Weekend Round Up

As your computer is out of comission, I am giving you a blog weekend round up!



First of all though, here are the new summer work shoes (to wear with trousers) - which are so damned ugly, they are almost cool. (But not quite.) They are not very executive but once they are broken in, they should be very comfortable and the most important thing is that I can walk to/from work in them without being crippled.

Now I almost photographed these wearing my red socks but I didn't want you to fall backwards off your chair and leave the room screaming - your colleagues might think that I am subjecting you to cruel and unusual punishment!


Otherwise, here are my individual match results for you to scrutinise and the full match results are in their usual place over on my Captain's blog. (It is almost up to date.) I think that you can click to enlarge them:

Then, of course, the fateful BBQ at K & I's where a few glasses of wine mixed explosively with something I ate yesterday that violently disagreed with me and caused me to spend a fair amount of the night plus some of this morning locked in a toilet cubicle in the ablution block on my campsite, just feeling like I wanted to die. A feeling made worse by my hangover.

Here I think that I is using the BBQ charcoal bag as a heat indicator i.e. when the bag goes up in flames, the BBQ is ready to cook on:

Like I said earlier, when I went to the supermarket, there was not even a bag of salad left. Anything that could be cooked on a BBQ, or served on the side, had gone. It was still 25 degrees at 7pm and trust me, the whole of the South of Britain was consumed with our Summer obsession of burning food badly over charcoal - I suspect that the hole in the ozone layer increased significantly last night.

So today has not been very productive. I am missing you too, so I have been feeling very sorry for myself. This is why I made chilli cornbread this afternoon, for the first time ever. It tasted right (albeit not as good as yours) and the 4 chillis (2 green and 2 red) that I chopped into it are helping me to prove to myself that I have the consitution of an ox - at least, my tummy is holding up so far. Does it look okay to you?

The List - Time to Admit Defeat (For Now)

Sport Admin

• Create entry form for Easter meeting, have it proofed by commitee
• Complete committee edits, and send off to Karen for printing.

Most Urgent Knitting Projects

Hat

• proof pattern again
  
  However, I have found that I need to unpick top of crown just to check that I have the last 5-6 rows documented correctly. This has stalled progress as work has thrown extra, unscheduled things at me this week and I have been working late.
  
  So the above and everything below will have to be done when I get back from Canada. It is Thursday night, I am packing and it is time to admit defeat on this list.
  
• take pictures of the finishing technique I used (not sure how to do that on my own!)
• send all to R with other general photos, for proofing, editing and publishing.

Wrap

• complete wrap template
• work nothing else, except wrap
• finalise pattern (good grief, writing it down, makes it sound so easy)
• package and send to R.

So which is it to be?!

Jacket A: ancient, blue man's jacket - size Large. My first ever ski jacket, bought in a sale, marked down as inner padding was missing. Columbia Sport Company jacket, made in Bangladesh. Has been used as a range jacket for years now as it is proven to be waterproof during complete deluges. Therefore a bit smelly? But hey, we are only skiing for 3 days!

Jacket B: also bought in a sale, my second ever ski jacket. Lightly padded. 5 Seasons jacket. It looks like it is more reputable but unfortunately, it is not waterproof as I discovered to my utter dismay the last time I went skiing and it rained on the pistes (yup)! That's skiing in Europe for you.

I got soaked to the skin, froze and was off the mountain before I died of cold. I had to wear a granny rain mac over the top of it for the rest of the week. Despite trying to wash it in that re-waterproofing stuff. Not sexy. It is clean though - I must have washed it before I stored it away.

Neither are perfect, eh? I will try to get my sister's from her sometime this week...ho hum.

The Honey Please Don't Implode List!

Edited 26/01/08: Updated and reprioritised!

Okay, the immediate list in London can be broken down into three task types:

• Sport Administration (highest urgency)
• Urgent Knitting Projects (next highest urgency)
• House Maintenance/Repairs/Organisation (lowest urgency).

Sport Admin

As you know, it is vital that I get this all sorted as quickly as possible. Actually, it's been my primary personal time focus since you headed home. I've been drowning in it, actually. The immediate tasks break down into two types:

2008 Start of Season Match & Availability Administration:

• chase all opposition captains to finalise dates for fixtures when match space is available
• book match space with relevant authority
• confirm finalised dates back to opposition captains (with exception of 1 Club I cannot get hold of at all) and agree match hospitality
• book appropriate hospitality at the Club to support fixtures
• create 2008 fixture list availability form, plus Captain's letter with match administration and eligibility details, send off for proofing , on return edit and then send off for printing and distribution to all Club Members
• set up documents needed to receive and process all availability returns
• set up documents needed for the administration of each match fixture
• update Club Blog with last year's match results, this year's fixture list etc.

2008 Easter Meeting:

• do cost model for Easter meeting: competitions, prizes, hospitality, etc. and send off for review and approval by Committee
• confirm that Club's IT programme will cope with Easter programme and ask person who created it if they would run the Easter meeting stats (yes it can and yes he will)
• create entry form for Easter meeting, have it proofed by committee and send off for printing
• confirm that Club has approached correctly qualified people to run competitions over Easter weekend

Most Urgent Knitting Projects

Hat:

• proof pattern
• take pictures of the finishing technique I used (not sure how to do that on my own!)
• send both to R with other general photos, for proofing, editing and publishing.

Wrap:

• complete wrap template
• in February - work nothing else, except wrap
• finalise pattern (good grief, writing it down, makes it sound so easy)
• package and send to R.

House Maintenance/Repairs/Organisation

• move chest of drawers and set up desk and PC in spare room
• replace, or at least repair, the front door and its frame
• fix the chest of drawers so that I can use it to store yarn (not kidding!)
• fill holes created by fallen down curtainpole and then put curtain pole back up
• put up my picures?
• garden garden garden (back and front)
• store decs, portable tv etc. in loft?!

While you were flying...

...I comfort ate my way through the remaining contents of the fridge, the freezer and then turned into a Stepford Wife.

Good grief, this next stint could be a long 5 weeks - at this rate of consumption, I could appear at West Camp some 63lbs heavier than when you departed this morning?!

You think that I jest?! Okay: in addition to defrosting and eating the soup you made, then demolishing some cheese and biscuits, I cooked the lamb in the way that you suggested (I hope). You are right - it does make a lovely snack. Albeit a rather smart one once you have applied the little paper chef hats - it seemed a shame not to (even with a London audience of one).

I mixed the dijon with the wholegrain, despite your warnings, and it turned out absolutely fine, so here we have B's Mustard Crust, Lamb Rack, as tried by G:

• Rosemary
• Soya Sauce
• Dijon and Wholegrain mustard
• Olive Oil
• Pepper
• A slosh of white white - why not? The bottle was open (and not very nice, after all....)

I prepared the lamb by:

- briefly browning it in a pan
- applying the mustard crust mix to the top of each rack of lamb.

Easy peasy, lemon squeezy?!

Then I roasted the lamb in a fan oven for 17-20 mins at 180 degrees (celcius).

I am thinking that some crushed garlic over the top of the mustard crust) would be the icing on the cake for this quick, tasty roast?

Then, inspired (as the oven was on), I decided to knock that packet of 'Jus Rol' puff pastry and jar of mincemeat on the head.

Just on the basis that I can hand out 2008 New Year mince pies at that meeting tomorrow morning.

I am thinking like a pirate at last. Perhaps this will make people blink in disbelief and cover up the fact that I cooked tonight, rather than did spreadsheets?

Mind you, I 'jus hop' that the fact that the 'jus rol' pastry has been defrosted for a week will not cause any tummy upsets.
I have eaten one this evening and I am okay so far...

...I'll keep you posted on any 2008 New Year mince pie projectile vomit occurances.

In fairness to my cooking, there is a winter vomiting bug going around AND it could be a general, involuntary reaction to mince pies (after the Christmas period)?

That nasty yellow looking stuff? It was an egg yolk glaze. I abandoned it after doing half a tray.

I hope you arrived home safely. The house is very empty without you today.


Gx

Hello!

Just to let you know that I am still alive and well in London ...

...just thinking about you and hoping that you are enjoying yourself out in the shop, sanding the table.

I really look forwards to seeing table progress photos as it sounds like it is really starting to take shape.

Today I met up with some knitting friends for cocktails in a posh hotel bar. This is me after 3 mohitos, 1 Toberlone cocktail (too rich, ick) and a black coffee.

Funnily enough, I did not get much knitting done but I did sew in the ends on a scarflet for my sister's birthday.

I have posted more info and pictures on my knitting blog. Actually, Amy requested blue like you did, so I got more of the yarn that I used for your hat because it was so soft and warm.

You know, I hope that she has as much fun with her scarf, as we have had so far with your hat! Miss you fella xx

Cultural Balance

G. contemplating blowing glass.

I must agree with G. in that not all was completely serious during my recent vist to London. Although we were both busy adding to our respective national GDP's, we did manage to make room in our schedules for some 'field trips'. London is one of my favourite places on this planet because it is just simply interesting. G. is truly a 'London Girl', familiar with the small details only available to local inhabitants, which made for some very special outings that I will never forget.

G. and I both enjoy Southbank because it's open and airy, has all of the essentials for casual fine dining, and yet is artistically simulating. Hats off to London Planners for building a suitable venue for G. & I's official 'Second' date.

We all know that G. and wool get a long famously, but what I enjoy so much is that G. is very interested in other media as well. She has a genuine respect for other creative people working with other materials from metal to ice cream as you may have noticed. I cannot say enough about my first visit the V & A with G., as it is part of the 'Balanced' lifestyle we are trying to achieve.

Icecream

Just in case you were bowled over by the cultural overtones B's last post...

...it is important that you know that London was not all business, Chihuly chandeliers (go see this link for very good images of the exhibition at the V&A) and general high brow culture.

No, we also had time to squeeze in a purchase of cheese from Neal's Yard Dairy and coffee beans from the Monmouth Coffee Company plus an icecream from Scoop!...

...see?!

I believe that the item being consumed in the photo on the left is Fruits of the Forest, Rice and Pistachio. The image of my icecream is over on my knitting blog. Yum.


It was a really good week. We spent time together, we cooked for each other, we both worked, we hung out with some of my family and friends. We went to the South Bank to see Beowulf in 3-D at the i-Max (which we both loved, I think) and then...

...we went for dinner, followed by coffee and desserts.

I think that we may have set a partnerhip precedent here: one bottle of wine and platters shared in one restaurant (Pain Quotidien), followed by coffees, cocktails and desserts in a completely different restaurant (Giraffe).

(Now for this restaurant swapping action alone, B could become an immediate, honoury life member of my family as we are notorious for this kind of food action.)

At Giraffe, I had one irish coffee. This was a charmingly presented, yet lethal, caffeine affair comprised of at least two shots of expresso, a slug of whisky and an artistic smear of cream, set off with 3 artfully arranged coffee beans on top. Frankly I drank one, choked over its strength and switched to mohitos.

I then, womanly, matched B, drink for drink. So I had about 4 mohitos in total and resigned myself to a hangover as they were drunk on top of the Jamberoo Shiraz at Le Pain Quotidien.

Now manfully, B decided to stick with his irish coffees...

...oh yes. He must have drunk about 5 in total. What's that? About 10 shots of expresso?

I understand from B that he spent most of the night pacing the house and the back yard. He tells me that at about 2am, his heart was racing like a thoroughbred's after the Grand National.

As for me? I slept like a baby fed copious red wine and mohitos! :-)

It was a good preliminary visit as B got to meet a few of my family and friends in advance of his visit at Christmas. It takes a bit of pressure off us both?

Actually, I have sent B his itinery for his UK Christmas visit. Y'know, very luckily for me, he hasn't seen it and cancelled...yet being the operative word?!

However, to reward us both for good Christmas behaviour (surviving the obligtory visits with family and friends in the run up to, during and after the 25th), I have booked a cottage in Wales for us to escape to at the New Year.

It's quite remote (please read, it is very remote). However, it does boast underfloor flagstone heating, a wood burning stove and a CD player, so at least we won't freeze. If the flagstone heating fails and B cannot light the fire, I will just put on a CD that we both like, so that we can dance to keep ourselves alive.

Please note that the cottage does not boast a TV, an internet connection or any mobile phone signal (apparently it is a 10 minute drive or a walk up a steep mountain to get any signal). So we will be on our own - completely and utterly.

I wonder if we will get on?! It's okay, I have started to stockpile emergency CDs, books and alcohol as a distraction!

Mind you, when I say that I have rewarded us with 'time in a remote cottage exclusively for us', it is fair to point out that the cottage is quite convenient for drives out to places that I want to show B from my childhood - also, it is a 40 minute drive to the town where my other parents live.

Apologies B - but it is hardly fair to introduce you to one set of my parents without introducing you to the other set too?!

All I know is, roll on Christmas, 'cos, you know what? I am missing my fella.

V&A Escape

G and I were able to 'escape' for a moment and get to the V&A last week. It was too cold to sit and drink coffee on the steps, so we are planning to return when it gets a bit warmer. It was our first visit to the V&A as a couple, and we were able to learn a little about each others interests. G and I have a similar way of looking at things, which is rather special.

Anthony Gormley Links

Last week, B & I conquered geography and spent time in the same time zone (B was in London on business) - hurray!

As we were walking across Waterloo Bridge one morning, B asked whether the Anthony Gormley, Event Horizon exhibition statues were still around as Leo had found them interesting in July 2007.

"Nope, they took them all down after the end of the exhibition. I did take some photos though."

So here, as promised, for Leo's delectation and delight are two iffy sets of photos that I took of the Anthony Gormley statues over the summer:

• Waterloo Bridge Gormleys - camera phone pictures of what people did to the statues installed on Waterloo Bridge (plus a few others). Not great quality but fun all the same;
  
• Haywood Gallery Gormleys - snaps from my visit to the exhibition; and for completeness
  
• Anthony Gormley - Event Horizon - London- results of a Flickr search.

Okay West Shore Campers, I hope that you enjoy these links!

Who says that Londoners don't have a sense of humour?

London Expansion on West Camp Purchases

B, you mentioned that you had not been very impressed by the quantity of yarn that I purchased while I was at camp?

If you pop over to my knitting blog you will see how I have used my West Shore yarn purchases as the basis for a number of potential projects.

I have put them with different yarns in complementary colourways. These could become a number of mixed fibre scarves and shawls, suitable for gifting as Christmas or birthday presents over the coming year?


Not only are these good commuter projects for the train, they give me the opportunity to experiment with yarns that I have not worked with before, to see how they knit up without a large cost outlay and also, before I commit to a single large project without knowing what the yarns are like to work with and how they perform (wearing, washing) - I am forever practical?!

Mind you, that said, I could use some of my yarn purchases on their own. Contrary to your concern, some of the skeins I bought have sufficient yardage to be worked up into scarves or wraps on their own.

There is lots of pattern support for small projects in some of these yarns. Simply because they are considered luxury yarns - hand dyed and in some cases, hand spun. The colours are difficult to repeat and the yarns are expensive.

So knitters on a budget might be unable to resist the purchase of a single skein but may not be able to afford the yarn for a large project.

Also, I should point out, that while hand dyed yarns are lovely and do create a beautiful effect on a small scale or if used ingeniously (scarves, socks, children's garments), their variagation can be more difficult on a larger scale. Generally, they mean, sideways stripes or they can mismatch across a garment (although there are patterns that deliberately exploit that as part of their design, to great visual effect):




















See what I mean?

(Photos from the internet, used to make a point about yarn behaviour only - if one of these is your photo and you object to its use, please leave a comment and I will remove it immediately.)

An Imposter of Santas?

Well it’s not everyday that one encounters a group of men dressed in Father Christmas outfits outside one’s office building, not even here in the concrete jungle!

They even sang carols while the press took photographs and a PR lady bustled about. So I am guessing that I will be able to read all about it in the free newspapers on my way home this evening?



You know, I wonder what the collective noun is for Father Christmases (or Santas, as you prefer)? Any suggestions from the West Shore Camp time zone?

Hmm, a gaggle doesn’t seem right - so, how about a sack of santas? Or a present of santas?

Maybe, a sleigh of santas? Potentially, it could be a chimney of Father Christmases?


Is it even technically possible?

Isn’t the whole point that it is just one man, his elven helpers*, his sleigh and his reindeer?

Hmm. I hope that these grainy camera phone pictures don’t kill the Father Christmas myth for any small children!



It’s alright everyone, don’t panic, I think that these were imposters (some of them were far too athletic to be The Real McCoy).

Oooh, that's it! How about an imposter of Santas? Just on the basis that there can be only one?

So....if you see more than one, they cannot be real?!


It’s okay everyone – yes the office is getting to me – it’s a steely grey, wet day here - I’m off to take my medicine now. I’ll be just fine…eventually!

Notes

Elven helpers*: now why is it that Father Christmas’s elven helpers bear absolutely no resemblance to any other elves in literature? Take the elves of Tolkien’s Middle Earth, for example - can you imagine Legolas dressing up in cheerful red and green adorned with twinkly bells to make and pack toys for children worldwide?

Nope, me either. Now Father Christmas's elves seem to be closer in intent and stature to the ones in the Elves and the Shoemaker fairy tale. Except clothed.

I wonder why we have two such different images of elves. The heroic, mysterious elf and the cheerful, helpful, skillful elf? Can anyone explain?