Friday 29 April 2011

Thursday to End All Thursdays!

Is it just me or is there something slightly ominous about this - personally I'd quite like a few more Thursdays and wouldn't like to see an end to them!  Mondays, now that's another matter ;-)

This Thursday's up there with the best purely because it's a day closer to this Friday/Saturday and the arrival of the amazing DBB!

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Wednesday 27 April 2011

Space Cadet Tuesday!

Hahaha - I loved this one!

I really wanted to get one of these amazing Kirk or Spock t-shirts and wear it.........................................


but settled for looking very 'star trek' in my fabulous space cadet outfit (after taking the photo I stepped into the shower and transported (beamed down?) to my desk ;-)!


The addition of my funky red head bopper things were just the icing on the cake!


I decorated the office (and Bob) with glow in the dark planets and stars and spent the rest of the day seeking out new life forms and civilisations (surprisingly easy actually!)!  And I think I can claim the March extra 'turn some heads' today - purely in a 'what the hell.......?' way but still - it counts!


I was very impressed when I arrived at the office and found this on my desk - we've run out of gingerbread people so somebody's improvised with one of Auntie Betty's ginger biscuits!


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Monday 25 April 2011

Eat Loads of Chocolate!

Easter Sunday (and Happy Anniversary Pops and Olive!)!

Before the holidays I put the bunny ears on (yes, I know, I look like a demented (and slighty angry) easter bunny in this photo) and decorated the office for easter (Bob threw himself into this one!) and distributed a little easter basket to the few hardy souls who put in an appearance on thursday morning!




I've got 2 hot cross buns in the kitchen courtesy of a religious group handing them out free at the supermarket on Friday.  Bernie wasn't offered one and I was offered two, her theory is that this is because I obviously look like I'm in more need of saving!

I wasn't expecting to have any Easter eggs but Sophie surprised me with a fabulous Knickerbocker Glory style egg and Bernie got me a Wispa egg (my favourite :-) so thank you to both of them!



Then I was fortunate enough to spend Easter Sunday with Kevin and Ray being treated to a fabulous meal with excellent conversation :-)  oh, and chocolate.....thank you for the Easter bunnies and fantastic table decorations!





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Sunday 24 April 2011

Consider Flip Flops!

And that's as far as I got - just considering!

I can't wear flip flops, I can't seperate my toes or move them independently (no, I don't have webbed feet!) and just the idea of flip flops is enough to make me go all funny!

I did buy a pair a couple of years ago though (and Nadine's got some that I could put up with I think) purely because they were so pretty, and went so well with the trousers I was wearing to a wedding.  I tried, I honestly tried, to learn to wear them but ended up taking the scissors to them and creating mules instead!




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Saturday 23 April 2011

Attempt a World Record!

What, just one?

I wanted to try these six (apparently easily breakable), but without a space hopper I've had to settle for the remaining 5!

So, here we go then..........................

1. Most Ferrero Rocher chocolates eaten in one minute: 7

Current holder: Dynamite Dane Jim Lyngvild managed 7 in just under 60 seconds live on Danish TV, in October 2008.

Rules: No water, must show empty mouth after each Rocher's been consumed.

Result: I was very impressed with my Easter bunny ferrero rocher find - unfortunately it didn't help at all with the challenge, I managed 3 (and was unwrapping the fourth) when the minute timer went off! 


2. Eggs broken with head in one minute: 103

Current holder: A work experience guy (Alex Smith) at FHMThe lads over at FHM.

Rules: Medium sized hen eggs; must be broken one at a time. Hands can be used to steady egg, but cannot be used to pick eggs up.

Result: I thought it'd probably be best to wear protective clothing for this one (it's like shower cap day all over again!)!


I got off to a good start and broke the first one with the floor!












The first two were surprisingly easy to smash but the third one just wouldn't break at all and neither would the fourth.  I suspect it's because by this point it was actually starting to hurt a fair bit, I started to feel like Woody Woodpecker but was determined that they weren't going to get the better of me!  It took me the whole minute but I managed to crack the third and fourth!  I have got a faint bruise appearing on my forehead though - ooops!
 
3. Fastest double duvet dressing: 1.13m

Current holder: Miss Liz Barker is the current record holder of the quickest double duvet stuffed correctly into a double duvet cover, as she did in just 1.13 minutes live on air (Blue Peter).

Rules: You can't just throw it in there, it's got to be properly made.

Result: I think I should be given credit here..........my duvet's actually a king size and it's possible I was hindered by Rosie 'helping'!  Anyway I managed it in 2 minutes and 12 seconds, which is a lot faster than the usual 10 minute wrestle!





4. Sweetcorn kernels eaten with a toothpick in three minutes: 185

Current holder: 'Bubble', aka Paul Ferguson From Big Brother 2 (back in 2001).  He managed to almost break the sweetcorn-kernels-eaten-with-a-toothpick-in-three-minutes record without much trying and went on to Big Brother's Little Brother and promptly broke the record.

Rules: One kernel at a time.

Result: Boss, Bernie wouldn't let me set up my shiny, sparkly cocktail sticks with kernels ready to just pick up and eat - apparently this would be considered cheating!  I managed 41 but more importantly (and impressively) I managed to do it without stabbing myself in the cheek (or anywhere else for that matter).



5. Fastest mile holding an egg in a spoon: 10 mins 45

Current holder: Ashrita Furman, this is a sports day special taken to extremes (apparently it relies on not only being a bit speedy, but also having wrists of steel and patience, patience, patience - I'm screwed then!).

Rules: Touch the egg or drop the egg, you're out.

Result: Found an egg and sppon race kit at the same time I found the Fererro Easter bunny - I thought this might come in handy if I smashed all the eggs in the house with my forehead!  There was no way I was going to get anywhere near a mile so Bernie and I just had a race down the side street - I won (and it was nothing to do with accidently bumping into Bernie ;-)


And that was it - I wonder if there's a record for how many records attempted in an hour........................

Had to share these photos with you - Bernie's cats spent the entire day in the sun on the window sill.........



We think Tilly maybe had a spot of sunstroke - Bernie put fresh water down for them and Tilly wandered over and collapsed around the bowl with her head in it!





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Thursday 21 April 2011

Sing in the Shower!

This is most days then!  But as it's an extra for this month I thought I'd best write about it - just be grateful that's all I'm doing, I could have recorded it!

This morning's shower rendition included Train - Hey Soul Sister (stuck in my head since Monday)



and Kenny Chesney - No shirt, No Shoes, No Problem (great start to the day!)!



Very much looking forward to starting at Rock up and Sing next week :-)

'If you can walk you can dance, if you can talk you can sing'
Old Zimbabwean saying
Oh, and Ray - I won't forget that you said you'd come and see us in concert if we last that long (yes Kevin, that means you too!)!

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Wednesday 20 April 2011

Be Spontaneous* (*On Tuesdays Only)

Ok, well it's Space Cadet Tuesday next week so that only left this week to get this extra in this month!

I didn't do very well I'm afraid - the most spontaneous it got was when I decided to sit outside with Duncan and Neil at lunchtime, woo hoo, rock and roll!

Oh, and a possibly career (hahahahahaha) ending moment of spontaneity when I decided to test the recording function of online meetings by sending the extended team a photo of Boss in his pink fluffy cowboy hat (don't worry Boss, I won't put it on here (well, not right now anyway ;-)) - fortunately Boss hasn't been able to access the recording!

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Monday 18 April 2011

Plant Something and Watch it Grow!

I had a great time at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show on Saturday (I miss having a garden!) and while I was there I picked up some seeds for Plant Something and Watch it Grow today!

I was unable to make a decision (shocking I know!) about which packet of seeds to go for so I ended up getting 3 - I don't have 3 pots or anything to plant them in though, in fact I don't have any pots to plant even one of them in..........................so, time to use one of my mums souffle dishes then!



I had a choice between the Oriental Spicy Mix, the Pak Choi Crunchy Mix and the Babyleaf Lettuce Mix, I went for babyleaf on the basis that this is the one I'm likely to get the most use out of while I sort out something to plant them all in!

That's the planting bit done then, there's not a lot I can do about the watching it grow bit - not on the same day anyway!

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Saturday 16 April 2011

Think About Lovely Things Day!

For this day (Thursday) I went one step further!

I didn't just think about lovely things, I spent the whole day wrapped in a bubble of lovlieness actually doing lovely things and thinking about all the lovely things to do the next day too!

Amongst other things this included a lazy morning watching The Notebook, a wander into town for more tea and cake at Bean and Bud, back home for SingStar then a late evening visit to Prezzo for food where we were the last to leave (the waitresses even left before we did!), breakfast and the crossword, a trip to the cinema and a lesson in present wrapping!

Lovely Happy Days!

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Thursday 14 April 2011

Totally Awesome Wednesday!

Yep, it got totally awesome right around 9pm!

The rest of the day wasn't too bad either, it got off to a good start in the morning when I saw my babies for the first time in weeks!  There's a nice chap who walks his two little dogs (my babies - Tito and I can't for the life of me remember the name of the other one at the moment, it's the cursed Bradley memory!) down the same path I walk to work and it always cheers me up when I see them and get to spend 5-10 minutes fussing them (the dogs, not the nice chap - although it's nice to chat for a few minutes too)!

The rest of the day was awful/awesome in equal measure largely because every minute dragged but also brought me closer to the evening and the arrival of 9pm!

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Wednesday 13 April 2011

Bring Your Donkey to Work Day!

Ok, this was one of my own extra days!

I told Bernie on Monday night that it was Bring Your Donkey to Work day the next day, her response...."I'm sorry, I'm not available" - hahahahahahahahaha!

Unfortunately I don't have a donkey but I'd planned ahead for this one - when I took all my Christmas decorations down I saved the donkey from the nativity scene!

So, I took it to work and introduced it to Bob, Dave and Paul!





Neil has loads of donkeys but forgot to bring any of them in - d'oh!  He did provide the link to The Donkey Sanctuary though :-)

Elaine shared her plans (and pictures) for world domination...........which include a farm that has only minature animals, including, yep, you've guessed it - minature donkeys!


Boss did his bit too - a day early and the wrong type of animal but still.................

Bring your Goslings to Work Day!


And here's an old pic of me and a donkey (and Richard Ingledew) on a holiday in Scarborough!




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Tuesday 12 April 2011

Play Tiddlywinks!

This was an extra for April - I wasn't sure I was going to get this one done, I don't (or didn't) own any tiddlywinks! 

Not a problem I thought, tiddlywinks are everywhere, I'll be able to pick some up for a couple of pounds from somewhere, right?  Wrong!  £8, yes, £8 was the cheapest I could find in the shops and at reputable online stores - seriously, what's the world coming to?!!!

So, I asked around to see if anyone had some I could borrow - tiddlywinks seem to be one of those things everyone thinks they have kicking around in the back of a cupboard somewhere but that no-one can recall actually seeing, or find for that matter!

Thank god for Ebay!  For the bargain price of £2 (inc postage) I have a suitably tacky looking game of tiddlywinks which Bernie and I had great fun playing on Monday night (and if Bernie tells you any different she's lying - she loved it really!)



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Monday 11 April 2011

Gaze at Clouds Day!

Ok then!  Will gazing at perfect blue sky do?

I spent a fair amount (most) of the day (Saturday) outside, walking to town, sitting outside Bean and Bud with Jamie, walking around town, walking home and stopping to sit on the Stray for a while then another couple of hours at the Pine Woods - not a cloud in sight, sorry!

However, on Sunday I was able to gaze at clouds during another couple of hours sunning myself at the Pine Woods :-)











And here's just a random one I took of the 3 of us snuggled together on the sofa (before we all fell asleep!)

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Thursday 7 April 2011

Pretend to be a Secret Agent!

Loved this one!!

Thanks Neil for the loan of the coat and the fabulous hat - the addition of the glasses, beard and obligatory newspaper with eye holes cut out were all that was required to complete the 'look'!



Hmm, it's possible the 'look' was rather more ZZ Top than I was aiming for!



The office got a subtle make over too in honour of the occassion.



There was a spare secret agent sticker that I would have used on Bob's name tag (arrow) but I suspect he's still sulking from the introduction of Dave and Paul (will include photos here once I'm back in the office to get photos!) to the office as he drew the line at playing secret agents!

After researching my spy name I was able to fill in my secret agent membership card (yes, I'm Anaconda Harley (a.k.a. The Pilot), I reside in Berlin and I'm a good spy because I can talk my way out of anything - plus I could kill you with my bare hands if I wanted to (obviously)), I think the photo is a good likeness yes?


I skulked around the office and visited colleagues (in a highly secrective fashion) throughout the day and took part in an online event (with webcam) which led to a conversation with Dom and Pete about my beard (now there's a conversation I wouldn't have ever imagined having!).

And look what Helen (nee Broadie) found......................Learn to be a Spy!   Learning to axe throw appeals in particlular I have to say!

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