Sunday Frost

Another video from the Flip camera taken at Granma's house and in Marbury Park. Have tried messing about with the software included which mixes the images in certain ways- like the sepia look here plus jaunty background music.
Brrr! Its cold today- thick frost outside. Yesterday we took some junk to the local tip and had to queue up with all the others who had the same idea. Time to make room for all that new junk we have aquired! We had several defunct electrical gadgets piling up in the shed - electric kettle, hair dryer and radio that are all burnt out or malfunction in some way. Amazing heap of similar objects at the tip. Hopefully they are recycled in some way and not just go to land fill.
A brief walk around town to see what sales there were. Not much it seems. Woolworths looked very sad and empty with just a few items left - like some third world supermarket. Hopefully it wont remain empty and boarded up for long.
One wonders what shop will follow it down the rocky road to ruin.
Hazel bought some A4 printing paper but it wasnt any cheaper than usual. I looked for a USB cable for the Flip camera but couldn't find any.
Will have to try Chester next week as they have a better selection of shops.
After dinner ( the last of the nut roast ) we watched Billy Bailey DVD "Tinselworm" that Archie gave me for Crimbo. It was quite funny but not as good as expected. Playing to large arenas really looses some of that intimate atmosphere of the earlier gigs.

Racing Pudden's

Here's one of my first uploads from my new Flip video camera. Racing xmas puddings that came out of some crackers from Morrisons. Much better than those usual tedious plastic novelties like key rings and shoe horns etc. We played with these for ages over at Granma's yesterday after dinner. We were so full it was about all we could do!
We also played a long game of Monopoly which was won by Audrey i think though I'd lost the will to live by the end of it! Thank goodness we didnt play Scrabble else I'm sure it would have ended in tears!
The new polish neighbours had a party last night but warned us by bringing round some polish food and a bottle of wine which was nice of them - what english people would do that? They weren't that loud but at midnight we could hear polish songs being sung and glasses clinking. We managed to drop off and sleep like proverbial yule logs.

Granma's Birthday

It was Hazel'sMom's 75th birthday the other day so we had a nice lunch with them and took along some presents and cake etc. Archie took his uke to play "Happy Birthday" and generally entertain us. We helped put up the plastic folding tree and the decorations and threw our chips into the garden for the robins and starlings etc.

This was the card I made for her. It also doubled for a theme at Scrapiteria.
Very mild here with temps. in double figures. No white Xmas this year methinks.
Did some more shopping this morning early before the mad rush. Just waiting for Bruce the piano teacher to turn up for dinner but he is late. Maybe his train is having trouble with the mild temperatures or leaves on the line?

Sanity Clause

Just back from shopping at Morrisons for mince pies, custard, poppadums, parsnips, etc. etc. and other xmassy groceries. I'll expect we'll be out to get more before the 25th though. It wasn't as hellish as i thought it would be but the drive there was full of incident- mad drivers over taking on bends and tail gating and we caught them up at the lights so what did they gain? Stupid iriots - as Benny Hill once said. Audrey came along too and was telling us abou the scrape she got from a big lorry with sickly driver who shouldnt have been driving by the sound of it. The insurance people said the car would have to be scrapped which made Audrey very upset. We went along to see the damage and it was a very faint scratch down one side and the hub-cap popped off and rolled somewhere ( who knows where? ) and a slight dent- hardly visible by the naked eye, so to suggest she have it scrapped seems ludicrous! It shook them up- her and Granma- though and will be wary of big lorries in future, especially those driven by pale sickly looking men.
We have lightsup inthe back room now - around the window which brightens it up a bit.
Hazel was just outsie washing the car and a Water Co van drove up and parked right across her white line. She wasnt pleased needlesss to say and told him to move it as the whole street was empty mostly and so plenty of other places to park. Another sickly looking bloke with hardly any brain cells to rub togther. How come they all get work with the council, water, electric services? Duh!
Another van drove up shortly afterwards and they grunted at each other as they went looking for a leak. "Dont park there- she's already told me off!"

Archie is back from bowling. He said he now smells of chips, grease and bowling alleys.
Off to get the tree now. The one from last year in a pot at the bottom of the garden is still alive but looks a bit tatty and probably full of slugs, bugs and weevils.
Also an interesting selection of cards from people we dont know or can't recognise! Who, for example, are Freya, Pippi and Inga? They sent an intriguing packet of "pills" with a home made label" Christmas Survival Pills" which are really Tic-tacs. "May Not Work On Teenagers". If anyone has any idea who these jokers are do let us know- both Hazel and I have no idea who they are, but scarily they seem to know us!

Rainy Weekend

Just back from a drive through the deluge to Weaverham to drop Archie off at jack's ( he's going bowling as part of Jacks Birthday treat ). We went on down the wiggly wet lanes to Frodsham and Lady Hayes Antique Centre and did some browsing amongst the old tat and books etc. In the candle shop ownded by Bob Carolgees ( he of Spit The Dog fame - see above) Hazel bought some Xmas candles and matches. Bob was behind the counter serving but no sign of Spit. Hazel didnt realise who it was until I pointed out the posters outside stuck to the window.
Hazel bought a few presents for herself that I can wrap up for her for crimble including a nice old biscuit tin, a multi-pen,pencil stamper gadget and some needles etc. Also some other stuff for her blog.
Other good news is that Archie passed his Grade 1 piano exam .

Do You Feel Christmassy Yet?

Not in this drizzle I dont! Just back from a shopping trip to town. My duffle coat soaks up the rain like a sponge. We have our lights up and flashing - so do the neighbours. We have new noisy ones from Poland or somewhere foreign. They seem friendly enough but shout very loudly in Polish or whatever it is. Hard to work out who actually lives there as I've seen at least 5 different people coming and going. They have at least two flashy cars- a BMW and a Passat. They'll find parking a nightmare down our street - one of the reasons the last couple moved out apparently.
O well , it's early days yet. Watch this space for further neighbour news.
I did the collaged xmas card again this years and got 100 printed at Boots for 8p each. We spent most of the weekend sticking them down onto card and folding and enveloping , rubber stamping etc. I posted a heap of them this morning and spent this afternoon doing more. One wonders if it's worth all the time and effort!
No time to feed the ducks this weekend. More shopping and sliding on the trecherously slippy pavements!
Woolies was heaving due to a 50% off lots of things Sale, but not much I wanted sadly. I did queue up to buy a calender on Sunday when it was relatively quiet.
Fascinating stuff eh?
Hazel made a christmas cake with the help of his nibs. It looks good enough to eat. I was thinking about making some mince pies but probably easier to buy them. Mine tend to erupt like mini volcanoes and spill sticky goo all down the pie dishes like so much treacley lava! It hell to wash off afterwards.

Where Did That Week Go?

Seven days have just flown by! I can't remember much of it - it's all a blurr. We did go for a walk to feed the ducks though on Sunday as I have this photo of Hazel being follwed by a few mad geese to remind me! Half way round Shakcrley mere we found a notice baodr which had new posters pinned to it - Do Not Feed The Wild Fowl!
First time weve seen it! Now we feel guilty after dumping half a stale loaf in the lake - but the ducks and geese went bonkers and chased us up the path - they obviously love the stuff. I suppose its like us with naughty stuff like cakes and chips! Apparently they get full of bread and cant eat the healthy stuff and get sick. Try telling that to the little kids who feed the ducks every weekend!
I must consult my very tedoius and dull diary which says-
Wednesday- Went to town and got two videos "The FLY" and "RE-Animator 2" for 20p .each. Hazel working every day this week - coming home exhausted and going straight to bed. Pipes still leak free. Hooray!
Thursday - Archie's Grade One ivory tickling at some old farmhouse in the wilds of Anderton. Full of ladies with buns in tweeds. Grand piano that he wasnt used to and cold fingers. Doesn't sound very promising.
Friday - Winter heating allowance- yippee! Walked to town and back. Drizzle. Did some Xmas shopping.
Saturday - Took bags of old vids and books into Oxfam. More shopping.
Sunday - Went shopping AGAIN with hazel. to argos and B&Q for floor paint for bathroom.
Monday - Snow! It didnt last long though. maybe we will have a white Xmas this year? Painted floor of bathroom with weird smelling pale green paint. I managed to tip the can up and so half the floor is cream now and really shiny! I will paint the rest tomorrow. luckily half a tin left. Drips have stopped which is good.
Downlaoded Toon Boom software to try. Our PC isnt fast enough to handle it. Seemed very complicated too. Similar to Flash.
O well, thats it in a nut shell. Off to paint the floor again now.