Indoor Icicles

Today was the day. My new kitchen window was being installed. I tried not to think about there being NO window during the swap. I stashed the cats in the bedroom and at waiting for the fitter.

Then a phone call informed me that he could not get out of his drive. This company has pissed me about so much I only stayed with them because it was impossible to get the window done before Christmas by anyone else. If they'd got it right from the start, the window would have been in weeks ago. I was not happy. I was not calm. Holding out no hope, I let the cats out.

An hour or so later, with no further warning, he arrived.

Not only did he rip out the old window, he left the front door open the whole time, popping in and out for things. My light grey hall carpet is a complete state. (Why did I buy light grey again?)

This is the scene in the kitchen with one section of the new window tentatively in place, and a hole where the rest should be:


Many cold hours later, with the back door opened to keep the front door company, the window is in:

There are still two problems, however. One is that the burglar alarm sensor went on tamper alert, and the engineer couldn't make it before tomorrow. The other is that a leaking 100-year-old cast iron downpipe next to the window has created a damp patch, and the plaster has turned to powder. So tomorrow a builder is coming out to see if he can fix those faults.

After so much cold and NO food since breakfast, I needed a hot repast. I'm trying a new type of potato. It's purple outside

and inside

Baked, with butter and some baked beans, it managed to warm up the inner woman.

Meanwhile, getting in the two cats who managed to stay out all day in the snow has proved harder than I thought.

Bobby's Baggage

I suppose you could say his hand luggage.

Using my hand. Please?

How loud can you howl?

Not loud enough to show appreciation of this gem of a scene!

Wellie Weather

Thanks for your concern over my back, folks, luckily there seems to be no harm done, though watching too many crime and medical shows on TV, I did imagine for a while that I was bleeding into my brain or suffering from concussion.

Today, in anticipation of worse weather, I had to rush to the pet shop to get some mixed corn for the hens - they were out of it when I did my big shop there the other day. Driving from my house to the nearest treated road was scary, but short.

When I got home, I had to take out my shopping trolley and walk to the shops for my weekend top-up. I took a couple of loaves to feed the ducks (and pigeons and seagulls).

I had to collect a parcel from the Royal Mail sorting office. By the time I got there we were pretty well having a blizzard. Imagine my delight when I saw the queue at the sorting office - outside and along the street! Waiting in a heavy snow shower for 20 minutes or more was not down on my list of things to do today. A young woman behind me built a snowman in the corner while she waited. By the time I got inside, I'd brushed a total of about 3 inches of snow off the lid of my trolley, my coat was caked in the stuff, and my doubled-up gloves were soaked through. Inside, one happy customer was delighted to find that his two parcels were easily small enough to fit through his letterbox if only the postie had bothered to try. Just as our noses turned red with the cold, so the air turned blue with disgusted language.

Sadly, the snow and cold were too extreme for me to whip out my camera and take a snap, so you'll have to imagine the scene. The picture at the top isn't even in London, but the conditions were pretty similar.

Cleaning out the hens tomorrow will be fun. Having my kitchen window replaced on Monday will be even better, especially as the bank was closed today because of the weather and I couldn't withdraw the money to pay for it.

Mother-in-law from Hell

Blue shirt, crossed arms, shoulders - oof, what's not to love?

Snow Way to Spend a Day

Yesterday it rained, then turned freezing cold, so the puddles froze. But today the sun squeezed through, and with the forecasters' promise of no snow till lunchtime, I decided it was far too longsince I saw Mjukuu and her baby.

The snow came a bit early, hiding the frozen spots, and I enjoyed a cartoon moment (luckily unwitnessed) where my feet shot out from underneath me and I landed flat on my back!

Being part of Regent's Park, London Zoo is very picturesque in the snow.

Lumpur the Sumatran tiger couldn't believe his eyes as sleet that was almost like hail came down around his shelter, where he was stretched out with girlfriend Raika.


The white stuff you see is actually on his face!



The lions didn't look like they wanted to venture out of their little bed any time soon.




Mjukuu is getting better at showing off her son. the trouble is that when he's visible, they are both moving constantly, so most of my pictures are blurred. Flash photography is not allowed.













(The smears on the windows are gorilla shit)


Most of the video I managed to take is very dark, and it's difficult to make out the baby in Mjukuu's arms, but stay with it to the end, it's worth it. Towards the end, Mjukuu moves away as "auntie" Zaire approaches, and just manages to touch the longed-for baby as she passes.

For whom I would gladly go on a pilgrimage

And for whom some of you already have. Chaucer could write the tale.

Maybe not Tomorrow, but soon

I have finally, after a couple of months(!) had a reply from Hallmark/Universal as to why the had the caption "I'm staying" on a picture of The Fly in their changeover ads, when he was actually going and Bobby was coming back. They said:

"We unfortunately did not have time to go back and create a new promotion and get it on air in time for the premiere of the series. Apologies for any confusion this may have caused."

In reply to my suggestion that they repeat LOCI from the start, they said:

"This is something that we are currently exploring but are not able to confirm at the moment."

I wonder if there's any chance of them showing it in widescreen?

Meanwhile, here's a taster of what it was we fell in love with way back when.

No News?

Has anyone heard any news about other cast members for Season 10? Do we have to suffer the same Captain? (OK, I've never actually watched her, but I heard she was pretty lame.) How about a DA?

Now that the Mothership has bitten the dust, they could have their pick of great actors. A few more black faces wouldn't go amiss. I'd love to see Van Buren promoted to captain of Major Case, but I thought I heard Pat Merkerson was leaving L&O anyway as she had breast cancer.

I'm not that keen on the most recent Assistant DA. Funny how they were always male (well, mostly they were Sam Waterston) and the minion was female. Any suggestions for a feisty black female DA to challenge Bobby? The murdering cop in Badge had the spunk, but I think it needs someone taller, more imposing, a sort of Grace Jones figure.

Any suggestions for people (of any race or gender) that you think would suit the roles?

Iconic

Yes, folks, yet more images that sum up the splendour that is Bobby. Another episode that makes me howl - while sending all sorts of unpleasant shivers down my spine.