So Soon?*

*Or why I am giving up college again.

In happier times.















My poor car- sometimes referred to as the Dirtmobile- has been a bit poorly of late. I've had it for 9 years now, from new and I'm afraid they just don't build them to last. Anyway the car and I have experienced this past month a rather bad run of expenses/costly repair bills, at just over £900 (about US/AU $1350) all told.

I've a nasty suspicion there will likely be more work necessary in the coming months so I think probably this year I'll have to bite the bullet and say goodbye to my trusty transport and hello to a shiny new set of wheels. Either way my return to college and pottery is going to be short lived, which is a real shame. Having got my hands back in the clay and starting to produce some pleasing forms, I have realised just how much I missed ceramics. The trouble is, I just can't afford the term fees and car repairs/replacement all at the same time.

Obviously I will post images of the finished work in the coming weeks but don't expect too much before another break.

Kite Flying

Thought I'd share this image of a Red Kite I took this weekend. I counted 5 circling overhead today, until that is I went inside to get my camera. Somehow via means of a sixth sense they just knew to make themselves scarce!

Lovely isn't it?

Watch Out!

Keep an eye out for someone sporting a bag like this. They can only be trouble.

You have been warned LOL.

Championship

The royals move up to third in the Championship on the back of today's result. Reading are now on 54 points after 31 games and 3 points behind second placed West Ham.


14 Jan Watford 1 - 2 Reading
21 Jan Reading 0 - 1 Hull
28 Jan Reading 1 - 0 Bristol City
11 Feb Reading 2 - 0 Coventry
14 Feb Derby 0 - 1 Reading
17 Feb Reading 1 - 0 Burnley

Fun In The Snow

Snowball fight anyone..?

A Bit Chilly

OK so it's finally getting officially cold here now. We've had something of a mild winter to date here in the south of England but this morning was quite a shock to the system: At around 8 this morning my weather station in the garden was proudly telling me it was -8 degrees Celsius (that's about 18 degrees F). Brrrrr!

And you know what? Around 4pm it started to gently snow and hasn't stopped since (it's a mere zero degrees at present). Here's a couple of images, taken this evening.

View into the street.

Garden seats and table, complete with carrots (no, really) growing in a container.














Tomorrow we get to go play in the snow with LL. I suspect however GFDU will be wearing even more layers of clothes. We've got to four already LOL.

Honour

Today I got to be an "Aussie for the day" in honour of Australia Day and my guest from Down Under.

So like a good Aussie I listened to a CD of Australian music (great), consumed home-made ANZAC biscuits (yummy) and drank Bundaberg Ginger Beer (need I say more?). The only downside being that at a maximum temperature of around 6.5 degrees Celsius, the weather wasn't exactly typically Australian.

Someone even thought it a good idea to fly the Aussie flag from the roof of my car all the way down to Southampton and Portsmouth today...

Strewth!

Nice Card

You know how it is- just as you press the shutter, the subject pulls the card up and hides behind it!

...And Another Year Wiser

Eight today. Happy Birthday son.

Cost Of Implants

There's been a whole lot of coverage in the media this past few weeks regarding the scandal of faulty breast implants made by the now bust (no pun intended) French company PIP. You can read more here.

The British government has said there is no evidence of a risk to health (other governments including the French have taken a somewhat different line). The UK department of health has gone on to state that since the majority of the around 40000 UK women possibly affected chose to have cosmetic surgery via private clinics, it is the responsibility of those private providers to remedy. They claim in the vast majority of cases there was no medical need to have the implants installed (sorry) fitted, therefore it is not the responsibility of the National Health Service.

Not looking quite so 'glamorous' now, are they?






I kind of get that and for the most part agree. As a tax payer, it isn't my responsibility to pay to put right what was in effect a matter of personal vanity. Except if there is a health risk, in particular cancer for example, you can bet the NHS will end up having to provide the care and support, not to mention footing the bill. Surely the cost of providing future long term health care to potentially up to 40000 women more than outweighs the cost of replacing sub-standard implants now?

Just my thought...

Sick

You know how you often hear parents telling their children not to bolt down their food? That they should take their time, chew properly and swallow before cramming the next fork load in or else they will be sick..?

Tonight I'm afraid I was proved right. LL was quite violently sick and the whole lot seemed to come back. Not nice.

Earlier in the day we had to spent far too much time on his homework. They've each been given the task for next few weeks of producing a booklet on an aspect of ancient Egypt, such as the Pyramids, Pharaohs or Mummies. You get the idea. Personally I think it's a bit of a stretch for most 8 year old kids, LL included. If they had been asked to research one new fact each week and then report back, I feel it might have been more appropriate. What they've been given instead is far too onerous and I suspect in many cases the work handed in at half term will be that of many parents, not their children.

I'll let you know if I get a good mark from Teacher LOL. 



2 Jan Cardiff 3 - 1 Reading
14 Jan Watford 1 - 2 Reading


The Royals are currently 5th in the Championship on 42 points after 26 games.

Two Sherlocks

Some readers will know I'm a bit of a fan of Conan Doyle's most famous consulting detective. You can imagine my joy at an impromptu trip with a friend to the cinema to see Guy Richie's latest this afternoon. Added to that the BBC are currently showing the second series of Steven Moffat's modernised version on Sunday nights. Two for the price of one you might say.

I thoroughly enjoyed the big screen version even if the final destination was somewhat signposted. The spectacle of the thing and its scale was most impressive. I did however comment that the actor playing Moriarty had- to my mind- more than a striking resemblance to the former British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, poor bloke.

Also I should say last week's opening episode on BBC 1- text messaging and all- kept me gripped throughout and guessing right to the closing credits. So which is better? Must I choose now..?

Warner Bros present Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr as Dr Watson and Mr Holmes, big screen style.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Watson in the BBC's modern Sherlock.