Crop, Bang, Wallop...

...and the awful sound of broken glass.

There was I, merrily on my way to Diane's when it happened...
This is what my car looked like before - now it's rear-end looks a little sorry for itself :o(.

As I was saying, there I was off to Diane's via the duel carriageway (going through the 'village' at that time of the evening usually means a long wait at the level crossing) when it happened. The end of the duel carriageway joins one of those roundabout/flyover thingees so there I was sitting (stationary, still, NOT moving), indicating, perfectly positioned for taking the first exit once there was a gap in the traffic when BANG!!! and the sound of lots of broken glass.

Now I don't say that I ever want things like this to happen but if they must, why is it when it is raining that fine yukky drizzle???

Engine off, Hazard lights on, get out of car...GET SOAKED!!!

The car behind me didn't look too good (that was the source of the broken glass sound) but luckily the damage to my car seemed to be mainly to the bumper - no broken lights (yeh). The other car was occupied by four lads, only the driver got out and he seemed to be really sorry for what he had done (I don't think he was speeding otherwise I would have been shunted onto the roundabout, I think it was more a case of not really paying attention and misjudging his stopping distance in the wet conditions).

Details exchanged and on our respective ways...

Didn't get much scrapping done as I spent most of the time on the mobile notifying insurers etc. Can I just say that Royal Sun Alliance are to be congratulated, initial contact was easy, the operater was very helpful and they had the car hire folk contacting me within 20 mins to arrange for delivery of a replacement car...way to go!!!

The impact has caved the centre of the rear bumper and actually split the metal so I am informed that this technically means the car is not 'road-worthy'. It doesn't look too bad but the insurers want to check that the sub-frame hasn't been damaged.

Phonecall to work, this morning, to book a day off...

So here I am, waiting to take delivery of a replacement car and waiting for a call from the bodyshop to let me know when they can collect my car for repair.

No-one was hurt and cars are only 'things' but it's still a pain in the rear...no pun intended :o)

Highly technical terms...

...every crafter will be familiar with (or something similar, lol).

We all do it *eyebrows raised at those muttering "who me???"* we have words for things that we can't remember the names for, or just don't know...

Super words like - whatcha-ma-callit, thing-a-ma-bob, ooja-ma-flip, thing-a-ree - and so on...

For years I had a favourite - 'doo-dah' or sometimes 'doo-dad', then last year I was introduced to the delights of Quickutz and low & behold they have a number of dies that are called 'doo-dads' (various shapes with holes in the middle) well that spoiled my fun... hurumf.

I'm sure if you all stop to think for a while you can think of loads more examples, so why not share all those oojie-whatsits...they say that crafting has a language all of its own...................

Shushhhhhhh...

...don't tell British Rail.

Don't tell them 'what' I hear you mutter...don't tell them their trains have been running on time (mostly).

I have managed to miss the few real stints of disruption over the last week or so and most of the time the only thing running late has been me, LOL.

However, I can't let them off that easily...(yes, I can hear you all groaning *thought it was too good to be true*). The trains may well have been running on time but they haven't been providing an exactly wonderful service. I would say that about 50% of the time the trains that have arrived in the evenings have been shorter than they should have been, creating that 'oh so cosy/friendly (not!!) environment' for the travel-worn commuters...tempers do become a little frayed >:o

Still, the likelihood of falling over and hurting yourself is next to zero. Afterall, where can you fall when you are crammed in tighter than the contents of a sardine can....

A very BIG Thank You...

...to the folk who have recently purchased scarves from me to help raise money for my Mum's local branch of the MS Society. She has asked me to pass on her best wishes to you all, your contributions are very much appreciated...

Isn't this lovely...

This card and pretty bracelet was from Megan to say thank you for her scarf...I love them both :o)

Megan - I am wearing lavender today so will be wearing my new bracelet...

I was so surprised when Nicky gave me the things last night, it was a lovely thought. Thank you so much and I'm really glad that you liked your scarf.

You must tell your Mummy that the goodie bag was absolutely fabulous but she is very naughty and she really shouldn't have... (yes Emma, Nicky did pass on the message about it "not being negotiable" lol).

I think I will take my card to work so that it can sit on my desk. It is so pretty and it makes me smile......

Beautiful colours...

...strange yarn.

A strand of pink soft yarn wrapped with a strand of rainbow, short tuft, ribbon yarn

The ball-band said 'Super Chunky - 8mm needles recommended', I didn't think so but I tried it...

Yuk, hard as a board, so I tried 10mm needles - better but not great. This was supposed to be a soft fluffy scarf for a little girl - not on 10mm needles it wasn't...

So as a last resort I tried 12mm needles - success :o)

I'm not sure what the manufacturer was intending to create from this yarn but certainly not on 8mm needles. It makes me wonder sometimes whether this is why many folk try knitting and then give up because they don't like the results - it takes a bit of experience to have the confidence to play around until you find the finish that meets your requirements. In this case, a different needle size made all the difference.

The finished scarf was soft and hopefully is just what Megan wanted. With luck, Margaret should get her scarf back from her granddaughter fairly shortly............(fingers crossed Margaret)

Reasons to be...

...grateful.

I know Chrissie is right when she says there are so many good things in our lives that we need to take account of...but it can be very difficult when you feel that you have been knocked back/down again. Still, the challenge has been set and I have been tasked with listing all the good things about my life, here goes................

I am reasonably healthy - in fact, I am the healthy one in the family (think I had my share of stuff as a little'un - broken arms, measles, chicken pox etc).

I have a niece who thinks I'm the next best thing to sliced bread (she can't eat normal bread - she's coeliac...).

I have a warm secure house that I love for it's character. It also has a place in local history even though it is not quite 100 yrs old yet.

I live in an age where women (on the whole) have freedom of choice.

I live in a country that offers free healthcare for all.

I can travel to almost anywhere that I want (just means a little saving...lol).

I can try foods from every corner of the world, without having to step foot outside of the UK.

I can drive and I have my own car.

I was lucky enough to receive a Grammer school education.

I can indulge my love of crafts.

I can communicate with folk all around the world, just at a flick of a switch, tap of a few keys (phone or PC).

I have people who rely on me (mixed blessing???).

Yes I have a lot to be grateful for and I will try not to let the grotty things make me lose-sight of this fact...

Snow came...

...sorry for doubting you 'Mr Weatherman'. :o)

Snow's a coming...

...or so the weather man says.

Found this piccy on a freebie site and from what is being said this is what we can expect to wake-up to tomorrow (don't think I will hold my breath as the weather men have been known to get things wrong in the past - no hurricane, Mr Fish ???????? I should cocoa...).

At the moment it feels a bit too cold for snow but who knows what will greet us in the morning.

Deep snow I can cope with (not sure about British Rail, mmmmmmmmmm) it's the dusting of icy stuff that I don't do very well with *memories of Ouch*....

Just off to fill my hot-water bottle and then I'm off to my bed. Nighty, night everyone, we shall see what tomorrow brings..........

Dumb / Smart balance...

...as I'm sure most folk in the UK will know, this title comes from a TV advert for a 'flexable friend'. You know the one...man applies for new plastic card - smart (???????), woman cleaning windows falls through open one, flat on her face - dumb. Well this is how I feel my life is at the moment.

For every nice thing that happens there has been a really grotty one to off-set it...

Take the day of the Artbase crop in January. It was a great day, the project was super and everyone had fun :o)...Come Monday and I was told that I was being moved to a new job because of 'restructuring' :o(

This last weekend was busy but I was able to help Mum get another batch of scarves ready to sell for her club :o) but Monday was looming. Hence not sleeping well, as Monday was the day I was to move to my new job :o(.

Without going into too much detail, Monday was horrid. My existing colleagues had clubbed together to get me a gift even though I was only going to another part of the building and that was it.......the tears were flowing (surprising how kind gestures can sometimes make things seem even worse). But worse was yet to come. Despite knowing for weeks that I was joining the new team no arrangements had been made by my new manager for my move - no IT services, no help to move work/belongings, nothing.............so muggins here moved everything herself - how to make someone feel welcome and wanted, NOT!

You can see from my previous posting that I needed to let off steam, but words just failed me.

I must say a very BIG thank you to Chrissie for her comment - the 'hugs' were gratefully received and yes, things probably seemed even more grotty because I hadn't slept well. I have some wonderful friends who read my blog who also showed their support and I can't express how much this all meant to me...THANK YOU everyone.

Things haven't improved over the last two days and to add insult to injury the heating failed in our part of the office and it has been freezing (not literally, but you know what I mean...). Everyone has been sitting in scarves and cardies/fleeces that they have dug out of the depths of their drawers. On the whole...things are pretty miserable.

I'm fed up with all the 'dumb' occurrences, I want some of the 'smart'...............

Horrid...

...horrid, grotty day.

Yuk, poo, grrrrrrrrr, hurumfff, :o( - just can't think of sufficient words..........................

Tired...

...but not sleepy.

Just where has the weekend gone? No sooner does Friday arrive than suddenly, it's Sunday evening. Spent a lot of the weekend at Mum's as she hasn't been 100% recently. The surgery to her eyes is still causing her some discomfort but overall she is very pleased with the results. Due to her MS the muscles in her eyelids were failing and causing obstruction to her sight. Although it is over a month since she had the second eye done (for the second time in two months - they made rather a booboo of the first attempt) she still has a few stitches that have yet to come out and this is causing some irritation. Still, at least now she can enjoy her knitting and crochet without the eyelids closing at will...

I seem to have been chasing around all weekend but not really getting anything done :o(

At the moment I am sitting looking at the PC thinking how tired I am but there are too many things buzzing around my brain... I know I will eventually get to sleep only to be rudely awakened by the alarm clock heralding the start of another day at work. Oh well, let's give it a go - night, night everyone, sweet dreams..........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

And so ends another week...

...and a pretty horrid week it has been too.

Everything is change, change, change at the moment at work. I don't think anyone has heard of the old saying "if it ain't broke, and it works, why fix it?" because everything is being 'fixed' with things that surprisingly DON'T WORK... Don't get me wrong, change can be good - we shouldn't cling to our comfort blankets just because it's easy, it's familiar - but there is also a thing called 'change overload' and I think that is the point that we at work are reaching, even though we are only in the early stages of the current round of 'essential changes'............(bah!)

Moving on...

Friday evening's commute was a doozy. Anyone and everyone who owns an MP3 player/personal hi-fi (do folk still have those?????) must have been in the train coach with me. Now forgive me if I'm wrong but I thought 'personal' meant just that, PERSONAL - not blaring out so the whole coach can hear every word or shreak that is blasting someones ears (or would be able to hear if the noise could be separated from all the other blaring noise >:o ...). Hey, I like loud music, in the right places, but do these folk realise what they are doing to their hearing - I SAID DO THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO THEIR HEARING - sorry, wasn't sure if I could be heard (LOL). My Dad had terrible trouble with the tone-range of his hearing, in later life, and it so frustrated him especially as it was caused by his working environment - not self induced - back in the days before H&S and ear-protectors... It didn't go down too well with Mum either as she was able to hear the TV perfectly clearly from the end of the garden when Dad was watching.........However, I digress, loud music of the personal hi-fi type is not what you want to be listening to after a grotty day/week at work but yesterday had the crowning glory of someone singing along to what they were listening to - well perhaps 'singing' is a slight exageration - have you seen the X Factor auditions where the judges are confronted by someone who opens their mouth and suddenly you have the sensation of nails scraping down blackboards (got the picture?) - in the row of seats in front of me was this demented woman (not young might I hasten to add) shreaking away and doing her Stevie Wonder head swaying impression. The sigh of relief when she got off could be heard above the MP3 players (ROFL).

Now if you want loud music that you can enjoy, get the car out! I'm not talking vibrating base that makes the pavement shudder as the car passes by. I'm talking open road motoring - somewhere you can 'feed the fantasy' without being a nuisance - afterall, if you are giving it your all singing along to your favourite tracks, who is going to see except for the folk driving in the opposite direction and I don't think they are going to turn around and come after you to tell you that you look stupid *giggle*. Better yet, the theme tunes from all those wonderful cop shows are great for letting off your frustration. Imagine zooming along the motorway to The Sweeny or The Professionals visualising all those car chases...a lot safer than trying it yourself!!! Who says that it is only the boys that dream of fast cars...perhaps the boys might try to imitate the wheelspins and handbreak turns in their souped-up Fiestas, Rovers, whatevers...we girls have far more imagination :o).................

Well, the weekend is here. Best make the most of it before Monday is with us again. Now where did I put that TV themes CD??????????????????

Crop tonight...

I give fair warning, I will not stand for - any train disruption (British Rail & London Underground to note), freaky weather (Mother Nature, take a break please) or any other occurrance that could put paid to this evening's gathering...you have been warned!

It seems like forever since we last had a Thursday night crop (early December ;o( - doesn't time fly). The project for tonight is the page that Nicola posted on her blog two weeks ago before wind stopped play (hurrumffff) but there is a rumour that there could be an additional surprise...oooooo, I like surprises - as long as they are nice ones (lol).

During the time since the last Thursday crop this blog was created :o) and I have discovered so many like minded crafters out in blogland as well as some very helpful and supportive folk - hurraaaaaaaaay for blogs.

Doesn't replace the need for the gathering of like minded folk though. A whole day at work to get through before playtime >:o...................................