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Sunday, 30 April 2006
18:17 - Whatonearthwasthat?!!!!?
This "
startled rabbit in the headlights on an oncoming car" look is Chris after hearing a womn in labour in the next room.
We had to go to the hospital as Chris is still a little high in the blood pressure front. She is staying overnight for monitoring....so I have a few hours left alive before she sees this and kills me!!! :)
Whilst she was getting her shoes on the woman in the next room let out a scream that would scare the New Zealand rugby team...and Chris!!!
Fingers crossed that she comes home tomorrow....and then a day or twos rest before the big day itself...
Saturday, 29 April 2006
20:54 - NRA open day APRIL 2006
Pictured here is Raak (Richard), an MC player who came down to shoot a variety of firearms and meet up with me at the NRA open day. Also there for the day were a few more friends, and friends of friends.
I left Portsmouth early and then picked up Eddie and then carried on over to Bisley. During the day we met up with Raak (a crack shot for sure) and Adrian and Sally and their friends. Great people that made for a great day out.
It was very busy - much busier than the last time I shot at the open day - but still great fun. There were a few new things to try this time out: 1000yds rifle (yup! Both Eddie and I got them in the black! Eddie managed to get a better score though). I also tried a WW1 German rifle...and my shoulder is still telling me about it!
Top fun of the day for me was a 1920 Lee-Enfield SMLE Mk3. Wonderful rifle (it is what you think of when you think of a rifle!) with a great feel and solid kick to it. I kept them all around the bull, which made me happy and the guy showing me what to do. The German Mauser was the Jerries version of the Enfield. It used the same cartridge, but with a slightly different barrel and stock layout it proved very unforgiving when fired . Very unforgiving....
Chris had a relaxing day at home, and we are now settling down for a Chinese take-away. Jnr is giving a bit of grief to mum, and probably due very soon. I'm quite tired after the day out (and mum is generally!) so we just hope that Jnr isn't anxious about the outside world tonight!
After the chinese I think I might look into getting an old Enfield - there's something about them that you can't put your finger on - They are history, but also a rifle that demands more of a shooter than the modern stuff. It's like the difference between a new automatic car and an old 1920's car. The new car may be all fancy and fast as it does everything for you, where as the 1920's car still gets you there, although it takes a lot more effort from the driver, and is no way near as forgiving or easy going!
Top day out. With your mothers and fathers shooting skills, I wouldn't be surprised to see Jnr take up the sport like a duck to water - but no pressure. What will be, will be.
Friday, 28 April 2006
21:53 - Any day now....
15:27 - My Dad
He wasn't very well by this time, but we managed to walk out to this aircraft and he was so happy as the memories came back.
Two weeks later he went in to hospital for the first and last time. A picture of Tigermoth G-ANFM sat on a table beside his hospital bed.
When his funeral came around, I called everywhere to try and get a Tigermoth to carry out a fly past. I figured that was the least I could do for a man who gave his life to aviation and air safety.
The owner of a Silver Tigermoth (G-AXBW), like the one my father first flew many moons ago, offered his services to carry out the flypast. I felt happy about this. A Tigermoth tribute was going to happen.
On the day of the funeral, two Tigermoths flew over. The owner of the silver one, G-AXBW - had mentioned to a friend of his about the tribute flight, and the friend decided to come along.
The second Tigermoth was that very same Tigermoth that he had his last flight in, and I had my first Tigermoth flight in....the very same Tigermoth that was the last aircraft he ever saw before going into hospital - G-ANFM flew the tribute alongside G-AXBW.
One final point to mention is that another Tigermoth pilot heard about what was happening and hitched a ride as a passenger in G-ANFM to pay respects to my dad. The passenger was a lady called Sue Thompson. She was also the lady that took my dad for that last flight 13 years earlier.
I would have loved for him to see his grandchild, but at least he saw me married, and knew that children were on the horizon.
Thursday, 27 April 2006
21:50 - 4 days to go
17:25 - Fuzzy family members
This is Tigger incredibly handsome cat and big brother to Miew.
We sadly lost him at the ripe old age of 15 in April 2004.
Now we have a new family member on the way it reminds me of how lucky I was to have such a great friend while I was growing up.
I never had a pony and he used to be happy to oblige being dressed up as one as long as you then fed him like one (he loved food). He also used to fit quite happily into my dolls clothes (they were large dolls!!) and made a wonderful pillow.
Luckily Tigger loved daddy quite a lot even though he used to sleep on his side of the bed, take up lots of room and stop him sleeping by my head. Miew has been a great pupil and looks to be following in his big brothers footsteps.
Because of Tigger I think Miew will make baby and our next baby (oh yes, there will be one!) a great fluffy big brother and like me Jnr. will realise there is no greater friend than an animal (apart from Loooocas!!!!!!!).
Chris xx
Tuesday, 25 April 2006
21:56 - While you both sleep
Sunday, 23 April 2006
21:12 - Links and stuff
I've been messing around with the code to make this blog work....not my strongest point, but one I shall overcome!
I have split the links into MY LINKS, MY PICTURES and OTHERS LINKS (for other peoples stuff!). There is also a contact email! Woo to me!
The latest addition is my original neighbour and (too long to mention) long time friends blog.
In honour of her eldests birthday (8 you know!)...and the fact I missed her birthday, I now do this...
*grin*Here's to families that work!
Saturday, 22 April 2006
19:05 - Portsmouth kiss
12:23 - Bump at 38 weeks, 6 days
Thursday, 20 April 2006
13:16 - Bump Transport
13:07 - The curse of the Estate Agents
Monday, 17 April 2006
20:20 - Pounds Scrap Yard
Sunday, 16 April 2006
17:13 - Blue Sky Feeling...The Pretentiousness of Being
16:49 - Portsmouth, and where not to have babies...
Oh Dear.
We took a tour around the St.Mary "Mary Rose Birth Centre" just in case we are still in Portsmouth when Jnr arrives.
It isn't the greatest of places...and we might not even use it because apparently one of our many midwives/doctors etc have said that Chris has a little too much fluid. They didn't say what it meant, or if it was bad...and it was just an opinion - These people are qualified people and they make a sweeping comment like that with no explanation. Imagine how a first time pregnant mum feels about that. Well done. Idiots.
To top it off, we found out a lot of things at the centre that our midwife (or one of the ones who isn't off sick) should have already told us.
Portsmouth just keeps going up in my praises. What a useless city.
To try and show that I'm not kidding about this city, a friend of mine came down to visit. Sudeep is a very level headed chap who sees good in everything and everyone. He is a very mild mannered Christian with the old rose coloured spectacles thing going on. After a quick walk around the nicer side of town, he came to the conclusion that the city is really very bad.
I did try to tell him before he visited!
If our house buyers hadn't messed us around, we would be having Jnr in Frimley Park Hospital ...the choice of the Royals...a very good hospital...but no, currently it looks like Jnr will born in the backside of the world. Englands Calcutta.
Looking on the bright side, things can only get better and better for Jnr if we do have to have them down here.
Thursday, 13 April 2006
00:15 - New found interest of old...
Wednesday, 12 April 2006
20:13 - New crew chief.
Monday, 10 April 2006
16:43 - Hell Hole
00:09 - People we know. No.5 in a series of ???
Jeff Otton. DJ. Aircraft engineering type. Loves minis. English and proud. Likes goofy. Good geezer - lived with him in his house when I first moved into the depths of Portsmouth. If it wasn't for this, I wouldn't have met Chris - so not all bad ;)
Sunday, 9 April 2006
20:05 - Wow!!!!
We just picked up some food for tonight and as we walked home we saw another city dweller doing the same. Unfortunately I only had my camera phone and not a lot of time...
Chris saw something scurry around under a Ford Ka, so we quickly looked closer nd saw a kestrel or similar bird of prey with a pigeon. The pigeon was pretty headless and the rib cage was gone, but still pink and fresh. The kestrel dragged the pigeon under the car and around the other side. Chris and I stood stock still and I took this rather disappointing photo. It is enough to remind us of the event, and that we were just a few feet from this amazing creature.
Other people (I use the term loosely as they are local) came by and the bird took flight, leaving the remains behind. Looking at the remains I can safely say it had done a pretty good job....
18:13 - People we know. No.4 in a series of ???
Matthew Carpenter. Carpy. Splaticus. Good old Splat (as Chris likes to say). Salt of the earth, but goes through cars like a bull in a china shop....erm...if the bull could drive cars, or not.
You catch my drift. He has some of the worse car luck of anyone other than me - although my past cars don't tend to last long enough to be crashed into - they just blow up or die.
We've known Matt for about 5 years, and he's always been a great guy. His dad is just like him (or he's just like his dad?), and the rest of his fmily (that we've met) are also great. Just great all round then. Yup. Matt.
Saturday, 8 April 2006
22:36 - Chris and Bump. 36 weeks
16:37 - The National
Bugger.
I managed Hedgehunter with 2nd.
The nearest any of my others came was a photo for 3rd....and mine lost the photo. I got the 4th with Nil Desperandum.
13:37 - In Memory
My father used to like the odd bet or two in his later life, but I'm not really into it.....although come the Grand National I do like to place a bet in his memory....and just hope that I get as lucky as he used to get. I don't ever recall him coming out down on cash at the end of the races. Mind you, his analytical scientific mind might have had a lot to do with it.
With not a great deal else to do in his last years, he would check out forms and look pretty deeply into the stats.
The race would end....I'd get a phone call. He'd have a chuckle and tell me how much he'd just won.
Here's to my dad then, may you look down and give my choices a little helping hand...
11:56 - Estate Agents
Let's face it, to be this relaxed you obviously don't have the same problems as humans.
November 2005 and we were ment to move house. It is now April 2006 and still nothing.
The current problem is that BEALES ESTATE AGENTS (our buyers estate agents) have a customer buying our buyers house, who is also buying several other properties via Beales. This customer is taking his time, and so as not to lose the sale Beales are slowing everything down. Our buyers were unaware of this, and are idiots anyway. They have delayed the move themselves because they sit on paperwork after saying that they've already done it.
Chris is 36 weeks pregnant now, and we are very desperate to move before Jnr gets here. Our estate agent went to speak to our buyers to let them know what is really happening, and that if the move doesn't happen soon, then we'll all lose out. He even told them that he has 5 buyers with cash waiting to buy their property which means that the chain will move and they still get to move into our house and not lose it. The dopey buyers said "oh, okay, we'll do that"...but when the day came for people to view their house, they said it couldn't be done because they were a little busy this week!!!
BUSY!!!! My wife is about to have a child, our cash flow is haemoraging due to my car running costs back and forth to work and storage bills for the stuff we've already moved out of the house for the move. I am ready to drop from having to put a minimum of 12hrs a day into my work due to the travel and time. I can't do a thing about it - I feel useless.
Well, if jnr arrives before we move, then damn the buyers. I wouldn't sell to them even if they begged me. If jnr is here, we can't rush things around, so we'll just have to take our house off of the market and sell later when things settle down. If our buyers try to buy our house then, they won't be getting it. They have screwed us around far too many times now, and I don't want them to have our house. Sod 'em.
If they want our house, they'd better start dancing to our tune...the one that goes "Sell your house next week or kiss our house goodbye".
11:51 - At least it's a Saturday
Trouble and Miew doing what they do best - and they should be good at it as they practice all week. They really are determined to be best at what they do, and no matter what happens, these cats just concentrate on the task in hand. Real Olympians.
The buggers.
Thursday, 6 April 2006
23:21 - 1 out of 2's not bad...
13:33 - Pussy...
Wednesday, 5 April 2006
13:09 - The giant chocolate cornflake cake
Tuesday, 4 April 2006
23:52 - F1 shocker as Button is out...
21:54 - What is left to do.....EVERYTHING!!!
13:08 - People we know. No.3 in a series of ???
Monday, 3 April 2006
12:55 - People we know. No.2 in a series of ???
10:30 - People we know. No.1 in a series of ???
07:07 - 33 years ago in the future
I have just been watching the BBC show "Life on Mars" about a 2006 cop who finds himself in 1973.
It makes me wonder what the next 33 years hold in store. The thing that grabbed my mind was not the old fashioned and outdated versions of the everyday items that we take for granted now, but the things we take for granted that didn't even exist back in '73 when I was born.
What will my child(ren) have that hasn't even been thought about yet? Back in the 70's they didn't even have rough ideas of things to come. It wasn't a case of how small or powerful the next mobile phone would be, as there were no ideas of mobile phones or pc's, no cd's and definately no mp3...none of that stuff even existed in anyone's dreams.
What does the World hold in store for our future?
Sunday, 2 April 2006
20:01 - Food
18:09 - Take one cat....
12:55 - The Spinaker Tower or Cash Eating Folly
10:11 - The Family - May 20th 2005
Once all that was cleared and Soggy had the aircraft, we then had to wait for the weather to clear again so we could take off and head down south to Goodwood. The weather was rough, but nothing to really moan about (that would be Sunday's trip back to Oxford...).
Time ticked on and the weather stayed bad, and it was down to just seconds before I called the flight off (I had planned for bad weather, so I had a set time to call the flight off and then drive to the restaurant)...Soggy came over to me and I let him speak first before I gave him the bad news. Luckily the news Soggy gave was..."I think we can do it..."
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