Castles in the Sand

This year's sandcastle building competition on Coney Island.

What Next?

Well, folks, I've got to the end of LOCI, so I am now racking my brains for a new theme for my posts.

While I await ideas either from my brain or yours, dear readers, I'll just post a few random pictures.

Remember this one of Vincent filming Don't Go In The Woods in 2008? It's the wallpaper on my phone.

To The Boy In The Blue Knit Cap - Day 11

And so the beautiful Bobby prepares to ride off into the sunset.

To The Boy In The Blue Knit Cap - Day 10

Such expressive hands...

Playing to your strengths

As most visitors to this blog will most likely have realised, I don't cook. I'm not very good and I find it really boring.

So you can imagine how delighted I was to find yesterday that the teacher I was covering yesterday was the Food Technology teacher, and there was cooking as the cover work.

The school is one I know of old, though it has gone through many changes, and is due some more at Easter. The students used to be really difficult, but in my more recent visits there current cohort are much more amenable. Thank goodness.

The first class was to bake Anzac biscuits (so named because they originate in Australia and New Zealand. They are made from flour, rolled oats, golden syrup, butter and baking soda.

Sadly, the cut-outs spread on the baking trays and formed a whole. That would have been OK, but not all the trays were properly greased, and it was all I could do to chip a few crumbs from one.

The next two classes had to make a basic vegetable stir fry. There was a reasonable choice of ingredients, but kids being kids, most wouldn't touch some of them, especially the mushrooms, so no one's finished product lookd anything like this:

One girl rejected hers, so rather than waste it, I forced myself to eat it with a little soy sauce. It was yummy.

The kids were great throughout, and I'm not even dreading doing more of the same tomorrow and Thursday.

I feel I've had a very lucky escape.

To The Boy In The Blue Knit Cat - Day 9

Big, handsome, concerned Bobby.

To The Boy In The Blue Knit Cap - Day 8

Don't wory, Bobby, I think we all want to strangle the little squit.

To The Boy In The Blue Knit Cap - Day 7

May I read your hand, Det. Goren?

To The Boy In The Blue Knit Cap - Day 6

This one is just because I love it.

To The Boy In The Blue Knit Cap - Day 5

Bobby looks surprised. Well, of course - the stupid girl's interested in someone else!

To The Boy In The Blue Knit Cap - Day 4

He's in the background, but Bobby still dominates the scene.

Are you being served?

Twice in two days I've had the same response at shops which were out of stock of the items I wanted to buy.

Do they really think that saying, "We should be getting some in tomorrow" is helpful? Do they think it will placate us? Do they think we have nothing better to do than go back tomorrow when we have made an effort to get there today? And even if we do manage to get back the next day, chances are we'll be told, "There wasn't any of that in today's delivery" or even " We haven't had a chance to unpack today's delivery yet". With, of course, the compulsory addition of, "Try again tomorrow".

Or of course, I could try someone else tomorrow. And next week. And forever.

I AM HERE TODAY, DINGBATS. YOU ARE HERE EVERY DAY BECAUSE YOU WORK HERE. I AM HERE BECAUSE I AM NOT WORKING TODAY AT EARNING THE MONEY TO BUY THE STUFF THAT KEEPS YOU IN A JOB, AND YOUR EMPLOYER IN BUSINESS.

Anyone else have a "favourite" phrase that gets unthinkingly repeated by the unhelpful trying to help?

To The Boy In The Blue Knit Cap - Day 3

Post 4000!!!

First Bobby invades the guy's space, then he looks as if he's about to kiss him.

Post 3999 - The Missing Link

The new Criminal Minds spinoff, Suspect Behaviour, has brought Janeane Garofalo to the small screen every week.

Now the Mother Ship is returning with Jeanne Tripplehorn. Any suggestions for who's missing?

To The Boy In The Blue Knit Cap - Day 2

Are you sure you want to say that to Bobby?

To The Boy In The Blue Knit Cap - Day 1

Bobby looks incredulous already, and the case has barely started.

Return of Goren and Eames

But sadly not OUR Goren and Eames.

The BBC has a new crime drama set in the1880s called Ripper Street, and tonight's episode featured characters called Lucy Eames and Deborah Goren.

Coincidence? I think not!

Icarus - Day 12

What was that word, Bobby?

Icarus - Day 11

Such a ridiculous little man, thinking he could best our Bobby.

Icarus - Day 10

Starting to have real fun.