My lappie just arrived.

I reckon I'll be busy for a while.

See you later

I've got one of those webcammy things in my header now too cos I'm a copycat so if you want to take a picture ...

The links to these are over there --------------------------------------

in a list

Go HERE

Since I got paid the other day, and I feel less worried about Vista

I bought this

Do not tell me I coulda got a better one for less or that the spec is crud

or I'll give you a chinese burn

I wondered why my son's face was so spotty recently. Kept moaning at him to wash properly "Girls like to touch a smooth face" etc

This morning I discovered what was going wrong.

FAIL!

He's been using that. It usually hangs over the radio antenna to dry after I've scrubbed the bath

£2.99 from Lakeland - not to be used on children's faces.

A phone call.

Apparently someone phoned Maxi's mum a little while ago saying ...

"Hello, you might not have met me before but I'm MW's mother-in-law. Her youngest child, my grand-daughter, has been murdered and there's going to be an investigation into all the men who have ever been involved with her. Also, MW has had a nervous breakdown."

This grand-daughter she's talking about must be about 6 now. The ex has her.

The person who made the phone call was MW. She didn't even try to disguise her voice.

Sorry, I shouldn't be giggling but after a while there's not much else you can do.

Maxi's mum thought I should know, after all the hassle. Forewarned is forearmed kinda thing.

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelp!

Still.

Ah well, it's nearly tomorrow

Nothing interesting to say. It's been a good day though. Loads of work done. Sun shone for a while, rain rained for a while.

A child stayed over with Mini last night. Another one showed up at 8.30 I have a feeling that another 3 showed up while I was at work. One brought his xbox round cos Mini's was taken by courier to be fixed. He has a new game from his dad (Rainbow 6 Las Vegas 2?) so had to play it immediately.

Watched Mitchell & Webb - frickin hysterical

Catherine Tate isn't so funny any more but Peter Kay's on it so *fneugh*

Still considering a lappie. Annoyed at Bill Gates cos I want XP not feckin Vista

Wondering if it really would work ok to buy a lappie with Vista on it and get XP from Ebay Or if I'd end up regretting it.

In other news - the vibrating cushion for my back that Andy got me at Crimbo is bluddy marvellous. I think it might even help with my *whispers* IBS

... is sooooooo nice

Got loads done at work. Some stuff at home.

Still have to get the Xbox courier'd to be fixed

Wee yin happy ... off swimming with small friends.

Realised ex owes me money - woohoo!

Egg has interest for me - woohoo too!

Off to do more stuff .....

He left at quarter to six. I'm ok. It's been so lovely

The weather's been crud till today, typical. But it really hasn't mattered too much. I've sickened him of Starbucks though but we did have an unusual next-table-neighbour this afternoon I think he had learning difficulties of some sort so I kinda sorta have to forgive it, don't I? She didn't mean to give you the wrong type of drink, you both have accents - get over it!

Bought a new filing cabinet the other day. It's pink Look, it's not that bad, although I grant you it does sound it. So I had filing to do; to soften the blow of Andy going home - yes, I know I'm weird.

Mini's back *holding his cash-hungry hand out* He really likes Andy (yay!) but I was expecting that ...

He has a friend staying over. He just got back this afternoon and he has a friend staying over *arg*

Meh.

He phoned another friend. I'd already tipped the contents of my purse into his sweaty mitt.

"Can J stay too?"

No ... no ... no ... no ... no ... no ... no ... no ... no

times 37

A different one is staying tomorrow night.

*frantic filing*

No, it's not a euphemism

I shall be locked in my PC room for most of their stay. The Xbox is bust and they'll be after entertainment money.

Expect lots more blogging tomorrow

Oh, before I go ... apparently I'm "Yo!" according to one of Mini's wee friends.

4 months ago ...

"Mum, this is T"

T says "Yo!"

*snigger*

One each from me and Andy

Saw Clerks II yesterday - Paddy, that's bizarro and funny

Lazy day today. Wandered around for a while *clickclickclickclick* down by the river and such. Many had the same idea. Lovely lunch of baked camembert, salad, bread & apricot relish in a cute riverside pub. Saw a rat by one of the uni grounds (I've not seen a rat here before)

Did Starbucks ... well wadya expect? This is me yer reading

Limped home (pesky hip) and was molly-coddled by da man I could get used to this

Did you watch Big Fish? I've seen it before but I forgot how lovely and sad it was.

Haven't heard from the bairn today. I imagine he's battered his dad's windaes wi' snowballs though. It's traditional, eh?

Another first

Starting young ...

Highwayman learned at an early age the pleasure of Air Guitarring...

Childhood chess match ...

Despite his delight at capturing Subs' KitKat, Highwayman was now perturbed ...

Did Dougal move diagonally or two up and one across ...?

Ridin, ridin, ridin ...

Another Subs scandal breaks as photographic proof emerges of her with Bobby between her legs ... (Caption provided by AJ Captioning Services Ltd.)

The Amazing Frog Boy takes a nap ...

As work went on feverishly around him, Mini began his helpful life as he meant to go on ...

A moment of classic art, "Subville's The Thinker" ...

Although on a par with Rodin's version Mini's interpretation was a tad more ... horizontal ...

My Mum and The Magical Safety Hood of Anoraki, God of Trainspotters ...

How many children remain blissfully unaware of that protective hand ...

It's been lovely. Better every time

(no I don't mean that ... but yes ... oh FFS shurrup, me!)

A met me at work and we went into town for lunch. *yum* Strolled round Camb in the rain but it coulda been sun or snow for all I cared. Looked at this 'n' that. *normal stuff blah blah*

I'm very happy. All my normal aches 'n' pains etc but everything is fine with his hand to hold

I know what yer gonna say so

*Thanks*

for yer good wishes

No work till Tuesday - woohoo!

It didn't really sink in, what had happened. Not till I got back from work today. I'm wondering if the floods of tears are a selfish thing because it's nothing to do with me.

A friend I've met twice. A friend I had a shaky start with ... then discovered the depth of, briefly. I like her person and I fully believe a lot of her was in Cody. Over the months we've read how cheeky, sussed and thoughtful he is and how much his mum adores him.

Watching what happened on blog at this news was very touching, and painful. Hence the tears. I'm stuck in that moment now. Remembering the world standing still. Looking at folk and wondering why they were carrying on, doing normal things. I'll forgive myself this selfishness I think, and attribute these feelings to being there with her.

So hard to form the words, to be exact.

Know how much you're loved, hon. It's times like this that folk can be allowed to show it.

Nothing will help. Be.

This one .....?

Or this one .....?

Or my personal favourite, this one .....?

"My name is Milandra and my ear is a question mark."

How fitting is that expression, eh? It's cool to wear a swim hat

"Mummy, mummy, she used the C word!"

Combed a buggery bastardwich headlice outta my hair this morning.

Just the one, mind.

But I've been itching and paranoid all frickin day.

*consta-comb*

Times like this I frickin hate kids.

Filth-mongers.

God did not make head lice. They're the spawn of satan.

Carried by wee people who have no clue about personal space.

C*nts!

Not quite the style of Landers, but ya gets ma drift

That's just too sad ...

And this is sad, but true ...

LINKY

Clickit to view

FART PARTY

... if one were needed.

This was in my Inbox this morning

Bored bored bored bored bored bored bored bored

*bleugh*

Passing time

*drums fingers*

*taps newly grown fingernails*

Hurts when ye pick yer nose

and other stuff

blah blah blah blah blah

*looks at invisible watch*

nearly FOUR days

MEH.

Ex told me he couldn't have the wee yin on the first week of holidays cos he wants time with GF. Her ex is having their kid for the first week of holidays - can't do second week (going on holibobs). Ok, says me. But Andy's holidays don't go on for as long as the wee yin's. He has two weeks starting yesterday. So my ex is having the boy from Wednesday (while he's still at school) this week till Tuesday next and Andy's coming here on Wednesday.

Ex works near the wee yin's school so pick up and drop off is ok.

He just realised though, that it's a long weekend while he has Mini and that's the time he wanted to spend with her. He messed up the dates

So - he'll have evenings with her, alone, and be working through the day

*div'ead*

He phoned to tell me, I could hear in his voice that he wanted to get me to lie down and let him stamp on me change my arrangements again - but he knew he couldn't *snigger*

Her ex is not really a dedicated dad. She has to chase him for money and time with his lad etc. So they have to dance to his tune, then I have to dance to their tune, and finally - Andy is the BEST

It seems that the more stroppy and awkward you are, everything goes your way pffft

I felt like rolling Andy in custard and *cough* erm ... I was so proud of him when all this dawned on me earlier. He's the opposite of awkward

*punches time square on the face*

HURRY UP

*taps fingernails again*

It's really dull in here now. Hardly anyone is posting.

Might as well go and do something less boring instead

Cyanide & Happiness

ZITS

You can't do this ... at the start of a row.

:D

Or this ...

I don't like it when he's not here, y'know

edit - just as I posted that Bridge of Sighs came on my media player

Folk are kickin up a stink round here about Tesco wanting to plonk their self on Mill Road. It's all over the papers, big meetings, folk standing about with placards and singing daft songs about the big bastard Tesco

On the empty shop front they've stuck posters saying NO TO TESCO and A4 sheets with FAQs. They're moaning about how it's gonna change the place, remove all the wee shops, take the character away from here, etc.

Half the shops on Mill Road are lying empty anyway, and it looks a bit guff, cos the cost of rental is too much. The shops that are there now over-charge for their goods cos the rent's so high. The price gets passed to us and they call that 'character'

I bought unrefined sugar from a local shop (£1.79 for 500g). Next time I got it from Tesco (92p for 1Kg). What are these people on?

To get to a decent shop (i.e. one that charges a fair price) I have to either:

* Get a bus (Day-rider ticket £3) and only buy what I can carry on and off a bus.

or

* Walk to the nearest Tesco or Asda (quite a distance and I'm in pain that day and the next) and get a taxi back (at least £5)

or

* Taxi there and back (£5 each way)

or

* Plead with ex and have to fit in with his agenda (once he took me to Sainsbury's instead cos he didn't want to drive to Asda! £ x many!)

That one is a last resort.

So, who's the biggest, baddest ... erm ... baddie?

Tesco or the Council?

I think I'm the only one with no poster on my window! LOL

1. What gadget could you not be without?
My mobile. The calendar bleeps me for everything. It's my RAM

2. What gadget do you not own but wish you did?
A PDA. But I couldn't afford the monthly connection bills.

3. What would be you ideal secret agent gadget?
An invisible tardis, but a wee bit smaller than the original.

4. Which gadget would you like to have invented?
The staple. Yeah yeah ... paperless offices - not while there's a council.

5. The next big thing will be...?
Blogging for schools!

The other night I went to bed quite early as I'm so hopeless at getting up in the morning. Deep in sleep at quarter to five - the house phone rings ...

"Wha?"

"You have been sent a text message. Press 1 to listen, press 2 to ..."

*presses