Yes, that's colours with a 'U' American people, sheesh.. it is English you folks do talk now innit? Well, here we are again, thinking I might try to put some piccies up on this post as yesterday's posting fell foul of some technological glitch and wouldn't enable me to share any merry images of Mickey Mouse (not that I have any). In the processes of dicking around with the blog I altered all the colours, inadvertently saved it so, and thus the hideous colour scheme that you see is nothing but a horrendous accident due to my well documented computational ineptitude.
15 minutes later.........
Bugger, the blog malfunction continues and I still can't put any pictures of sunnier climes up on the posts yet. I'll keep trying throughout the week.
In the meantime, just imagine me sat on Mickey's lap, eating an ice-cream wearing nothing but white tennis socks, sandles and a Hawaiian shirt - it's not quite the picture I was going to post but it's something to give you nightmares until then.
Anyhow, I hope that all of your technologies are more cooperative than mine at present,
death to the internet (and the Welsh),
S&S.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
All a bit Mickey Mouse
Hi All,
Well after a two week hiatus, we're back! Having yet to absorb the enormity of the new employment opportunity facing me in September, I shall renege on discussing anything about work (apart from the fact that it's very much over rated). The other side of life has been much more fun, with a stint down south, out of the cold climes of Cochrane, to the balmy humidity of Florida! As much as I enjoy the snow and winter activities of the north, you just can't beat a week of searing heat and sunshine to put a spring back in your step mid-March.
The outlaws hired a rather fine, five bedroom house with a pool and all the trimmings for a month near Kissimmee. Brina headed down on her birthday and had time to visit with the whole family who were all there. I jetted off on the Fridayand was picked up by Brina and Marcel in 26 degrees at 11pm in Fort Lauderdale - the sweats started immediately and I began to wonder how the hell we'd ever lived down there in such heat (ah yes.. air con'). A five minute hello to Brina's brother and Lisa as they left for the airport as I arrived, two days with Jeannine, Rob and the kidlings, then hanging out with the folks and a trip to Disney! Note to self, theme parks at Spring Break = Very busy; Very busy in hot weather = frustration and annoyance; Frustration and annoyance = get the hell out of there and go chill by the pool. However, although we were in Florida, we did mangage to get out to the mountains........ - I was intending to put a piccie in here, but the blogger is buggered right now and I can't get pictures on this thing.
The whole Disney concept is great fun and a super enterntaining way to while away a few hours, but when you're trying to constantly squeeze past morbidly obese, coke guzzling, burger scoffing, not seen my toes for 20 years kind of people, who have to hire reinforced motor scooters to drag their enormous lunar backsides around the park as their fat rolled legs are unable to take the strain; then the Disney experience becomes a bit of a drag - don't go during the holidays! We just spent an afternoon there, and the final 70 minute wait for a safari ride was the final straw that broke the line hater's back. The safari was very entertaining, riding a jeep for 10 minutes through "Africa", spotting all the wild animals they have - rather nifty shot of a lazy lion (real one, not a man dressed up like Simba) to put here, but still can't get the picture thing working.
Having struggled to get photos on this blog, I'm off and shall share the photograhical delights later on. I was up early this morning after five hours sleep to head out on the bike. Got ready, and lo and behold, it started to snow! The Florida temps lowered my defences to weather and I thought I may be able to get a good ride out to the hills today - so I'm on to plan B now which is another pot of coffee followed by 3 hours on the trainer (grim, but needed!).
Check back later to see if I've got the piccies up,
Hakuna Matata,
Mickey and Minnie.
Well after a two week hiatus, we're back! Having yet to absorb the enormity of the new employment opportunity facing me in September, I shall renege on discussing anything about work (apart from the fact that it's very much over rated). The other side of life has been much more fun, with a stint down south, out of the cold climes of Cochrane, to the balmy humidity of Florida! As much as I enjoy the snow and winter activities of the north, you just can't beat a week of searing heat and sunshine to put a spring back in your step mid-March.
The outlaws hired a rather fine, five bedroom house with a pool and all the trimmings for a month near Kissimmee. Brina headed down on her birthday and had time to visit with the whole family who were all there. I jetted off on the Fridayand was picked up by Brina and Marcel in 26 degrees at 11pm in Fort Lauderdale - the sweats started immediately and I began to wonder how the hell we'd ever lived down there in such heat (ah yes.. air con'). A five minute hello to Brina's brother and Lisa as they left for the airport as I arrived, two days with Jeannine, Rob and the kidlings, then hanging out with the folks and a trip to Disney! Note to self, theme parks at Spring Break = Very busy; Very busy in hot weather = frustration and annoyance; Frustration and annoyance = get the hell out of there and go chill by the pool. However, although we were in Florida, we did mangage to get out to the mountains........ - I was intending to put a piccie in here, but the blogger is buggered right now and I can't get pictures on this thing.
The whole Disney concept is great fun and a super enterntaining way to while away a few hours, but when you're trying to constantly squeeze past morbidly obese, coke guzzling, burger scoffing, not seen my toes for 20 years kind of people, who have to hire reinforced motor scooters to drag their enormous lunar backsides around the park as their fat rolled legs are unable to take the strain; then the Disney experience becomes a bit of a drag - don't go during the holidays! We just spent an afternoon there, and the final 70 minute wait for a safari ride was the final straw that broke the line hater's back. The safari was very entertaining, riding a jeep for 10 minutes through "Africa", spotting all the wild animals they have - rather nifty shot of a lazy lion (real one, not a man dressed up like Simba) to put here, but still can't get the picture thing working.
Having struggled to get photos on this blog, I'm off and shall share the photograhical delights later on. I was up early this morning after five hours sleep to head out on the bike. Got ready, and lo and behold, it started to snow! The Florida temps lowered my defences to weather and I thought I may be able to get a good ride out to the hills today - so I'm on to plan B now which is another pot of coffee followed by 3 hours on the trainer (grim, but needed!).
Check back later to see if I've got the piccies up,
Hakuna Matata,
Mickey and Minnie.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Doing a Dumbledore
Well waddya know?! the antics of work have finally got the better of me.
Having been harping on for the past few blog postings (past 101 or so) that work is a blighter, struggling to get certified, blah blah blah.... and that I wasn't going to do more courses (and was thinking of buying a cafe to run), then lo and behold the powers that be at work go and throw a right old spanner in the works and offer me the position of 'assistant coordinator' (kind of vice principal idea if you get the picture). So bloody hell, the new immigrant at work has stepped into the boss's shoes and I'll have my own office in September (Cryin' out loud - where the hell's it all going to end!?!). I imagine I've ruffled a few feathers of the established senior staff members at work - but where's the fun at work if you're not causing a bit of a ruckus? Rather looking forward to tomorrow when they're announcing who the new assistant coordinator is in some early morning meeting (I'll try not to look too smug - whilst avoiding the flailing fists coming my way with congratulatory comments such as; "frickin limey tosser, how on God's earth did you get the job?". "Dunno".
Had a good catch up with Tatey today too, and had some Sheffield pangs of Peak District yearning - got out on the bike here and rode the gravel roads to Sibbald flats - but a couple of cms of snow last night made for a slippery ride.
Brina's the big 30 on Wednesday - and flys out to Orlando. I fly on Friday - via Toronto and Fort Lauderdale (it'd be quicker for me to fly to Queenstown!).
Anyhow, I've been working on this computer most of the day doing those ruddy courses I swore I wouldn't entertain, so I'm off for bangers and mash for tea (a taste of home).
Hope your worlds are less surreal than mine at present,
Staying on the ladder,
Severus Snape.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Blog 101
Hi all...
the last post was a fitting way to commemorate the 100th post; not writing a bloody thing! Pictures certainly speak louder than words when it comes to the new bike which arrived last Friday. I couldn't quite get over the excitement of the shiny new carbon full suspension beauty (although I could quickly get over the "being shafted by customs" scenario which caused me to fork out a shit load of cash just to get said bike released from a cage in the airport). I didn't get charged any duty on the last bike I imported - my theory being because I was only here on a work Visa - however, now I'm an official resident and all that, then they take the liberty to take as much coin from you as possible (there were some benefits of being a misfit alien after all!).
The shiny bike soon became not so shiny as I've been riding things I wouldn't really have considered before on trails around Cochrane - and getting in complete shit order in the process - and absolutely loving it!!!!!!!!!!! Enormous smiles all round!!!
We're off to sunny Florida in a week or so.. Brina flys out on her 30th (old git) and I follow 2 days later - waiting to pat Shamoo on the bonce and shake Mickey's big gloves. Brina is still subbing over in Morley - and had to teach a class 'Stoney' the other day - that being the Indian language - "Brina speak with forked tongue".
The bizzaro that is work has had me in for two interviews for the assistant coordinator's job (kind of vice principle Esq) - what the chuff I know about running schools and Canadian schools at that defeats me.... but I gave it a whirl never the less - don't know who has the job yet, but if it's me, then I worry about the criteria they've used to select candidates.
I'm up and running on that God forsaken course at Uni which I swore blind I wouldn't do to upgrade my teaching certificate - and after mucho complaino - it aint that bado after all!!!! I reluctantly admit that I'm rather enjoying writing the papers and the like!!!!
The clocks have gone forward, so after Monday's struggle to get up an hour earlier for work, it's super to have sunshine until 7.30pm.
We may well head off to Canmore for a hike on the Benchlands this weekend - just to clear out the lungs and have a stint in the hills.
Everything else appears to be on an even keel. Lets hope it stays that way for a while, I'm too obsessed with the new bike to be concerning about much else!
May all your rides be bouncy and fast,
Windswept, adrenaline fuelled grins,
S&S.
the last post was a fitting way to commemorate the 100th post; not writing a bloody thing! Pictures certainly speak louder than words when it comes to the new bike which arrived last Friday. I couldn't quite get over the excitement of the shiny new carbon full suspension beauty (although I could quickly get over the "being shafted by customs" scenario which caused me to fork out a shit load of cash just to get said bike released from a cage in the airport). I didn't get charged any duty on the last bike I imported - my theory being because I was only here on a work Visa - however, now I'm an official resident and all that, then they take the liberty to take as much coin from you as possible (there were some benefits of being a misfit alien after all!).
The shiny bike soon became not so shiny as I've been riding things I wouldn't really have considered before on trails around Cochrane - and getting in complete shit order in the process - and absolutely loving it!!!!!!!!!!! Enormous smiles all round!!!
We're off to sunny Florida in a week or so.. Brina flys out on her 30th (old git) and I follow 2 days later - waiting to pat Shamoo on the bonce and shake Mickey's big gloves. Brina is still subbing over in Morley - and had to teach a class 'Stoney' the other day - that being the Indian language - "Brina speak with forked tongue".
The bizzaro that is work has had me in for two interviews for the assistant coordinator's job (kind of vice principle Esq) - what the chuff I know about running schools and Canadian schools at that defeats me.... but I gave it a whirl never the less - don't know who has the job yet, but if it's me, then I worry about the criteria they've used to select candidates.
I'm up and running on that God forsaken course at Uni which I swore blind I wouldn't do to upgrade my teaching certificate - and after mucho complaino - it aint that bado after all!!!! I reluctantly admit that I'm rather enjoying writing the papers and the like!!!!
The clocks have gone forward, so after Monday's struggle to get up an hour earlier for work, it's super to have sunshine until 7.30pm.
We may well head off to Canmore for a hike on the Benchlands this weekend - just to clear out the lungs and have a stint in the hills.
Everything else appears to be on an even keel. Lets hope it stays that way for a while, I'm too obsessed with the new bike to be concerning about much else!
May all your rides be bouncy and fast,
Windswept, adrenaline fuelled grins,
S&S.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
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