterday for only £715, when at auction it could have fetched double that! Sadly I cna't aford that kind of money at the moment but I am working on it!!

Ever since I was a child I have not been a good sleeper...but I have always slept better with some form of furry friend on the bed, or other. So since we got Sirius I have always allowed him to sleep on the bed (which at first Derek thought was odd but soon got used to it.) Now firstly let me explain about my bed. Its a super-king size which means its about 7 foot wide (getting dovet covers for it is a pain in the arse so I make them!) Now surley this size of bed would fit two adults and a huge daft Briard cross?? But no!! Sirius has a habit of stretching out lengthways between me and Derek and fully stretched out he is about 5 foot long!!...Last night I woke to about 3 inches of bed to move on at about 4am. This had woke Derek up too, neither of us had any room and my lovely doggie was lying fully stretched out with his huge paws in the air, blissfully snoring! anyway I took hold of his front paws and tried to move him to a better position only to recieve a deep growl "Oi!! you can pack that in!" I told him and tried to move him further...the next thing I knew was he went for me, nastily, and bit my hand!!!....Sirius has never bitten me before! so at first I was quite shocked and tapped him on the nose and said "Naughty!!!" but I think Sirius is getting a bit two bossy for his huge furry paws! So pulling back the covers I got up and pulled him off the bed, onto the landing and shut the door!!!! He knew he had done wrong and I dident hear another peep out of him....recently Sirius has got very bossy for some reason and I think its becuase he is so used to getting his own way. If he wants somthing he will "paw" you and whine and bark untill he gets his way, so drinking tea and having a buscuit is vertually impossible to do in peace! If he is in the car with me and Derek and he decideds he wants to sit on my knee so he can stick his head throught the window, he will whine and bark from the back seat untill I let him! Now imagin a 30kg dog on your lap in a small car!!! Its not a nice expierence! So basically last night I just snapped with his "I will get my own way" attitude, just to remind him that his is NOT the boss!!...Anyway this morning he has been very quiet and subdued so I am hoping he has learned his lesson.

In other news, my "stolen" photos on iXtractor have now been removed, thank goodness! I had a curt email from them this morning saying so, so at least thats a bit of good news. Mum came for dinner yesterday and brouht us another home made Victoria Spong and some of her bread, which I was very pleased with. But Derek has not been well for a few days now and yesterday I found out exactly whats wrong with him. Yesterday when we got up he looked like the Elephant mans twin, becuase all the right side of his cheek was dreadfully swollen and he admitted he has a nasty tooth absess! Its quite normal when Derek is ill that he wont talk about it, and he haden't talked to me about this lastest illness. He just skulked around the house all weekend, moaning and growning, and he has even said he wont go to the Doctors or Dentist to get some antibiotics saying it would cost a fortune! Rubbish!!! He is just being a typical bloke who is ill!!! in other words a pain in the arse!! LOL!!!!!!!! the only thing Derek is realy suffering from is "Grumpy old git syndrome"
Off to twon later for some solitary peace and shopping! x

You know, at times in our lives we feel we have a great problam or a burden to carry, and you feel like your the only person in the world who has to go through it............?...........Well I have this problam every Saturday evening with "Strictly come dancing" on TV!!
Am I realy the only person in the UK who absolutly hates this rubbish with a vengence??????
What makes it worse is that Derek is an absolute fanatic for the programme, hosted by the "past his sell by date" Bruce Forsyth!! He will slob out on the couch in front of the telly every Saturday evening with his note book and pen, giving the contestants his own marks to see if they match the judges!! Mum loves it two so when the two of them get together the conversation is always "Ooooo such a shame watsit was voted off Strictly".........
I could SCREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND TONIGHT THERE IS A DOUBLE HELPING!!!!!!!!
Well my usual tac tic is to have a long bath when this crap is on....but tonight it seems I will be a wrinkled prune!!! What the heck is it all about anyway? As someone who actually attended ballroom dance classes as a child, I watch the dances they perform with horrified wonder and think "that is not how you dance the jive, Cha char, Tango, quick-step ect" and what the hell is "American Smooth"?? Well my ansewer is: its a dance made up because the contestants can't be bothered to learn proper ballroom dancing! *ahem* ......and my other gripe is why this programme which is an insult to any serious dancer, is always mentioned on the BBC news of a morning? Every single morning at some point, "Strictly" will be mentioned, and you would think with all that is going on in the world, surley something is more news worthy!
Ok...gripe over with...but tonight I will be taking some extra things into the bathroom with me...my portable DVD player, so I can watch a jolly good horror film while wrinkling in the bath, my port, and some nibbles, and said bath will be done by candlelight (and to give the film more ambience) ANYTHING to avoid this "Strictly Rubbish" on TV!!!
.........So your all going to shout at me now, because I hate this programme!! LOL!!!

Shockingly I have just found that some one has uploaded photos of me and Derek to a site called iXtractor which is bascialy a search for porn pictures site!!!!!! Why in Heavens name would anyone want to do this is totaly beyond me!!! and its upset me deeply...I sent them this message:

Dear iXtractor,
I dont know who has uploaded them, or why my photos are on here from photobucket, and I am not happy as I have not given my permission for them to be used here or anywhere else.
Could you please remove the photos uploaded form photobucket account:

vixtravels2

iXtracted by: lilcasino

I would realy appriecate your help in this matter.

best regards
Vicky Short

My Photobucket is set to PRIVATE for a reason and I want it to stay private!
Also I am not the only "victim" of this, as a quick internet search revealed! Many young ladies have had their photo's stolen in this manner, and what a horrible thing to happen too!!!...Now this got me thinking, have I upset someone? and this is their revenge (although I can't think for the life of me who I have upset) or more sinister, have I somehow picked up an internet stalker?? I even thought my git of an ex husband might have done this but I dont even think he would stoop so low!...Incedently my MySpace profile has been hit A LOT from exactly the same area in London (Lamberth Palace Road) and I have blogged on there asking this person who is soooooooo interested in my profile, to come and introduce themselves, but the coward has not...I have now taken my map of the page as it was freaking me out!!
I suppose this is just yet another reminder of just how dangerous the internet can be!!
Also I have just told Derek about this and he is fuming!!
He says if the photo's dont get removed he will be seeking legal advice, becuase there is a photo of him on there as well as me as a 14 year old!
Be careful folks!! I would hate to see any of my friends photos being used in this dispicable manner!
Remember!! the perves ARE out there!

((((((((((((huggz))))))))))))

How organised is everyone at the moment?

Shopping done?... Decorations up?... presents wrapped?

I am ashamed to admit it but my Christmas organisation started in September when I got my Turkey crown off the "cheapie" shelf in Morrisons. Its was a huge crown (just the breast) that was £5 off so I bagged a bargin and its been sitting in the bottom of my freezer since!
This year I have decided to do everything early so there is no last minuite panic (I usually leave stuff untill the last minuite) and because money is a little tighter this year...so I have been watching the cheapie shelf carefully and later bagged some roast potatos in Goose fat, some "the best" baby parsnips in honey glaze, and a packet of "the best" Potato Croquetts with Carephilly cheese!!! so practially all my Christmas dinner comes via the Cheapie shelf. As for my shopping and decorations, well thats done too!! So am I sitting back on my laurals and grinning like a Cheshire cat????....NO!!! as I am still in the process of doing lots of Winter cleaning...also I don't know if Dereks Auntie Joan will be joining us for Christmas dinner yet? She is a lovely lady who will be otherwise at home on her own this year so I have asked Derek to invite her, but I am thinking she might not accept. A: because I am a smoker and B: she hates Sirius!...I will happily go upstairs to have a ciggy and not smoke near her...(I dont smoke in the presence of non smokers anyway) but its trying to convice her. Derek will have to let me know soon though as I still have to plan ahead!
Anyway, I have made this TO DO LIST for Christmas Eve, as I nearly always forget somthing!

Here it is!!!

Finish tidying the house

Set the dinning table

Set the dining sideboard

Make up Brussels sprouts with bacon and a shallot. Rap and put in fridge.

Make up "Pigs in blankets" wrap and put in fridge.

Peel and slice Carrots

Peel and dice potatos

Make up sliced onion in vinager (its an "up-north" thing)

Make up stuffing and bread sauce, wrap and put in fridge.

Put defrosted Turkey crown in my roaster on a bed of veg and add a pint of water and a pint of white wine.

..........Un cork and drink copius ammounts of Warre's Port with feet up while eating stilton cheese and grapes!

The last entry is not an option! LOL!!!!!!!!
Standing the Turkey on a bed of veg in the roaster with the two pints of wine and water mix, is a little tip I picked up from Ivy, my chef at the Rifle Butt (first pub I managed)...Its simply cooks the Turkey more evenly and the water and wine evaporate to keep the Turkey moist! Also I have been expiermenting with sprouts for a long time now as I dont realy like them and cooking them with diced bacon and a shallot, even makes the sourest of sprouts more pallatable!! (slow cooked and left to chill over night)...The sliced onions in vinegar is a strictly up-North thing that I have been brought up with and apparently anyone south of Birmingham has never heard of!! Derek thinks its revolting but Mum and I still enjoy this simple accompanyment to any roast!...oh and while I am at it, here is my Last Minuite Shopping List!!!!!!!!!

HERE!!!!

Hairy Carrots (Carrots with the stalks on as they are sweeter)

Sprouts

Potatos

Christmas Pud

Brandy sauce

Fresh cream

Pate

Bread

Galic butter

Ordinary butter

Yule log

1 lemon

Smoked Salmon

1 cucumber

Bunch red grapes

Beers for Derek

1 bottle of Sherry

2 bottles of Port (one white one pink)

1 bottle of Advocart

Dandelion and Burdock and Cream Soda

Fruit juice, soda and tonic

Chocolate liqures

Some of this is most of the obscure stuff I forget usually half way through Christmas day, when everywhere is closed!! Also my drinks list is a bit skinny I know but Mum and Derek don't realy drink, although Derek likes his bottles of real ale or Cider and Mum likes a "Snowball" hence the Advacart. Port is for me (obviously) with the white port for Christmas day and the pink port for Boxing day!
Ok...now for the real reason why I blogged this!
I am so forgetfull I may even loose the lists I have made so my blog can be my emergency refrence! LOL!!

Finnaly a piccy of my baby boy this morning!!!



Merry Organising everyone!!! x

My hotmail adress has been down today from about 7am this morning!
Grrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!
so if anyone wants to contact me, please feel free to do it here if possible!
Remember I am on FaceBook as well as MySpace too!

http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#/profile.php?id=717306617&ref=profile

http://www.myspace.com/victoriaharrison

see ya soon! x

WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Some of these piccies are not kiddie friendly or work safe.........if in dought do not view them untill your alone!!

But they are not that bad realy! and certainly not over naughty!
its just my favorite funny piccies from online!

scroll down a little......


bit more.............


nearly there............







BIN LADEN HAS BIN TARGETED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Now belive me or not these "how to use the toilet!" signes are all over Asia! LOL



SMOKERS BEWARE!!!



what a strange way to play football...............???



...and this made me LOL untill I was in tears!



Yet another reason why I dont go to McDonalds!!



The difference between Women and Men..........and belive me!!! I actually DO know a guy who sees himslef like this!! LOL!!!



MALE EVOLUTION!!! sorry chaps!! LOL!!!!!!!!!!




This is a sign I always find amusing everytime I visit my local hospital!! yes its from Northampton!



INTRODUCING "DARTH GAYDAR!!" *runs away terrified!*



Make mine on the rocks please!!
This realy is a pic of mountineers actually CAMPING on a vertical rock face!



LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



...And this one always gives me the giggles!!

Where will it end?
I tell you where it will end...it will end with tobacco being made compleatly illeagal!

Tobacco products are to be sold "under the counter" when tobacco displays will be outlawed later today, by our nanny state govenment! Now is this going to stop well seasoned smokers like myself going into shops and buying ciggies? The answer is NO! The anti-smokers lobby's answer to all smokers is ban this and ban that without helping those who seriously want to pack up, and hindering those of us who enjoy tobacco. All the smoking ban has actually done is put thousands of publicans out of business and the anti smoking lobby is now set to wage war on the local corner shop too!!! I think about this in disbelif when we are a country on the knife edge of deep recession! I watched the news with mouth agape as a fat woman (who looks like she is on the brink of a heart attack through overeating) from the British Heart Foundation, as she spoke about the "Razamataz!" of tobacco displays!! What razamataz????? its just small boxes of tobacco on a shelf!!! LOL!!!! there are no adverts, no promotions, no nothing! Just boxes on a shelf! Her argument for banning displays was so laughable it was almost comic! Simon Clarke from FOREST (smokers rights) who is himself a non smoker, who was debating this issue with her, looked totally bemused by her daft, unthought of, comments!! My advice to her is go on a diet and stop stuffing your mouth with cream cakes, and actually think carefully about what your debating. She just made herslef look silly.
Has out Govenment actually got nothing better to do???
What about knife crime, yobbos with ASBOS, speeding drunk drivers, benifit cheats, child protection, immigration, under age drinking.............and the list just goes on and on, as yet again the taxpayers money is being wasted by daft legislation like banning tobacco displays. As far as I know a tobacco display never murdered anyone!
*lights ciggie*
*is fuming!!*

About 6 years ago now, I was watching some kind of "Tomorrows World" type kids programe that featured this new sound tech from the States!!
I have been fascinated in this ever since!
But what are the true implications of HSS??
In the past few years I have been keeping a close eye on this developing science and on the surface it seems superb!!! (a bit like an internet scam) Just think!!...sounds beamed directly at you that only you can hear so no more arguing in the car about who listens to what on the stereo!! You get to listen to your own music in your own private space and no one else can hear it unless they walk into the sound "beam"......
This short video shows you just how HSS works!



Unlike conventional loud speakers, in HSS, the sound is directed along a beam at a high frequency, as a result the sound is crystal clear and "IN YOUR HEAD" quite literally as you become the actual speaker!!...Now lets scratch that nice surface of listening to your own music, privatly...Already HSS is being used in Tokyo by Coca Cola to beam a plink plink fizz noise into the heads of unsuspecting passers by to make them buy a coke!! and the same application is being used at Disney World in Florida too...even darker!! the Military is also experimenting with HSS to engage the enemy in the field as at extream frequencies it could actually fry your brian and kill you!!! Also how about weirdo stalkers who get their hand on this? They could beam whispered messages into the heads of their victims and drive them mad!!!...I have to be honest here! the applications for this new HSS could be, at best sinister and at worst deadly!!! Do we, as the Human race, already driven to distraction with advertising, realy need to have this IN OUR HEADS!!! This is surely the worst thing thats ever been invented and science gone mad. And unless the use of HSS is tightly controled it could quite possibley drive the whole world population insane !
Suddenly George Orwells 1984 world sounds nice!!
Already hear in Northampton town centre we have loudspeaker announcements every 15 minuits warning smokers not to throw their discarded cig butts on the ground on pain of a £75 and "you will be caught on camera" threats........What about all the filthy, germ-ridden chewing gum that is spat onto our pavements by the million everyday???????????????
Food for thought methinks!!!

Ok, I am off to clean out my fantail Goldfish!!
see ya soon! x

Now Opera isent everyones cup of tea, but I was hooked when my Uncle took me to see HMS Pinafore when I was just 10! (at least it dident scare me like Jaw did when my Dad too me to see it the same year!) I loved the singing and the costumes, and for a 10 year old who was addicted to bight colours it was a real treat!...Now a while back I heard that my favorite Opera of all time, Mozart's "The Magic Flute" was being made into a movie, and yesterday I finally watched it!!
Firstly, let me explain somthing of the story and the bacground of this fantastic opera, for the benifit of the uninittiated!
Written in 1791 just before his death, Mozart had a wacky, wild and fantastic libretto to work on which was wrote by his good friend Emanuel Schikaneder...a bit like how I view horror movies as total escapasim, Emanuel Schikaneder's story is totaly fantasy with weird Masonic undertones (both Mozart and Schikaneder were Masons as was my Uncle Bob!) and is the age old story of a battle between goon and evil, which is almost the same as the Ramayana story. It involves the young princess Pamina being in the clutches of Sarastro, and the Queen of the Night begs Prince Tamino, who has fallen in love with Pamina's portrait, to free her!! My favorite character in Papageno, the bird catcher who is Tamino's friend, but he is a very funny, strange but lovable character. Incedently the amazingly beautiful "Aria of the Queen of the Night" was one piece I actually learned to sing in music lessons at school!!! Unbelivably it contains a VERY high F note which I could sing with ease back then, but I couldent do it now!! I was singing along to it while I watched yesterday and could only manage a strangled screech!! LOL!!!! Anyway I have had the privledge of seeing the Magic Flute staged about 4 times now and next time its staged in Northampton I must admit I will be there again! Originally written in German, it is nearly always performed in German too, but today English subtitals are displayed, discreatly on a screen next to the stage so you can follow the story. But with the Magic Flute its not that difficult realy....Now I come to the best bit...How on earth would this fantastic Opera be transfered to a movie???? I must admit I watched the first bit with trepidation as the opening scenes take the viewer back to World War one...for some reason Branagher set this in the trenches, but I must admit it works well...The Opera is sung in English too so no need for subtitals!! and has a feel of being on a journey to Oz with Dorothy, if I am honest! We even have a surreal bit with singing sandbags of all things! But as this film went on I found myself actually glued to my TV screen and this movie is so beautifully filmed, it realy does take you into Emanuel Schikaneder's weird world ( I am convinced the guy was on drugs when he wrote this! LOL) But I found myself falling in love with Papageno all over again as well as thinking what a superb introduction to opera this could be for a younger generation, while also thinking how on earch did they manage to squeeze an Opera which lasts nearly 4 hours, into just over two?? But it works so very well, and I well recommend every one gives this movie a go, even if its just once! Now I am waiting with baited breath to see if they will transform my other favorite opera "Don Giovanni" into a movie! This one too is written by Mozart and is a dark, shivvery, ghost story...but that for another blog...
As previously mentioned, The Magic Flute has undertones rooted firmly in Free Masonry, of which I have had a life long interest which was, like my love of Opera, fired by delightful Uncle Bob (Robert Lord) since I was about 5!! He was a Grand Master of the Warrington lodge untill his death in 1994. But from being a toddler he would entrance me with Masonic stories about King Solomans mines and the Great Architect who created the world (this being is non religous) as well as showing me all his Masonic regalia along with his beautiful apron embrodered with gold thread!! I was even packed off to ballroom dance classes aged 13 so I could attend Masonic Ladies evenings (yes!! there is such a thing oddly enough) with my Auntie Dot, where my uncle would proudly introduce me too his fellow Masons! But crikey if half of them knew anything about what he had taught me about Masonic ritual they would have heartily booted him out!!! LOL!!! But I found it all very fascinating and I still enjoy learning about Free Masonry today. I suppose it fascinates me because its non religeous. So The Great Architect can be seen as God or any other religious daiety so relay it brings men together from all religious backgrounds.........I just love the Masonic concept of truth and tolerence and taking good people and making them better people!

x

Below is a trailer for this enchanting movie! Hope you enjoy!!

No shock there realy, as I suspected for a long time that this woman was involved in her daughters own abduction...But how can a mother be so evil!??? I can't understand it!...with all the horrible child cruelty cases we hear almost daily, I question "What is wrong with these peoples minds!" As they must certainly be sick to do this to their own kids...Reading Karen Matthews story is a shocking one as she is only 33 but IMHO looks about 73. Has 7 kiddies by 5 different fathers, and gave the performance of a connsumate actress while her daughter was missing!! She is now reportedly cowering in her single cell with the TV on 15 hours a day trying her best to ignore threats from other inmates who have put a 10 cigarette price on her head!! As a smoker I would have said one cigarette will do!...years ago my step dad, Eddie Baguley who was a drunk and a commen theif, spent quite a bit of time in and out of jail, and he used to tell me and mum about how inmates will give convicted child molesters/murders HELL!..Well I hope fellow inmates of Karen Matthews give her hell too, becuase she deserves to rot there!!
Speaking as a woman of 41 who adores children, but sadly will probabally not have my own now, I simply cannot understand the actions of this evil tart!! I have always wanted children but it just never happened, and now time has almost run out and at this stage I could not even get NHS help! So I find it so annoying that a woman like this could have kids at all, when I cannot, and could give a child all the love education and protection in the world!!! It realy breaks my heart!! This overly-ugly CHAV should be locked up for life at least!...and dont get me started on the McCanns!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!! they should be locked up too for blatent neglect, but they are not methinks, because they are Doctors, and afterall "money talks"!! What kind of mother could leave her toddler children, alone while they went drinking with friends??? Certainly not a caring mother!! If I had, had kids I would have never left them out of my sight for a second!, let alone to go out drinking, which to me would have been unthinkable!!! Why dident they ask the babysitting service at the apartments? of which I know there is one because I have sold this place to many a happy family and they pride themselves on their childcare services...whatever the McCanns say, there is absolutly NO EXCUSE for their thoughtless neglect! and it should be punished!! Children are a gift, not a comodity! not to be just pushed aside like a neglected toy on Boxing Day! I would not even treat my dog Sirius like this, let alone a child!
Ok, rant over with....
But can I just say there has been a lot of internet waffle on about just how ugly Karen Matthews is....well lets just say I would happily re-arrange her face for free!!!!!!! because she needs it, desparetly!
At least Shannon is now safe from this evil cow! all my wishes are with this little girl who did not deserve to have a horrible, evil mother like this!

Good Holy person on a bike!!!
When will these scammers just F.........GO AWAY!!!

This morning I recieved just such a scam message form some guy in Africa posing as "Steve" saying my photo had been selected by beautylinks london for a billboard advertising coca cola at Heathrow airport!! ROFLMAO!!!!
Basically this scam works by them asking you first to email them privatly and not on myspace, and them they email you a fake cheque for say $3,000 of which you keep 20% and then you transfere the rest of the money back to them via Western Union!!...it also works by praying on peoples ego's!!...Fortunatly I dont have an ego! I have no reason to have one...but what if this half convincing scam message was sent to some 15 year old would be starlet? They would almost certainly be taken in!
Sorry but I have no other words to describe these scammers but EVIL BASTARDS!!
Anyway, I am a wise in the ways of the world, old bird and spotted it as a scam immiediatly and marked it as spam on myspace. Doing this stops the email they have given being used to pray on other people on myspace. But they operate on other networking sites such as facebook (which I hardly use as its too complicated and I think all that super poke thing is just a bit childish) and Bebo and probabally other places too! One way to spot a scam though is too look at the spelling and grammer which will usually be dreadful (a bit like mine! LOL) and they will often try to cover this up by using internet abbrievations such as U (for you) Remember for the scammers, English is their second language! and secondly the "realistic" content! like why on earth would coca cola want to use a pic of a 41 year old woman with spots and middle age spread!??? its so bad its almost laughable! But no, I shouldent laugh because there are thousands of young boy or girl starletts out there who would be very vulnerable to this kind of thing, so I thought I had better blog it so other young people could be aware that these are evil people out there who are praying on your dreams and ambitions...........

In other news Mum hacked me off yesterday by dragging me into town under false pretences saying she had shopping to do, which I thought well I better go and help her out with it...Anyway, when I got to the bus station she had already done her shopping and her pull along trolly was stuffed full to the brim and weighed a ton!! "So where do you want to go then?" I had asked a bit bemused "Whereever!" she replied, unhelpfully. So we just ended up having lunch and I took her to TK Max where I ended up pulling her megga heavy trolly for her and almost pulled my arm out of the socket!...AND I have to go back to town today as I have a forgotton parcel to post, and I have to take a DVD back to HMV (which I bought yesterday) as the assistant had not removed the red "box tag". These box tags are horrible!!! and can only be removed by a magnetic gun thingy!! The red plastic thing goes right across the CD inside the box, so if you try to remove it yourself you will damage the disc so badly it will be unplayable!!...well I aint going anywhere yet as the weather is blowing a veritable storm outside (no snow though) but its set to clear by lunchtime so I will go back to town then!

laterz x

Apart from the snowdrift I walked out into at 9am this morning!!
Crikey its cold!!
Last night I was sat in my Star Trek chair watching David Starkey's "Monarchy" season 2...wrapped in two blankets, wearing two pairs of socks and cuddling a hot water bottle!! My Port warmed me up though so I was greatfull for that! This morning I had a one off parcell to post so after being awake since 6am I decided to go into town for an hour or two. Because its so cold though I dident phone mum to ask her if she wanted to go! It was too early anyway.
Snow was drifting down Abington street, manically at one point, as I went to put a cheque in the bank, and had a fruitless search around Woolies. It soon stopped however, and dident stick, but apparently there is more to come later this week...Brrrrrrrrrr!!!! Anyway I decided to take a trott around Primark, where they have now got this "VAT off prices" thing at the moment, so taking advantage of this I got some pyjamas, 2 pairs of leggins and some socks. The checkout was very busy, and staff were complaining how cold it was as the store heating had broke down. Now by the time I got to the checkout, I was served by a very chatty middle aged woman who promptly sneezed 3 times over my purchases!! I am no snob but I was horrified by this, as she had just sneezed into her hand and had not even truned away, while using her hands to wrap my things! I was horrified because I realy do pick up every single bug that is going about...so when I got home all my new clothes went straight in my washing machine for a jolly good wash! But the rest of my trip to town was pleasent despite this and I even had breakfast while I was there with a hot tea which realy warmed me up...Now today I realised that while an alarming number of shops have closed in the town centre, I discovered 3 new shops today! Gadget type, tacky Christmas present type shops! There was one on the market square and another 2 in the Grosvenor Centre, but somthing quite delightful caught my eye in the 3rd shop!....On a shelf with lots of novelty lighting type thingys was this little virtual volcano, a tiny wee thing, bright red lighted, continuiusly erupting red bubbles! I was quite enchanted!!! Anyway I looked benith the shelf for the boxes of things to buy one and they were no where to be seen, there was just this little volcano lamp sat on the shelf! I asked at the desk and the man and woman started saying how well they had sold...so well it turned out to be the last one in the shop! The man went into the back to see if he could find the box for the display model and came back empty handed! Now here I started using my haggling skills I had picked up in Asia and asked it it would be discounted. The woman was umming and ahhing, so I made like to look I was going to leave. Now the proper price for this little lamp was £7.99 but when she saw I was going to leave the shop she hastily offered me £3.99 to which I agreed, avidly!! Bargining always works but its knowing how to do it, and when your not getting anywhere, make like your going to leave without buying anything, and the price magically drops!! Well it works well in Asia and it was certianly working well for me today...so I bagged my little unusual bargin and made my way to the bus station to come home as I had left Sirius long enough...I was greeted (as usual) with fiercley wagging tail and a huge very exctied doggie, who was chuffed to bits when I gave him the beef jerkey I had bought him in town!
Hope everyone stays warm in this freezing cold weather!
Bagging a bargin certianly warmed me up today! x

Very surprized to find a karaoke version of this today!!!

so here goes..............

WHY!!! WHY!!! WHY!!???????

A group calling themselves the Deccan Mujahedeen have massacered tourists and locals alike in gun and granade attacks on two of the top hotels in Mumbai (formally Bombay)...Horror shocked me to the core when I heard this terrible news from this vibrant and very beautiful city, which has a close place in my heart! The Deccan Mujahedeen were said to be spacifically targeting UK and US passport holders at the Oberoi and Taj Mahal hotels (both 5 star internationl class hotels) and one UK person has been reported dead.......As far as I know this group of worthless terrorists are from southern India, so why Mumbai which is on the west coast of Northen India!
Mumbai is normally a magical place filled with colour, chaos, contradictions and charm, like I could not find anywhere else in the world!! (and thats saying somthing!!) and from the moment I first visited this vibrant city back in 95', I fell in love! It was like stepping back in time to 1972 as everything was so very retro! The locals are very friendly, food is excellent and the beer cold!! Markets are a hussle and bussle, and you can't help but notice the huge gap of poverty and wealth! which is somtimes upsetting to an unacustomed westen tourist! In fact the whole of India can be challenging to say the least, unless the first time tourist recieves expert advice, and reads a "Lonely Planet India" from front to back!!! But I do adore the place because of its beautiful diversity, and ever-changing Kaliedascope of culture! ...and I will always love it, and hope to return one day!
So why have these evil people picked on this gorgeous city????
It appears to me (from what I have heard on the news) that they are mainly targeting tourists, now is this to undermine the local economy, because if it is, it just might work as the tourist and buisness $ boosts the economy in Mumbai and indeed most of India! These attacks will hit the locals who are involved in tourism, very hard! and in India there is often a very fine line between living in reletive comfort and poverty...so although the terrorists are mostly attacking UK and US nationals all they are realy doing is hurting the local people's jobs and families!...Much like the bomb attacks on Bali! After the Bali attacks I was invited as a member of P.A.T.A (Pacific Asia Travle Association) by Garuda Indoniesia to travel to Bali as part of a delegation of UK travel professionals, to promote tourism back to the island...But that trip broke my heart!!! I was invited to 5 star hotels that were totally empty and told to ignore the povety caused by lack of tourism...so much so I spent the whole trip either in tears in my hotel room or totaly drunk out of my brain!! simply because I was heartbroken by what I was seeing and hearing! On the flight home I drank a litre of Vodka to try to forget, but I was due to be interviewed at Gatwick on my arrival back by the Travel Trade Gazette...needless to say I was too plastered to be interviewed, embarracingly!.......This is totaly my fault as I get far too attached to the places I have had the privledge to visit, and very attached to the local people, and hearing news like this just hurts so much!
My thoughts and prayres are with the people of Mumbai, thier families, and the travellers who have been caught up in this senseless massacre! My heart goes out to them all.......
and lets just hope the terrorists are caught and delt with swiftly and severly by the Indian authorities!

Absolutly awful news this evening, in that after 99 years of retail Woolworths is to finally go out of buisness!!!
Such an awfull shame that we have to loose this iconic, British chainstore!!
In Warrington, where I was born, Woolworths was very much a part of my childhood, and Mum took me there shopping at least once a week! In the early 70's the Warrington shop had a whole floor just devoted to toys, and it was like a kiddies paradise! and has graced me with some superb memories of the toys and the pick and mix (which my Dad used to love!) so I shall be so sorry to see it go...Our store hear in Northampton though has not been up to scratch for a long time though and their sellection of WHO merchandise has been absolutly dreadfull! (another reason I stopped collecting) I got one or two bargins only in there in the last 5 years, and I certainly found better deals in Woolworths in Southport, Manchester, Liverpool and Ormskirk!...I feel so very sorry for those Woolworths employees who have to loose their jobs at this time of year!! Its heartbreaking!! This recession realy is biting much more badly than we think...In Northampton retail outlets are closing by the dozen, and its now commen place to walk down Abington street past lots of empty and closed shops!...a little selfish I know, but I am glad I no longer work as a retial manager as I used too, because in the current climet I may well have had another nervous breakdown!!
Anyway, to take the sting of this terribly sad news, I have dug up this old Wollies Christmas ad from 1981, to see if anyone remembers it!!! This amazingly catchy tune "Have a cracking Christmas" realy got stuck in my head when I was 14, and even found myself humming it at School!! LOL!!! Also it was ablaze of stars of the time such as the Goodies, Anita Harris, and Windsor Davies, among others!! Looking at the prices and the old games is fun too!!
Hope it cheers you up this evening!!