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Friday, 9 January 2009

Friday 55 Flash Fiction # 58 Diet?

Diet?


Sometimes he wished he could lose weight.


He'd always been big, but now he weighed over 23 stones!


As soon as he'd been accepted for the job he'd started overeating.


 




Strangely the bigger he got the more popular he became.


All his friends were overweight too.


They had to be.....



They were all Sumo wrestlers.





Friday 55 Flash Fiction is brought to you by G-man (Mr Knowitall). The idea is you write a story in exactly 55 words. If you want to take part pop over and let G-man know when you've posted your 55.

Wednesday, 7 January 2009

Things I've done.......

Being short of blogging material I unashamedly swiped this from Saz at Fat,frumpy & 50.

It's dead easy all you have to do is bold the ones on the list that you've done


1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars- no but I've partied under the stars until dawn!
3. Played in a band - I played the triangle once in a music lesson at school.
4. Visited Hawaii - in my dreams and via Cloudia's blog.
5. Watched a meteor shower - I've seen a shooting star!
6. Given more than you can afford to charity - no but I do give some.
7. Been to Disneyland (Disney World) - no and I don't want to.
8. Climbed a mountain - does a very large hill count?
9. Held a praying mantis - do they bite?
10. Sang a solo - I was only 8 at the time and had no shame!
11. Bungee jumped - no, do you think I'm mad?
12. Visited Paris - no but it's on my to do list.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch - yes caligraphy, that's an art isn't it?
15. Adopted a child - no but a few of my sons' friends adopted me.
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty- no I've not even been to America!  I've been to the top of Blackpool Tower though!
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France - no but I will when I fulfill #12.
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked - frequently when I was young, too dangerous now!
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - I felt very guilty though.
24. Built a snow fort - no I don't like snow!
25. Held a lamb - it was butchered though, does that count?   OK, ok I know gross!
26. Gone skinny dipping - not quite skinny!
27. Run a Marathon - NO. run? me? LOL
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice - it's on my to do list.
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset - both in the same day!
31. Hit a home run - NO. run? me? LOL
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language - Turkish
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (in general)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke - LOL
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted - not even a caricature!
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person - on my to do list.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris - been to the top of Blackpool Tower.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie - I've been on TV and on a DVD! (Laney asked me to tell - I already did here)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China - if only!
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia - not yet.
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching-porpoises
63. Got flowers for no reason - I asked him what he'd done!
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving - NO. do you think I'm mad?
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter - no too small, I don't like heights.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt - no but I've made my own clothes.
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job - I've been made redundant but that's not quite the same.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book - my grandmothers biography.
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating -no if I had to do that I'd become a vegetarian!
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life- given blood
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby - two
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee - then it died, serves it right!
100. Read an entire book in one day

You don't realise just how much you HAVE done until you do this meme - try it and see!

Monday, 5 January 2009

Van Gogh's Ear?............




This is the Van Gogh's Ear Award as created by Roger of Idaho Photo  This is what he wrote about the Van Gogh's Ear Award:


"Every year I like to make up a award and hand it out to people that make a difference in the blogsphere. I like to make it a award for all to enjoy and pass out if one so wants to, I just ask if your going to give it out to link back to me as the creator of the Van Gogh's Ear Award."


Inspiration of the Van Gogh's Ear Award


"You may know the story of Vincent Van Gogh a well known artist in history. Although a brilliant painter in his later years went quite insane he received the nickname of fou roux ("the redheaded madman"). The most bazaar of Vincent's behavior is when he cut off the lower part of his own left ear lobe, which he wrapped in newspaper and gave to a prostitute named Rachel in the local brothel, asking her to "keep this object carefully. After this he suffered recurrent bouts of mental illness, which led to his suicide July 29, 1890 he was 37 years old. His works of art are priceless."

The point of this award

"We are all artist in are own way be it art, photography, writing, philosophy, comedy, blogging and we all go a little crazy sometimes. But if you ever feel so crazy to cut off your ear and give it to a prostitute 'Seek Help'!"


Always remember you're unique.

Just like everyone else.



Roger passed this award on to lots of bloggers including Storyteller (Small Reflections) who in turn passed it on to lots of other bloggers including me!  Thankyou Storyteller. x

Well I'm not as mad as Van Gogh (yet) but I may be getting there so, before I do I'd like to pass it on to the following people, trying not to duplicate those who have already received it because there's quite a lot!




Cloudia (Comfort Spiral)


Nick (Nick's Bytes)













Please feel free to pass it on to your favourite bloggers mentioning the origin and the sentiments behind it please.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

And just for your amusement:

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2009 when...

1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.

7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.

11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )

12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.

14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.



~~~~~~~~~~~AND FINALLY~~~~~~~~~~~~


NOW U R LAUGHING at yourself.

Thanks to the friend who emailed this to me.

Friday, 2 January 2009

Friday 55 Flash Fiction # 57 A New Year........

A New Year


“You can’t stay in on New Year’s Eve” said Jilly

Reluctantly Abi went to the party, big mistake.


Her heart had died when she’d lost Mark, there was no point anymore.
Midnight chimed.

Abi looked up, tears blurring her vision.


“Happy New Year.

I’m sorry........... 


I love you Abi, can we start again?” said Mark.




Friday 55 Flash Fiction is brought to you by G-man (Mr Knowitall). The idea is you write a story in exactly 55 words. If you want to take part pop over and let G-man know when you've posted your 55.

Wednesday, 31 December 2008

2009.......



Best Graphics - MySpace/Hi5/Friendster




HAPPY NEW YEAR


TO ALL MY READERS


May 2009


bring you


Good Health


and


Happiness

New Year's Eve 2008.......



Well here we are on the Eve of a brand new year again.

Looking back, 2008 hasn’t been a disastrous year for us so I thought I do a recap.

February found me celebrating the first anniversary of my successful knee replacement operation see here or if you want to read all the gory details see here.

July MWM and I had a memorable fortnight on the Greek Island of Kefalonia. If you missed the photos you can see them here, here, here and here.

We returned from holiday to the news that our eldest son had been a victim of a knife attack. Thankfully he escaped with a broken foot and an injured knee. The rest of the year has been spent fighting the Justice system trying to get the people responsible punished for their crime. You can read about it here, here  and here and it's ongoing!

In September we got three (yes 3) new additions to the family when my eldest son bought three hens!

October found us celebrating MWM’s 60th birthday.

November was the month I was warned to keep my nose out of a neighbour’s argument. . We also had a memorable trip to Krakow, Poland – you can read about it here, here, here and here if you missed it.

We had three inches of snow in December which caused absolute chaos here and meant I was stranded for two hours until my son came to rescue me and others. Also this month a colleague and I raised some money for Children In Need by organising a Teddy Crèche at the school where I work.

Tonight MWM and I are going to a party at our local civic hall with our friends. There will be lots of music, dancing and drinking (probably) and we’re going to have a ball! There a group playing called the Dakotas they used to back a singer called Billy J. Kramer.    The Dakotas are not the original group but no doubt they will be singing hits from the 60’s. It will be a late night so we will have a long lie in bed in the morning then MWM and I are going to our favourite Chinese Restaurant in the evening.

What are you doing tonight?


However you are ringing in the New Year, I hope you have a great time and I truly hope the New Year brings you Good Health and Happiness.

Monday, 29 December 2008

Friends........



Riverpoet (Poetic License) gave me the above award just before Christmas, she said:

Akelamalu over at Everything and Nothing for her continued comments even when I don't make it over to her place on a regular basis

Well I have to tell Riverpoet it's entirely my pleasure!

This is the thinking behind this particular award:
These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

So, in the spirit in which it was given I hereby pass it on to the following, in no particular order, fellow bloggers who show the spirit of friendship as detailed above.
Cloudia (Comfort Spiral)
Flowerpot (Flowerpot Days)
Storyteller (Small Reflections)
Ron (Vent)


If you don't already visit them do yourself a favour and drop in, you won't be sorry.


I'm adding to this post as Mike (Rambling Stuff) just left me a message to say he has given me an award -


Mike passed this litte beauty onto  all those who commented on his blog in the Month of December, so I'm going to do the same.   So folks, you know who you are please take the award with my love.

Friday, 26 December 2008

Been and gone......



Well, Christmas Day has been and gone, how was your's?

Our's was just perfect!

I was up at 8 a.m. to set the table, finish the trifle, make the starter, get all the crockery out for dinner.   I had prepared all the veg the day before, the turkey, ham and pork were cooked already.   I had to do all this before hand because Christmas morning at the Akelamalu house is manic!

My Dad comes on Christmas Eve to stay until Boxing Day and we take him out for a drink or two.  He was still fast asleep at 10.30 a.m. but I had to wake him up because we were expecting everyone to arrive by 11 a.m.   

Right on cue my eldest son arrived with his three children, all wanting to know if Santa had been here.  Of course he had and our lounge became a flurry of flying wrapping paper as they tore open their presents.  As we were busy picking up the wrapping my eldest brother arrived with his three children - I say children they range in age from 15 - 21.  By this time we were bringing dining chairs into the lounge so everyone had a seat.  Ten minutes later our youngest son arrived with his two boys  - more flying wrapping paper!      This enjoyable mayhem lasted until 12.30 when my brother and his family left, and our sons and the grandchildren set off to visit Granny's house (MIL's).

MWM and I rushed round to tidy up after the whirlwhind of the children and I started cooking whilst he went to pick up MIL & FIL.    Within an hour of their arrival we were sitting down to Christmas Dinner with all the trimmings.  We finished off with Christmas Pudding & Brandy Sauce, Sherry Trifle, Mince pies and cream all washed down with copious amounts of wine.     We passed a couple of hours at the dinner table before the parents retired to the lounge leaving MWM and I to stack the dishwasher (twice!) then we all had a relaxing time talking about the festivities and the children.

By 7 p.m. MIL & FIL were tired out so MWM took them home, my Dad had fallen asleep on the sofa -a result of too much food and excitement I think.      Once MWM got home we sat and watched the television until midnight then retired for the night exhausted!

This morning I took my Dad home and MWM and I have spent the day just chilling with him watching telly and me blogging.

So that was our Christmas.    What did you do?

Thursday, 25 December 2008

It's HERE!!!........






 MERRY CHRISTMAS

and a

HAPPY NEW YEAR

to all my readers


Here's some of my grandchildren getting in the mood for Christmas.

Tuesday, 23 December 2008

Christmas Eve....





Last year Mimi (Mimi Writes) asked bloggers to post a Christmas Peace Globe, I'm taking the liberty of posting it again this year with the same heartfelt message.

Christmas Eve has always been a busy day for me.  When the boys were young I always got up especially early to start baking mince pies and clean the house from top to bottom.     Once these chores were finished I sat down to watch my favourite film, one that was always on on Christmas Eve afternoon - Lassie!    When my youngest son was still maleable young enough to appreciate Lassie he would watch it with me.   We'd sit with a hot drink and a mince pie (or chocolate for him) and a box of tissues bcause Lassie films were always sad with a happy ending, so we cried all the way through them!

At bedtime, the boys would put out two mince pies and a small glass of whisky for Father Christmas and a carrot for Rudolph.    MWM and I were always really lucky that MIL was always willing to babysit for us on Christmas and New Year's Eve, so we could go out to celebrate.  We couldn't have too much to drink because when we got home we had to gather all the Christmas presents from their hiding places and put them under the tree ready for morning, all the time praying the boys wouldn't wake up and catch us.

On Christmas morning the boys would be awake at the crack of sparrowfart, at some ungodly hour, like all kids, but they were under strict instructions that no way should they enter the lounge before MWM and I, on pain of all their presents disappearing.   Good boys, as they were, they took what we said to heart and waited until we dragged ourselves out of bed after telling them to go back to bed at least four times at a reasonable time, so that MWM could go into the lounge to set the video camera up to capture their faces as they walked in make sure Father Christmas had left their presents before I let them in.  They always checked that the whisky, mince pies and carrots had gone so they were sure Father Christmas and Rudolph were fortified.   It was such a joy to watch their faces as they opened their presents.     We didn't have a lot of money in those days but we tried to make Christmas good for them.

We always had Christmas Dinner at home then we'd go visit the grandparents, first my parents then MWM's mother and grandmother.    Christmas Day was always fun wherever we went.

Once the boys and the grandparents got older the Christmas Day routine changed, the grandparents came to us for Christmas dinner.    That is the pattern today - the grandparents come to us and the boys come to visit us with the grandchildren then go home and have their Christmas dinner.     

What goes round comes round!

Do you have a routine at Christmas or is every one different?

Monday, 22 December 2008

HANGOVER RATINGS..........





These hangover descriptions may prove invaluable to you over the festive period to distinguish just how hungover you are and whether you really should be back in work!     All courtesy of a friend who emailed them to me thinking I might need to know.   CHEEK!


1 star hangover


No pain. no real feeling of illness. You slept in your own bed and when you woke up there were no traffic cones in there with you.


You are still able to function relatively well on the energy stored up from all those vodka redbulls.


However, you can drink 10 bottles of water and still feel as parched as the Sahara.


Even vegetarians are craving a Cheeseburger and a bag of fries.


2 star hangover


No pain, but something is definitely amiss.


You may look okay but you have the attention span and mental capacity of a stapler.


The coffee you hug to try and remain focused is only exacerbating your rumbling gut, which is craving a full English breakfast.


Although you have a nice demeanour about the office, you are costing your employer valuable money because all you really can handle is some light filing, followed by aimlessly surfing the net and writing junk e-mails.


3 star hangover


Slight headache, stomach feels crap. You are definitely a space cadet and not so productive.


Anytime a girl or lad walks by you gag because the perfume/aftershave reminds you of the random gin shots you did with your alcoholic friends after the bouncer kicked you out at 1:45 am.


Life would be better right now if you were in your bed with a dozen doughnuts and a litre of coke watching daytime TV.


You've had 4 cups of coffee, a gallon of water, 2 Sausage Rolls and a litre of diet coke yet you haven't peed once.


4 star hangover


You have lost the will to live. Your head is throbbing and you can't speak too quickly or else you might spew.


Your boss has already lambasted you for being late and has given you a lecture for reeking of booze.


You wore nice clothes, but you smell of socks, and you can't hide the fact that you either missed an oh-so crucial spot shaving or it looks like you put your make-up on while riding the dodgems (depending on your gender).


Your teeth have their own individual sweaters. Your eyes look like one big vein and your hairstyle makes you look like a reject from a second-grade class circa 1976.


You would give a weeks pay for one of the following - home time, a doughnut and somewhere to be alone, or a Time Machine so you could go back and NOT have gone out the night before.


You scare small children in the street just by walking past them.


5 star hangover


You have a second heartbeat in your head, which is actually annoying the employee who sits next to you.


Vodka vapour is seeping out of every pore and making you dizzy.


You still have toothpaste crust in the corners of your mouth from brushing your teeth.


Your body has lost the ability to generate saliva, so your tongue is suffocating you.


You'd cry but that would take the last drop of moisture left in your body.


Death seems pretty good right now.


Your boss doesn't even get mad at you and your co-workers think that your dog just died because you look so pathetic.


You should have called in sick because, let's face it, all you can manage to do is breathe ..... very gently.


6 star hangover


You arrive home and climb into bed.Sleep comes instantly, as you were fighting it all the way home in the taxi.


You get about 2 hours sleep until the noises inside your head wake you up.


You notice that your bed has been cleared for take off and is flying relentlessly around the room.


No matter what you do you now, you're going to chuck.


You stumble out of bed and now find that your room is in a yacht under full sail.


After walking along the skirting boards on alternating walls knocking off all the pictures, you find the toilet.If you are lucky you will remember to lift the lid before you spontaneously explode and wake the whole house up with your impersonation of walrus mating calls.


You sit there on the floor in your undies, cuddling the only friend in the world you have left (the toilet), randomly continuing to make the walrus noises, spitting, and farting. Help usually comes at this stage, even if it is short lived.


Tears stream down your face and your abdomen hurts. Help now turns into abuse and he/she usually goes back to bed leaving you there in the dark.


With your stomach totally empty, your spontaneous eruptions have died back to 15-minute intervals, but your body won't relent.You are convinced that you are starting to turn yourself inside out and swear that you saw your tonsils shoot out of your mouth on the last occasion.


It is now dawn and you pass your disgusted partner getting up for the day as you try to climb into bed. She/he abuses you again for trying to get into bed with lumpy bits of dried vomit in your hair.


You reluctantly accept their advice and have a shower in exchange for them driving you to the hospital.Work is not an option.


The whole day is spent trying to avoid anything that might make you sick again, like moving.


You vow never to touch a drop again and who knows for the next two or three hours at least you might even succeed.


Which one(s) do you recognise?

Saturday, 20 December 2008

Premio Dardos..........

No Saturday Wordzzle today sorry. I have just been too busy this week to write one and I will probably miss next week's too cos I'll be busy eating, drinking and entertaining. Anyway it's award time.


San (A Life with a View) passed this Premio Dardos award onto me.



The PREMIO DARDOS award is "given for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing."

I'm honoured that San thinks my mutterings are worthy of such an award! Thankyou San.

It didn't come with any rules so I'd like to pass it on to all who comment on this post because you all fit the description in my view.