Two Sleeps To Go

First of all, without the wish to bore you, but it's only 2 more sleeps until we go to Center Parcs. I found it on Google Earth the other day, and showed the boys where we're going. The clarity is amazing, and it was exciting to see the pool, the playgrounds, villas and surrounding areas.
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Tomorrows Monaco Grand Prix looks like it's going to be an exciting one. Lewis Hamilton did an amazing job, and was just beaten to pole, by his team mate, Fernando Alonso. Massa did well to come back - but it's an all McLaren front row, and it would be amazing if Lewis pulled off his maiden F1 victory here. I'd have a bet, but the odds would be rubbish now.
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The Baby is going to his first birthday party tomorrow. He hasn't got a clue, but The Wife is looking forward to it.
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Going to pack the car in the afternoon, so we can make an early start on Monday. So lots of packing to do during the day, to make sure we've got everything.
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Possibly going to see Pirates of the Caribbean - At Worlds End, tomorrow night, with my brother-in-law. Still to be confirmed, and the boys will be very jealous. They've got a pack of Top Trumps from the last Pirates film, and they want to see this film as well. It's rated as a 12A, but I'll see it first, to check it out.
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Right - time to go to bed, for the first of the last 2 sleeps. If I don't write again for a week - please forgive me. I'll report on the holiday when we return.

It's Grand Prix Weekend

This is probably the greatest Grand Prix circuit in the world, in one of the most majestic of settings.
Monaco, on the south coast of France, has all the ingredients for a perfect race weekend.
The people, the setting, the weather.
As for the championship, Lewis is 2 points clear, and although he has found the limit, during practice yesterday, I'm sure he'll find himself on the podium for a fifth consecutive outing. What an achievement that'll be.
To quote Ron Dennis;
"This is a mistake all drivers make of all standards. It's not something I will level any criticism at. I'd obviously rather not have a bent racing car but, under the circumstances, we're pretty comfortable with his contribution to this season. He still has a few Brownie points in hand."

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Not Long Now...

Only a few days until we go to Center Parcs. Quite frankly, and I'm sure I've mentioned this a few times, but I can't wait.
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There isn't much to report at the moment. Had a couple of late nights at work, with a heavy schedule to get completed. Personally, I'd like to get it done before I finish on Friday, and the way things are going, this is a possibility.
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My brother-in-law has come up with a business idea, and he has asked me to print out some images, for the patent office. There are 37 pages, and I'm not yet halfway through - but they're good quality, and hopefully he'll be pleased with the results. I should get them to him by Friday.
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It's our 10th wedding anniversary on Friday - I know, I can't believe it either. Where have they gone. Anyway, apparently, 10 is Tin, so I thought about buying a roll of aluminium tin foil, and a baking tray! No!

I've already said there won't be any flowers - especially as we won't be here to enjoy them. And as we're also going to see a couple of shows in London, then I think that's enough.
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The Wife has gone off the idea of laser eye surgery. A number of people she has spoken to have put her off. Me, on the other hand, have spoken to people who are quite happy, and even my parents aren't against the idea. In fact, they've offered to come up and chauffeur me to and from the appointment. How surprised was I!
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Well, that's all for now. I'm looking forward to the practice and Monaco Grand Prix this weekend - Go Lewis...

Burning the midnight oil

It's nearly midnight, and I'm still up.
I can't seem to drag myself away from the PC, and whilst I'm exhausted, hopefully I can have a lie-in tomorrow morning.
I've been surfing around, looking at blogs, and wandering what I can do differently, to generate some interest.
I notice that I am fairly insular (and talk about me quite a lot), but then, that is what this blog is about. My family, and my take on what's going on around me.
However, maybe I should focus on some of the important things in the world;
like Madeleine McCann who has been missing for 2 weeks. Or Alan Johnston, who was kidnapped 2 months ago. These are the important people.
Global warming is important. So what am I doing about it? I'm going to measure my 'carbon footprint' then see what can be done to reduce it.
We already recycle as much as we can, but I know there is more we can do.
OK - it's bed time.
Please pray for Madeleine and Alan. We live in troubled times, and hope is all we have for their safe return.

Quote Me Happy...

At last - Friday.
I was quoted by the BBC today. On their "Have Your Say" page they had a thread called "What is your favourite beach".

I couldn't resist - "You can't beat the beaches in Bournemouth. During the summer, I used to walk along the beach to get to work in Bournemouth town centre. On a beautiful sunny day, when the crowds have yet to descend onto the sands, it's a lovely place to be. So peaceful. Just the sound of the waves lapping onto the beach. Happy memories. "

Anyway - later I went back to the "Have Your Say" page, to see if there were any new discussions, and at the top there was my quote "You can't beat the beaches in Bournemouth." Attributed to me as well.
Chuffed? I should co co.
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So, it's the weekend, the weather forecast doesn't look all that good, so need to think of something to keep the kids busy. Maybe their cousins can come round to play.
Even better - we could go to them and save the mess!!
There will be karate on Sunday, which they both enjoy, and maybe we'll go swimming (if there are no parties).
I'll report back after the weekend.
Enjoy yourselves.

Finding Madeleine

It's been two weeks, and still little Madeleine McCann is missing. Snatched from her bed at a resort in Praia da Luz, on the Algarve, this is a heart-rending story, and we can only pray for her safe return.
I have attached a banner on the right, you can see the full one below.



Please click on the banner, which will take you to their website.

Labouring The Point

Welcome to Thursday. Yes, just one day until the weekend. And what a week it's been. Well, actually, it's not been too bad, but I've been so tired...
Anyway.
The bathroom is finally finished, and the boys have christened the bath. There'll be a final photo here soon.
The Baby has discovered he can pull the plug out (something he couldn't do in the old bath). He also managed to climb onto the door of the dishwasher as The Wife was emptying it. She turned around and there he was, sat in a pool of water!
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Shares are doing quite well at the moment. Currently on a high, with a 25% gain (that's £289 in money terms). So, I'm quite pleased.
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Now, what's this about Gordon Brown having to wait 6 weeks before he can officially become Prime Minister. What's the point in waiting. There is no leadership challenge - did you really think there would be - so instead of pansying about, let Tony leave now, and let Gordon get on with the job in hand. I'm not a Labour supporter, I just want what's best for everyone, and letting TB have a prolonged exit is no good for the country.
There, said it.
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Not long until Center Parcs. The Boys are so excited (and so am I).
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OK - Hustle is on TV now - so off to watch some great drama from the BBC...

Go Lewis... Go Lewis

Wow - what a race. Lewis Hamilton. What an amazing young man. Now, that wasn't meant to sound condescending, but c'mon. At 22 years, he is leading the Formula 1 world championship, in his debut year, and the next race is Monace. He hasn't lost in Monaco.
I have never known a Grand Prix season like it.

So what else can I tell you. I wasn't well over the weekend, but feel a whole lot better now.

The bathroom is nearly finished. Just the basin to be plumbed in and that's it.

Oh yeah - and I've re-arranged my eye appointment. The name of the company is Optimax. They have places all over the country, and this is in the centre of Manchester. It costs £600 less than the quoted price, and someone I know had their eyes done last week at the same place.
Bought the surgery on eBay! Actually, I just called them and asked for the eBay price and jobs done.

Only 2 weeks to Center Parcs. I've completed the online pre-registration, which will speed things up when we arrive. I can't wait for the scuba diving. But then there's also the zip wire, swimming, archery and laser fight. (What is it with me and lasers!) Hopefully, we'll all have a great time.

Right, time to do a little more studying, then it's to bed for a good nights sleep.

Lewis Hamilton - Popular or what?

With the Spanish Grand Prix taking place this weekend, and the F1 talk all about Lewis Hamilton, this graph shows how popular he is in the online world.
He has already posted the fastest time in practice today - with the top 8 coming within a second of each other.
It should be a great race, and with a new chicane, hopefully some good overtaking opportunities.

Posts that contain Lewis Hamilton per day for the last 30 days.

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Bathroom Update

Hi all
Just thought I'd drop by and update you on the progress so far.
With the bath installed, the tiling has been completed, along with feature tiles, and the grouting.
The radiator has been given a new lick of paint, and the shower and screen have been fitted.
The plan for tomorrow is to fit the lino flooring and skirting board.

I've not been too well over the last couple of days, and neither has Number Two. We've both had temperatures, and other symptoms. I have a feeling this could be something we picked up at the pool at the weekend, as that is the only thing we have in common, and none of the others came with.

Anyway, I feel a lot better today, and have also lost 5lbs! I also took the opportunity to do some studying today. I've nearly finished the PRINCE2 course, and will start the case studies in the next couple of days.

Wonder of Wonders

I'm so excited... apparently my course materials have arrived, so now I can work towards my the PRINCE2 foundation exam. It will add another string to my bow - and another qualification on my CV.
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Before I forget, I wanted to tell you about a small show we're going to see next weekend. "The Gruffalos' Child" is being put on at The Lowry, and my cousin is the director of the theatre group putting the show on. Tall Stories has been going since 1996, and has had productions Off-Broadway in New York.

Anyway, they did The Gruffalo, the production of which can be bought on DVD, and now the follow-up story is heading north.

I'm so proud of her, and we're looking forward to seeing the next show.
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The electricians turned up today - so now there is light in the bathroom.
Miracles never cease, and I can't wait to see them.
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The Center Parcs information pack arrived today, so now we can book our activities. The Boys already appear to have a busy schedule, with Fencing and Archery amongst them. Some friends are coming round this evening to have a look and choose.
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That's it.

It's nearly the weekend, so relax and enjoy.

Polling Day

It's voting day, for the local elections. I feel it's important to have a say. We have a democratic right to vote, and even though the choice isn't strong, if we don't vote we can't complain about the state of the political scene. Since I've never voted Labour, I have to choose between Tory or Lib Dems...
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You may have noticed the image on the right, of Alan Johnston, the BBC reporter kidnapped in Gaza. You can click on the image to get more information, and add your name to the petition to get him released.
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I also wanted to report on an amazing day yesterday, for my shares.
BSkyB announced their annual results, which were way above market expectations, pushing their share price up 7%. I sat and watched the value of my holding increase overall by £20 in one day.
OK - so it's not a vast amount, and The Wife brought me down to earth by saying that today they could lose £30! Spoil sport.
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I spent an hour in the gym last night. Had a really good workout - concentrating on cardio exercise, as well as some weights.
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Tiling has begun in the bathroom. Good progress being made there.
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Finally - I've decided to look into laser eye surgery. It would be wonderful not having to wear glasses. And, The Wife is all for the idea. I've requested an information pack and will keep you informed.
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Right then - it's off to work.
Have a good day.

Twice In One Day

I just wanted to report on two things.

1. Today I invested in more shares. In Photo-Me International. They're cheap (75p), and they appear to be on the up. So, we'll watch and see. The Standard Life shares powered ahead, and even Sky didn't do too badly. Tesco, on the other hand, didn't fair so well, and was one of the FTSEs biggest fallers of the day. Stagecoach remained fairly static, as did BT.

2. The bath has now been installed in the bathroom. Maybe that should have been point number one.

That's all.

Center Parcs - Here we come...

Finally, it's just a month until our annual trip to Center Parcs.

The Wife has written a list of all the things we need to take. I'm a little concerned that the kitchen sink is being left behind! Given everything else on the list, it would be easier to bring Center Parcs to us...

But really, it's fantastic fun, with lots of fresh air, swimming, walking and cycling.

We're waiting for the pack that they send, which has all the activities in, so we can pre-book.
The boys will go to club, and I think Number One is interested in doing the archery this year.
I quite fancy doing scuba diving, so I might book that.

Then we'll take it in turns for a boys night / girls night, with the other half babysitting.

What's more, it won't matter what the weather is like, we always go prepared. And so what if it rains. We can just go to the pool, and get wet there.

This is beginning to sound like an advert for the place, but this is our 5th time, so it must be good.