Air fare nightmare!

Decided on the spur of the moment to book a holiday in July as I have 2 weeks off work, so I grabbed the laptop and went onto the internet to gain inspiration for our next destination. Anyone that knows us will be aware that we've been all over the world and people keep saying there can't be many places left to visit - this is of course ridiculous coz the world is a massive place but I guess the countries and cities on our wish list have reduced somewhat.

Swimming with dolphins in their natural habitat has always been at the top of my ambitions list, a very common one I know, but as a huge animal lover who has already been on a couple of safaris, this has got to be the ultimate experience. This is how much it affects me: when I watch people swimming with dolphins on the tv or I see photos or listen to people talking about it, I literally well up with emotion. It sounds crazy but I just can't help it. Interacting with dolphins in a captive environment is a big NO NO for me, despite the fact that you'd be able to touch and ride on them in that situation (in the wild you are not allowed to touch, it's very much on the dolphins' terms whether they want to interact with YOU).

Anyway, I found a great website that does a three-day dolphin experience with other extras thrown in which is located in Panama City in Florida. I'd never heard of this place - the only Panama City I know is the capital of Panama!! I found it on the map and it's about half way between Jacksonville and New Orleans on the Gulf of Mexico. Aah I thought! That'd be good if we could combine the dolphin experience with New Orleans, hire a car and travel around a bit. That's the kind of holiday I prefer - I detest package holidays and hate being stuck in one place for too long. So I then checked flights to the nearest airport: Tallahassee which produced zilch!
After trying New Orleans, and as far away as Orlando, all flights are well over £600 in July. Ouch! Doing quick calculations in my head, this was gonna turn into a very expensive trip (again)! Flights, airport tax, travel insurance, accommodation, dolphins, car hire, food, drink, petrol and entertainment means finding at least £3000 I think.

Feeling a bit down after looking at those flight prices, I tried to think of something else we could do which would be cheaper. So what did I google? Holidays to Namibia & the Galapagos Islands!!!!!!!!!! Somehow a cheap holiday to Bognor never appeals!

Anyway, we both agreed we'd rather do the USA/dolphin trip so maybe we'll have to grit our teeth with the cost and just do it! Watch this space.

Poppy's health update

Took Poppy back to the vet for another blood test this morning to check out how her kidneys are functioning. I received a call from the vet this evening who explained that they ran two tests, one to check how the kidneys are disposing of waste, which was very slightly worse than before, and the second test (I can't remember the exact medical word for it) but basically the overall condition of the kidneys has improved a little. Obviously this is good news and I don't need to arange another blood test for about three months. In the meantime though, Poppy will have to carry on with the special diet and the tablets for her over-active thyroid.

A bad result

White Hart Lane was in good voice and the Spurs got off to a good start with several chances going begging. However, two bad defensive errors (one extremely foolish) put Man Utd 2 up by half time. Our boys upped the effort in the second half and it paid off with a goal, scrambled in by Jermaine Jenas. There were chances for both sides to score more but sadly that's how the game ended: Spurs 1 Manure 2. Peed off to say the least. We have to go to Highbury next week - when was the last time we won there? 'Nuff said. :-(

The one and only Mr Depp

I don't know why, but I just felt compelled to write something about Johnny Depp. I'm lying of course, I DO know why! He is the most fabulous actor there is, in my opinion, and I admire him greatly. There are many words to describe him: other than the obvious good-looking and sexy, he is mysterious, moody, mild mannered, laid back and private. The latter is certainly an achievement for such a huge star, I suppose mainly because he lives in France, but nevertheless, you hardly ever see him splashed over pages of magazines, or hear anything derogotory about him (anymore), despite the fact that he has had a bit of a dodgy past with drugs, rocky relationships with Winona Ryder and Kate Moss, and the apparent death of River Phoenix taking place in his nightclub. I won't go into that any further because that was a long time ago; I just wanna concentrate on the more positive aspect of Johnny's life. Unlike many famous people, he has managed a long-term relationship with French singer Vanessa Paradis - remember Joe Le Taxi? They have two children together and seem very happy.

Johnny has come a long way from when he started out in an American teenage tv show called '21 Jump Street' and his film debut in A Nightmare on Elm Street where he swallowed by a bed! Along the way, he has dabbled in music and is a very accomplished guitarist. Not many people will know that he once appeared on Top of the Pops in 1994 with the Pogues. He has also appeared in several music videos and was a guest guitarist on one of Oasis's album tracks in 1997. Quite remarkably he had a cameo role on UK television in 1999 in The Vicar Of Dibley and also appeared in a 'Suits You' sketch in The Last Ever Fast Show Christmas Special in 2000. I can't believe I've yet to see either - perhaps I will have to invest in the respective dvds!

Recently, on one of those Channel 4 shows"The best 100...", he was voted 2nd best actor of all time by his fellow thespians, only behind the legendary Marlon Brando. Wow! What an accolade for one so young - but totally deserved. What I admire about Johnny, and this is shared by many, is that he shys away from blockbuster movies and makes very unusual choices in the roles he plays. This is of course, with the exception of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' but who can blame him for that choice - all little boys want to grow up to be a pirate - right? Apparently, his daughter thought he was a real pirate after seeing Daddy in the film! Cute huh? Some of the big films he has turned down: Speed, Interview with the Vampire, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Legends of the Fall, Thelma & Louise, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and Chaplin.

So when is Johnny going to win a 'Best Actor' Oscar? It's surely long overdue. I'm not going to exaggerate and say that every single one of Johnny's films are great, because some have been strange and not too exciting, but there's no arguing that he is probably the most diverse actor currently in the business. Who else can go from Edward Scissorhands to a mobster to Ed Wood to a drug dealer to Don Juan to an astronaut to Captain Jack Sparrow to an Irish gypsy to a Scottish playwright to a Victorian cockney detective to Willy Wonka? And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Undoubtedly, Johnny enhances any film. If it's a mediocre film such as 'The Astronaut's Wife' the fact that he's in it makes you watch. Without him, I would have been disinterested. There are plenty of actors who are good looking, but most of them don't have the acting ability to go with it. Johnny is truly an exception.

Just before I go, Johnny just in case you happen to surf the net and miraculously wander onto my blog, I just wanna say 'Stay chilled and keep on doing what you're doing'!! Hehe! Like THAT'S gonna happen!!!!!!!!!

Bump! Back down from la-la land.....I wrap this dedication up with a huge round of applause for the talented Mr Depp.

The Lion King

Last night, John and I went to the Lyceum Theatre Covent Garden to see the award-winning show The Lion King. I went with little expectation that I would enjoy it and it didn't help that I already felt knackered, having done absolutely nothing all day long! We grapped a 'quick' bite to eat from a restaurant in Covent Garden, although the service was slow and disorganised! This left us running late with 10 minutes to spare before the show started.

The seats were very disappointing. John only booked them a week beforehand and maybe should have waited and booked at a later date to get better ones. We were in one of the boxes on our own with two, what I call, 'dining chairs'. The boxes faced the other side of the theatre rather than towards the stage so the view to part of the stage was restricted and we had to literally lean over to see properly. It was very uncomfortable and the show itself did nothing to take my mind off that. The costumes were brilliant but other than that, I haven't really got anything great to say about it. There was regular laughter in the audience but I didn't find it the least bit funny. It was probably a good show to most people, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. Even the ending didn't have that 'oomph' that you would expect; they could've made far more of it.

Never mind - you win some, you lose some. I think after seeing Mary Poppins last week, that's gonna be hard to beat.

A set back

Getting back to work has been great - yes really it has! However, these past few days have not been so good on my back. I went home Tuesday in quite a bit of discomfort, which even after a couple of painkillers didn't subside. Unusually, I was still quite restless in bed and couldn't get in a comfy poisition. The pain was still bad yesterday with the addition of burning all around the area so I called in work to say I couldn't come in. I was hoping a full day's rest would put me right again but alas this morning I still woke up with lower back ache and stiffness. Not a good idea to push my luck going in so called work again to say I wouldn't be there. I spoke to my manager and next week I will be re-discussing my rehab hours - clearly, it's too much too soon for me at the moment. I'm so frustrated - I was doing so well. :-( I just hope my Easter weekend won't be ruined by pain because John and I have the theatre booked for tomorrow night and we're going to the footie on Monday. Reading this you might say, 'well she can't be that bad if she's going out'. Well in answer to that, I absolutely refuse to let this problem totally impede my social life! Without it, I would be completely miserable and that's not good for anyone.

Welcome back Susie!

Yesterday, a good pal Sue returned to work after almost 10 months. She's had a real tough time with her health, her family, work related stress and other things and it was so nice to see her back. As I'm also on rehab hours at the moment due to my back problem, I offered to call for Sue on my way in so that it wasn't so daunting a prospect walking into work after so long. It was the least I could do because I knew how she must be feeling. Although only attending work for 2 hours this week, I'm sure it's broken the ice and she'll be ok.
So I thought today would be dedicated to he one and only Susie-Woo, dog-lover extraordinaire. She won't thank me for posting a photo on here but she doesn't have a computer so I guess it doesn't matter!

Saturday: Part 2

After wandering around Soho, Leicester Square and Chinatown, John and I found a very very reasonably priced restaurant just a few steps from the Prince Edward Theatre. For a mere £21 we consumed between us: minestrone soup, beef strogonoff with rice chips & veg, canelloni with chips & salad, treacle pudding with custard, apple crumble with custard, half a bottle of red wine, a lemonade, a bottle of beer & a cup of tea. Amazing value & very nice too!

The musical Mary Poppins began at 7:30 & we had good seats in the middle of the stalls in row O. Despite being knackered from the day's events so far & all the miles of walking, as soon as the show started, that was all forgotten. The scenery was fantastic, the cast were superb, and the songs were of course feet-tappingly great! It was all very cleverly done & one of the highlights was when Bert walked up the side of the stage, along the top upside-down & down the other side. Another was at the end when Mary Poppins glided over the rooftops on the stage & then came overhead above the audience & then finally disappeared into the blackness. The encores of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious at the end certainly left the audience clapping along in appreciation & made sure you went home with a broad smile on your face. Certainly, for the rest of the night, I couldn't stop humming the tunes of 'Step in Time', 'A spoonful of Sugar' and 'Chim Chim Cheree'.
I've got to say that compared to the film, although it is an all-time classic, the musical was far far better and I would recommend it to everyone. I would certainly love to see it again someday.

Saturday: Part 1

Been looking forward to this Saturday for a while: a combination of football & theatre in London. Firstly a 12:45 kick off at White Hart Lane to see my beloved Spurs play Manchester City. We have a good record against City, apart from that dreaded FA Cup tie a couple of years ago where we went 3-0 up & lost 4-3 against 10 men. Not a game to forget in a hurry! :-( Because we had to get to the West End later, we had to get the train from the offset (we usually drive to Tottenham which only takes about an hour) but the train & tubes took 2 & a half hrs, followed by a mile's walk to the stadium. Thankfully the sun was shining & there were no wintery blizzards like in Sunderland!

The games against City haven't always been very pretty but on this occasion it was quite entertaining. The atmosphere in the stadium was very lively today (sometimes it lacks a little) & where we were sitting, there was good rapport with the other fans.

Our boys played really well in the first half. Other than Paul Stalteri scoring the opening goal a minute before half time (always a good time to score), the highlight of the half was undoubtedly when the opposition's goalie David James made a complete hash-up of dribbling around an oncoming attacker & gave the ball to us with the goal gaping wide open; unfortunately Mido wasted the chance by not spotting Keano waiting in the middle of the box! Our fans proceeded to chant 'England's Number 4, England England's Number 4'!! Of course our very own Paul Robinson is England's number 1 goalkeeper, with David James in 2nd and this chanting was very amusing!! The second half got off to a flyer with another goal scored in the 49th minute by Michael Carrick. Beautifully taken down on the chest on the right-hand side of the box & smashed into the back of the net. Woohoo! Except for this one piece of brilliance, Carrick had a lack-lustre game, looking far too casual in my opinion. With the World Cup selection coming up, he should be showing what he is truly capable of. Spurs slipped up a few minutes later, letting in a soft goal from close range. Typical! The rest of the game was a bit rough for us & we might have easily conceded an equaliser; thankfully we hung on for the 3 points. Phew! Now all our hopes are pinned onto Man Utd (Manure) beating the Gooners (Arsenal) tomorrow so they don't close the gap of 5 points Spurs have on them at the moment. I detest both teams, but tomorrow I will be routing for Manure!

Anxious & lost

This morning I delivered my cat Poppy to the vets for her long-awaited operation to have her thyroid removed. As a responsible owner, you know you're doing the right thing in the long run, but still can't help feeling the guilt at leaving her there. Poor thing - she must be so frightened.
She's gotta stay overnight too, and she's bound to feel she's been abandoned. At this moment I feel empty because she's not here in the house and anxious for everything to go according to plan. It's almost 5 hours until I can ring and find out how the op went...I don't like wishing time away but 3 0'clock can't come soon enough.

Update 10:45. The vet just called with some distressing news. The routine pre-op blood test results show that Poppy has early signs of kidney failure. They can't tell whether it'll be a long term condition or whether the disease could progress quickly. However, if they operate, the kidney problem will worsen or even lead to complete failure. One alternative is to put her on a drip for today to ensure the kidneys are getting enough fluids and then operate tomorrow; the vet is going going to discuss the matter further with his colleagues and ring me back within the next hour. This is so not the news I was expecting and I'm now feeling quite dreadful.

Update 12:00. The vet thinks it best not to go ahead with the op and to send Poppy home on a new diet which may help her kidneys. Then to have a further blood test in 3 weeks time to see if there is any change. So I'm off to get her now.

Update: 12:30. My baby's home, bless her - what must she be thinking? I have two types of special food to try on her. I put half a bowl down (it stinks by the way) and she ate a fair bit, probably because she hasn't eaten since 7pm yesterday.

Update: 18:00. Poppy wasn't really interested in the food this evening, which is worrying. She ate a little and then went to sleep upstairs. She came down a little bit later and I gave her some tinned tuna just so that she had something in her stomach. I'll try her with some more of the special stuff tomorrow. The trouble is, I have to continue giving her the tyroid tablets which I usually insert into a morsel of food, but the special stuff is in such small pieces, that's impossible. If I crush the tablets, I've gotta make sure she eats all the food. It's gonna be tough ride. I don't even wanna think about the possibility of her condition deteriorating and then losing her. :-(

A night of sophistication

Last night, in the company of John and my Mum, I attended my first ever ballet: Romeo and Juliet at the Cliffs Pavilion, performed by the Russian State Ballet of Siberia. I always said that everyone should see a ballet and an opera at least once in your life - you may not like it but it's an experience. It was such a shame though, because the theatre was half empty and obviously lacked an atmosphere.

The costumes were bright and colourful, the dancing was good but some of the scenes in the first half left us baffled as to what was going on, for instance, which performers belonged to the Capulets and which to the Montagues. We had a bit of a giggle about it in the interval, particularly about the male dancer who appeared to be somewhat of a gay interest towards Romeo????!!! and also the dancer who looked like she was wearing a bagle on her head!!! The most moving part of the first half was undoubtedly when Romeo and Juliet fell in love and I must admit I did get swept away by the passion and beautiful dancing between the two of them. See - I'm an old romantic at heart! I was excited too, because Romeo and Juliet features my most favourite piece of classical music: Prokofiev's 'Montagues and Capulets'. I couldn't help moving my feet when the orchestra played that but John had to stop me because all the seats were joined together and so I was jerking everyone around me!

In the second half it was easier to follow the interpretation of the dancing; it was quite sombre in places as there were four tragedies in total and the image of death was everywhere. There was still what I call a funny part for me when the 'gay' guy came flying onto the stage wearing a large red bra and a flowing skirt. Then there was a fight over the bra and this lead to someone getting stabbed! Anyone reading this must think ' what a complete ignoramous' but I don't care!! Most people probably know how Romeo and Juliet ends so at least I understood that part! The end scene where there are both lying dead together with the image of their spirits still dancing in heaven was quite moving.

Sadly, with the lack of audience, the applause sounded half dead and I felt sorry for the performers. Hopefully they'll have a full house tonight.

Health update

Well I eventually went back to the docs a week ago because I couldn't stand feeling crap any longer. He was gonna write out yet another presciption after being in the room 30 seconds, so I questioned him. Seems the doc I saw last time misinterpreted my symptoms and so prescribed anti biotics for a urinary infection that wasn't there! Hmmm...is anyone listening to me? The burning and cramping left this doc baffled as well and so booked an appointment for me to have a swab taken to check for any infections in my lower abdomen. This I did the following Monday.
The results were in by Friday but these showed negative signs of any problems. The doc suggested IBS which basically means they haven't a clue what's wrong! I queried whether it could be another symptom of my back problem to which she said 'yes it could be'. I ask myself, 'is there any expertise in the NHS any more?'. I am so wanting to go private and I'm sure the expense must be worth it. So that's that. I just have to assume it IS my back.

Thursday I had to attend a medical assessment in Kent at the request of Occupational Health. Not a trip I was looking forward to as I'd been in bed with a sickness bug the previous two days and still wasn't feeling particularly great. John drove me, poor thing, he wasn't feeling great either. The private hospital was set in beautiful countryside near Sevenoaks and the building itself was an old manor house. Very nice - wouldn't mind being treated there! I saw a very pleasant chap and had to fill out a questionnaire, tell him the history of my back problem and then take part in some tests to assess my mobility, strength, grip etc.

Yesterday, after the docs appointment, I went into work as a representative of Posturite (the chair manufacturer) was coming to re-assess my desk and adjust the chair's position if necessary. It was nice to see everyone, although half of the team are new additions since I've been signed off. Just that morning caused quite a bit of pain in my back and driving my car is still a major factor. I couldn't wait to get back home to my comfy armchair! I'm extremely sceptical about managing my rehab back to work - at the moment I just don't feel like I'm destined ever to work at a desk again or to drive normally either. It's so frustrating.

A Good Day

Had a smashing day yesterday at the footie despite a dream the night before that involved me going to a kids' birthday party round my Mum's house & forgetting all about the match! It got even weirder after that so I won't go into the details for fear of being certified! Anyway, John and me met up with my mate Debs and her hubby Mick in Whites (Spurs members bar) two hours before kick off. It was so nice to see her and we had a good giggle.

The match against Blackburn was a crucial one as they would take our 4th spot if they beat us. Spurs gave us the usual heart failure moments but the boys came out victors 3-2 in the end and a valuable 3 points it was.

NB. Still above the Gooners!

I'm back!!!

Been fed up the past few weeks and I suppose I've been letting things bother me too much. I hate that I am so unconfident and I get nervous about any little thing. I've had these weird symptoms in my lower abdomen including very hot skin - I went to the doctor and as usual (it seems) she was puzzled. She "guessed" at a urinary infection despite nothing being wrong with my water! I was prescribed anti-biotics which unsurprisingly didn't work. I still have the symptons, albeit not quite as bad as before. Just the thought of going to the docs again is getting me all worked up. Seems I've been n and out of there what with my back problems as well. I've been worrying about other situations as well, including my cat. I'm getting annoyed with my vets practice as they keep wanting blood tests and keep changing the dosage of tablets she is taking but all I want to do is have the thyroid taken out. It gives me the impression they are taking me for a ride to get more money out of me. I hate confrontation, and I've already had arguments with the receptionist there and again, I get all worked up thinking about having to speak to the vet. It's so silly I know. I wish I was like my partner John as nothing phases him.
I've also got to go to Dartford to have a medical assessment on 16th March - thankfully John has agreed to drive me there, otherwise I'd be fretting about that too. Then there's returning to work which after 4 months is a bit daunting, with the added worry that my back problems will reoccur as badly as before.

I woke up yesterday morning determined to be positive - it really helped that it was bright sunny day and I decided to get out of the house and go for a walk. Despite being bracingly cold in spots, I had a good walk around Gunners Park and felt better for it. I think being in the house day after day after day is doing me no good at all and I will try and motivate myself to get out every day, even if it's only for half an hour. Today I drove down to Shoebury East Beach and took my camera. I love photography and I enjoyed wandering around taking pictures of boats sitting on the mud; with the sunlight trying to peep through the clouds, the sheen across the mud was a pleasant sight. I'll go and load the pics onto the computer once I've finished here.
I am also determined that each day I give myself a variety of things to do. Too many times I end up plonked in the armchair in a veggie state watching the telly or using my laptop. I'm looking forward to Sunday coz I'm going to the footie and will meet up with my friend Debs. Right now, I'm off to re-pot a plant and then have a session on the treadmill.

Valentine's Update

Well after last night, you'll never guess what I got for Valentine's Day. A poxy pot plant! I rest my case.

What's happened to romance?

I just had to write this down. Get this - John actually asked me whether I would like some flowers tomorrow for Valentines Day!!!!!!!!! I said, "you're not supposed to ASK me"!! Why can't men do anything off their own backs? He reckons doing the washing up is romantic! I think romantic men are a dying breed or are they already extinct?

Mixed emotions

Took my cat Poppy to the vet to be operated on this morning - she has an overactive thyroid for which she's been taking tablets since December 2004. I thought it was about time she had the bad boy removed. However, when the vet examined Poppy, her heart rate was 260 - far too high to risk having anaesthetic. So, this is why I have mixed emotions - I'd built myself up for her to have the op and go through the worry and now I'll have to go through it all again. In the meantime, I have to increase the dosage of tablets and take her for another blood test in a couple of weeks times. If the test is ok and her heart rate has lowered, then she can have the op.

I just hate things hanging over me; I just wanna get it out of the way. The frustrating thing is that Poppy is a nightmare getting into the cat-box; I literally have to bundle her in with force! She also hates the car & meows all the way there. Poor thing.

I also spare a thought for my Mum today as she's having one of her 3 remaining cats put to sleep. Rest in peace Syd.

Stopped the Rot

Went to the match today at White Hart Lane, the visitors being Charlton Athletic. Spurs haven't had the best of results in the past few weeks (an under-statement) and have not scored a goal in their last three matches. I was therefore hoping for a good performance and 3 points! John and I usually meet up with my friend Debs and her hubby Mick before the game, who have season tickets and come all the way from Oldham to support the team. I met Debs via Daniel Bedingfield's website messageboard almost three years ago.

Things didn't get off to a good start because I had it in my head that kick off was 3pm. Good job I looked at the tickets because it was actually 1.30! I had to scoff down my breakfast and get going! Unfortunately I discovered my mobile battery was dead on the way so I couldn't contact Debs to find out where we were meeting them. We usually meet at Whites, the Spurs members' bar, but they weren't there sadly. Anyway, we took our seats for the game and weren't too pleased with our choice of position. We're usually high in the stands at the back where it's an excellent view of the whole pitch but this time, tried out seats lower down nearer the pitch. Not a good idea! Every time something looked promising near the goal everyone stood up and we couldn't see a thing. Fans don't seem to take any notice of the policy which says you must be seated at all times (apart from when celebrating a goal obviously). John complained to the steward who said he couldn't do much about it but about 15 minutes later he came over to us and said there were two seats right at the front (next to the pitch) if we wanted them. We didn't hesitate! That was much better and although not a superior view to being up high, it was nice to get up close to the players. Spurs played well in the first half going 2-0 ahead through Jermain Defoe and Jermaine Jenas. The second period got off to a great start with Defoe scoring again in the first minute. The rest of the half went downhill, letting Charlton pass the ball around and hardly any chances were created. The visitors then grabbed a goal. Thankfully, we managed to hold on to 3-1 and came away with those 3 points. Hoorah! 4th in the table and 4 points ahead of Arsenal (just for the record)!

Family Ties

After a conversation the other night, I have decided to build my family tree. It's something I've always wanted to do, talked about numerous times but never actually gotten around to. And, it'll give me something to do while I'm off work! There are so many websites these days which deal with archives, the Census, births, deaths and marriages, it's difficult to know where to start, although thankfully the surname Mowling is extremely rare. I have found many Mowlings on the Census for 1901, 1891, 1881, 1871 and 1861 and there are a few names I recognise from conversations I've had in the past. However, I have decided to forget all that for the moment and just start with what I already know. I am using the Genes Reunited website to begin as it is really easy to use and it has the facility to build a tree just by entering details: name, year of birth and place of birth. Trouble is, it's surprising how much of that type of information you DON'T know - I've had to guess the majority of years until I get the chance to verify it with other members of the family. Also, maiden names are a problem, especially when there's been previous marriages. I've emailed my cousin Andrew in Australia because I needed his first wife, present wife and daughters' details. Turns out he previously acquired all my Mum's side of the family tree from our Great Auntie Sylvia many years ago which is great news because I was planning to write to her for all the information. She is the family 'expert' and can talk for days about the family history. Fascinating but once you get her talking, that's it!! I already have dozens of old family photos on my lounge wall (copies not the originals), but it's hard to remember everyone's name and who is related to who. I think my Dad will be able to help with the basics of his side of the family, but his Mum is still with us, so hopefully Nan will be able to fill in any gaps.

I'm really up for this and looking forward to gathering the information!

Happy Birthday Al !!

Many happy returns to my mad mate Al. Spent a lovely evening round her house yesterday - only intended to stay for about an hour but ended up staying for 3 hours and a quarter! Amazing how time flies when you're chatting away. Thing is with Al is you can talk about absolutely ANYthing, unlike some people I know where it can be a struggle. Topics covered last night were Big Brother, Who Do You Think You Are? & family trees, work, Katie Price & her new book, Sue & Jacquie, Al's new ornament, Noel Edmunds & Deal Or No Deal, The Bedingfields, DVD recorders, FRIENDS and its stars, eating & weight, Al's haircut, Paul McKenna's techniques, my childhood crushes, Richard & Judy, my shoes, Al's siblings, smoothies & blenders, forthcoming evening round her house with Ali & Sam, Ali's birthday present, ironing, Catherine Tate, Little Britain, me being off work & being bored, films, Al's wish list, unidentified noise in the house, Al's boiler problem, ebay, Project Catwalk, Cirque du Soleil, blogs, exercise, tv shows involving plastic surgery, Michael Flatley, and ballet. I think that proves my point!!