Supermarket + children = headache

I've had a lovely relaxing weekend. Three days off work and the last two spent in the excellent company of Voley (and I even managed to pull back a scrabble win). However, five minutes in the supermarket and I felt like screaming. Why do parents allow their children to run around the aisles like they are in a playground and to dictate to them what goes in the shopping basket..."I want these cakes, they have more sugar in them"- no, you clearly don't need any more sugar. My head was throbbing by the time I had finished. I was rather amused though by the child who wanted to know how wood is made- her mother's answer was that it comes from trees but this quite obviously didn't satisfy the child who continued to ask "but how is it made?".

Thanks Voley!

I got home today to a parcel from Amazon. Thinking it was a book I had ordered last week , I was a little confused when I opened it to find a title within that I had no recollection of ordering (now my memory is not great, but it's not that bad!). I like surprises, so thank you Voley- I shall look forward to reading 'Freshers' by Joanna Davies, though I really need no encouragement to be nostalgic about our time as freshers at a Welsh university.

Housekeeping tips

Tip 1: Don't put washing-up liquid in your dishwasher. What happens? You get an awful lot of soap suds! I do hasten to add that I have never done this, though one of my work colleagues did today. Finding that we had run out of dishwasher tablets, they thought it would be just as effective to squirt a little washing-up liquid in instead...and then they went home leaving me to clear up the mess. It took endless scooping, swilling and three rinse cycles to get rid of the bubbles. Fun.
Tip 2: Don't superglue your fingers. OK, so I did this one. Enough said.

Sponsored abseil

I decided at the beginning of the year that I was going to organise a sponsored event to raise much-needed funds for the charity for which I work. So what did I decide would be a good idea? Abseiling of course because I absolutely love heights- not. A team of around 25 of us (staff and supporters) will be risking life and limb on Sunday 30th May at Devil's Gorge in Mold, each of us doing two abseils- the first is down the rockface, but the second is a 120ft free hang abseil! We must be mad. I really am terrified of heights. Voley can vouch for this after once walking round Conway town walls with me (they are quite high with very little to prevent you from falling off- a rickety hand rail as I remember)...when I say walked, I was actually on my hands and knees! So doing this abseil is definitely going to be a challenge for me- I will do it, but someone may have to prise my fingers off the edge! It is for a worthwhile cause though so a little fear is fairly insignificant. The North Staffs Special Adventure Playground is a fantastic charity providing play and recreational facilities and activities for disabled children and young people. I have been involved now for 20 years and, although I may be a little biased, it really is a wonderful place. You can visit our website (click the link above) to see what we do, or to see a quick snippet of us in action click here- the link is to an episode of Celebrity Cash in the Attic in which Nick Hancock, our patron, appeared to raise money for us (the footage of the Playground is in the last minute or so- I kept well out of the way of the camera!). It costs us over £200 000 a year to keep the Playground open and the majority of this money we have to raise ourselves through applying for time-limited grants and general fundraising, so I am keen for this abseil to be a success. If anyone would like to sponsor me, we have our own fundraising page on JustGiving.com- clicking the link below will take you there!

Every penny raised will go directly towards providing a vital service in Staffordshire for disabled children and young people and their families.

..and wish me luck with my abseil! I will no doubt post some pictures after the event.

Good weekend?

Mine's been fairly relaxing which I needed after a long fortnight at work. I've even managed to shift the nasty cold that decided to take up residence in my body this week.
Yesterday saw a parcel arrive for me...CDs this time, not books. So I spent the day listening to albums by The Sleeping Years, The Low Anthem and The National- all very good and made the task of doing my housework that little bit more enjoyable.
Today I've had a flying visit from Voley (did you know voles can fly?- well this one can). We had just enough time for lunch and a trouncing at scrabble (unfortunately this time I was on the receiving end...I have to let him win occasionally)- a short stay but a pleasure as always.
Tomorrow, I'm off shopping. I want some new curtains so I will be fabric hunting. I also want some new lights...and a new desk...and a new DVD recorder...oh, and a new kitchen. Sounds expensive so I think I might just go to the book shop instead.
Then, it's back to work again on Tuesday. Hope half my staff aren't off sick this week, I hate this time of year.

Another contemplative mood

Have you ever thought about the decisions you have made in your life or things that have happened that have led you to where you are now? I know that everything we do and all the experiences we have had over the years, be they good or bad, shape us into who we are, but can you pinpoint something you have done in the past which has had a lasting effect on who you are and the course your life has taken?
I would say the decision that has led me to where I am now (and I really don't know what I would be doing had things been different) was the one I made, when I was still at school, to do some voluntary work one summer with disabled children at a local charity. At the time, did I think I would still be involved 20 years later? Absolutely not. The voluntary work I did that summer, and continued to do on a regular basis, eventually led me to my current job (I manage the charity), which I absolutely love and to a large extent has shaped me into the person I am. Probably more significantly, had I never volunteered there, I would not have some of the wonderful friends I do have, as I met most of my closest friends either directly or indirectly through my voluntary work.
Another turning point in my life was not getting in to Birmingham University (damn that Physics A Level, if only I had a got one grade higher!) and ending up going to Bangor University through the clearing system. Had I not gone to Bangor I would not have the most fantastic best friend who is such an important part of my life- I had already met him shortly before going to university (another one of those people I met indirectly through my voluntary work), but if I had gone to Birmingham, our paths would probably merely have crossed and life would have then taken us in different directions. I have never been so glad to not do well in an exam!
I know that all sounds a little slushy, but I just think it's interesting to look at the events and decisions that have dictated the course of our life. What would you say are your defining moments?

Don't do it

It's interesting who stumbles upon your blog. Or worrying. I've had two hits in the last week from people doing a Google search for 'how to strangle yourself'. Please, don't do it.

We're all mad here

I went to see Alice In Wonderland in 3D on Saturday. I'm a big fan of Tim Burton's dark, gothic films and this one didn't disappoint. Helena Bonham Carter made an excellent Red Queen and I have to admit to being a secret Johnny Depp fan. As a 3D virgin, I was interested to see what wearing a rather geeky pair of glasses (note to self- don't go to see a 3D film on a first date) would add to the experience. Yes, it was good in 3D but I don't think my enjoyment would have been any the less for it being in 2D...it just cost me more! My friends were somewhat split between those who really enjoyed the film and those who were not that impressed- perhaps Tim Burton is an acquired taste- but I thought it was well worth seeing.

There's nothing better...

...than freshly baked bread spread with butter. Delicious. Thought I would be domesticated on my day off so have baked half a dozen loaves of bread. And I don't mean I have put all the ingredients into a bread maker and left it to do all the hard work- I have made proper bread with real yeast and now have aching arms from all the kneading (and a broken nail into the bargain- don't worry, it hasn't been baked into the bread). Worth the effort though. I'd make someone a good wife..any takers?!