Fancy making a mint?

I don't suppose you usually look too closely at the coins in your pocket. It may well be worth your while to do so. The Royal Mint have manufactured 200 000 new 20p coins without the date stamp on them and are now recalling them all, offering £50 for each one returned! Get checking your pockets!

It's way too hot....

I'm not a lover of high temperatures. Having spent an uncomfortably warm weekend at work, you would think I would be keen to keep cool on my day off. No. Instead I have spent all afternoon baking in a kitchen that has now reached temperatures equating those of a sauna. What's more, I won't even have the pleasure of eating my wonderful cakes as they are for our summer fair at the weekend. I did get to lick round one or two mixing bowls though and now feel a little sick! I think I would make someone a good wife. Any takers?

By the way....

....did I mention, I've had a new car!

Death of the cassette tape

I have collected my new car today. I successfully managed to contain my excitement over the last week but now I am like a big kid at Christmas! I think I may just leave it on the drive to look at and commute using public transport so as to avoid dirt, scratches and dastardly children trying to climb over it (I am sure that is how my old car got a dent on its bonnet). Or maybe not.
I have also finally entered the technological world by having an integral iPod dock; no longer will I be playing compilation cassettes on my car stereo. I love my iPod but I will miss playing some of my old indie classics that were copied from 7" singles (yes, I am afraid I am a vinyl junkie). Must search around for some of them on iTunes, though I fear some may just be too obscure.
I'll leave you with a couple of photos of my Beetle.

Bug alert...

After expecting a wait of six months for my new car, my Beetle is ready and waiting for me!!! I am sooooo excited. Can't quite work out why it has arrived four months earlier than estimated- hope they haven't forgotten to put the engine in!

At the car wash..

...or not. Got up this morning, earlier than I would have liked, to go to a car wash that had been organised to raise money for the Playground. Arrived at my destination after a horrible journey along the A50 (I hate that road) in the pouring rain to find out it had been cancelled. So now I am fluctuating between being cross that I missed out on a Sunday morning lie-in and relieved that I haven't had to spend four hours cleaning cars!

More training

I seem to have done more than my fair share of training recently, some of it good (the day's training and half-day seminar I attended on autism were both excellent), some of it not so good and some just plain boring. Yesterday's course fell into the latter category. Health and Safety must be the most tedious topic in existence- the most interesting part of the day was the test at the end (or exam as the trainer liked to call it) and that only took ten minutes. I was also slightly unnerved by the somewhat extreme sweatiness and laboured breathing of the trainer, I was concerned at one point that we may have to put our First Aid skills into practice! His face was absolutely pouring with perspiration and I found myself willing him not to drip all over me as he was handing out paperwork- not pleasant.

Something for the weekend

I'm glad it's finally the weekend. It's been a long and hectic couple of weeks at work and I am in need of a couple of lie-ins! Just wish I didn't have to spend half of my first day off doing housework.
The postman brought me presents this morning. My Sarah Waters novel has arrived along with the Fleet Foxes album which I have been meaning to buy for a while. I also had a nice parcel of new clothes arrive- knowing me though, most of those will probably end up being returned!
No plan for the rest of the afternoon, but am out tonight with friends.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I've been on an equality and diversity training course today. It wasn't bad but I can't say I learned an awful lot, except for how annoying and narrow-minded some people are (but then that isn't much of a surprise either). I won't bore you with all the details, but my favourite moment of the day was when one women said "I don't understand why you can't call someone a Paki- isn't it the same as calling someone Scottish?". Need I say any more?.....

I'm back...

I appear to have failed to post anything new for the last week- being busy at work and not having anything particulary noteworthy to write about (with a bit of laziness thrown in for good measure) are my excuses. I am still busy at work and still have nothing of note to post but am feeling a little less lazy so I thought I would take the opportunity to have a bit of a waffle!
Having worked all weekend (not nice in all this heat, yuk) I had a day off yesterday- yes, a WHOLE day! So what did I do with myself? I thought I'd pay a visit to that hole of a town called Hanley. Not the most pleasant of locations, but it does have book shops. I managed to buy four books and only spend 95p which I thought was a success- three novels by Kazuo Ishiguro (they were on offer!) and a David Lodge novel. Thank you Adam for the book tokens! I also have the latest Sarah Waters novel on its way to me in the post so, all in all, a good book week.
My real purpose for going out was actually to get my passport photos done. Well, that was fun, especially for someone who hates having their photo taken. At least I can send off for my passport now, and hope that it arrives by September!