Category: Uncategorized

Yes, it is appears my blog is, at best, managing a monthly update!

So, what since November 14th then?

Well ….

OK, actually ‘Expedition Everest’ in Animal Kingdom, Orlando not the real mountain, way too much like hard work! Yes, yet another visit to the USA and most certainly my last … for 2011 anyway!

 

The villa wasn’t too far away from the September location, only a couple of miles so not too difficult to find even without the satnav. The Cadillac was awesome and only $50 to fill up for a 400 mile range. A powerful 3.6l lump under the hood ensured driving never had to get dull! That and WJRR on the radio as well … what a damn shame we don’t have anything remotely like WJRR here in the UK!

Got to see a real alligator in the wild totally for free, the first time I’d just seen one when out and about and it was a big bugger too, not sure how big exactly as we never got a good enough view to see the whole body at the same time but it had to be way over 7’ and maybe considerably more. On that day our plan was to go rent a boat on one of the waterways guaranteed to see local wildlife. We’d tried earlier on in the vacation to do a boat trip only to find Virgin Holidays had sold us an excursion which no longer existed. Anyway, we tried again the day after Thanksgiving and no where was open for renting boats, they didn’t want to know. So, way too early we headed off for a town called ‘Eustis’ where we had a show booked for the evening and decided to have a wander along the lake side. The first thing we saw were two snakes and then someone pointed out the alligator! We were already seeing more wildlife than we expected to see on the boat trip. I said to Robin, all I need now is to see a turtle and I’d have crossed everything off my list … within minutes, there one was swimming right beside us … anyway, pictures speak louder than words so here are some of that amazing afternoon ….

 

So, anyway, all these animals on one sweet walk! It’s times like this when I remind people, I am not atheist, I am agnostic. If we were to have gotten on any of the boats we tried we may not have seen what we did and got such great pictures and all for free as well, nothing fake about anything here, we really were that stupidly close!

The show, incidentally, was OK but not amazing … it was meant to be a bit of madness and that’s what it was. No real storyline. Probably about as close to a panto as we were likely to see out there! For any more pictures you will need to get your bottom over to Facebook and look on my profile there, in case you are not already a friend there, go to Facebook

 

Whilst there and having lost a little weight recently, I decided to go a little mad and buy new clothes for myself … rather a lot as it happens and I’ve bought some since getting back too which has meant nearly my entire wardrobe being either chucked or given away so now I am just wearing new stuff and it feels quite good … a habit I can’t afford!

For those wondering, which is probably no one … I did finish the September video but YouTube won’t let me upload it because of how long it is. It appears I also can’t watch it via the Xbox at home either so, I put a lot of time and effort into making it, Robin may have seen some of it, I’ve not see it complete at all and it’s unlikely anyone else will see it either which is rather a shame.

Speaking of holidays or ‘writing’ in this case. Zoey & Adam have now completed the booking for June next year to Spain so that’s going to hopefully be awesome, not been there for a long while.

Once again I have another cyst and it hurts like hell, well, more itches now and it doesn’t look very nice either, am totally sick of them to be honest with you dear reader, I really should do something about them, find the cause.

Am broke now just about so shall have to do what I didn’t want to do and repay after Christmas which I can do, it isn’t a problem but I was hoping to have left 2011 in credit, I may still, not too sure yet.

Javis and Sian have had Grace, she’s about a week old now … I don’t really know how to feel about that, totally not sure about anything in that department to be honest. She’s lovely and I am really happy for them but, apart from her being Josh’s 1/2 sister, I have total uncertainty how close I should get with there being no actual relationship there.

Zach and Danny are both doing really well and developing personalities already, love them both loads. Immy & Josh seem to have both grown up loads since they were born which I am sure is just a different perception but it seems strange all the same.

No where near as prepared for Christmas as I planned to be, my bad!

Look, you’re probably bored reading, I am getting weary typing so until January or the next significant even, I bid you all a memory Christmas and a better 2012

Look, I don’t write here often enough, I know it, you know it and anyone who doesn’t know it has no idea this blog even exists!

I got a message on Facebook Sunday night, I didn’t believe it was possible for that person to sink any lower. They managed to make ‘low’ seem like the new ‘high’ and I can only hope that, one day they will realise that threatening people, especially ‘certain’ people, is not the way to live a life. Because of that message, some time this week I am going to have to do something I didn’t really want to do and confront that person personally to see if there can be an ‘understanding’, a way to move forward with, at the very least a compromise to agree to differ. I sure as hell don’t want this dragging on forever and a day, it’s high time the cycle came to an end.

I opened a site some months ago, not connected with the above by the way.

One day I am going to be a little unable to communicate effectively so I thought to myself, maybe I should write down some of the things I think about which may help in some situations. Not everyone would agree with me but, if they were to ask me, the site says what I would answer with.

I have got myself a cold, it’s not the flu, I am not about to die! I have a runny nose, aches and pains and my temperature is all over the place … apart from that I am fine!

OMG! This time next week eh?

Meanwhile, back to this week … Wednesday I have a lovely relax session! The day before our Danny becomes a legal citizen of the UK and the day after that, Josh is up the hospital for some tests which I just sense isn’t going to be easy. Things are probably fine but something flagged up the other week and they want to be sure it’s all OK. On Friday I am meeting Royalty, a genuine Princess and nothing to do with Disney! The Princess Royal who you and me probably know  as Princess Anne is on the scene and I need to go do my bit for her mum and country and all that. Saturday, not sure … it’s Pete’s birthday … maybe I should get some packing done too at some point as it’ll be a little late after Saturday.

Why am I up this early (or late)? Well, it is 4am (which I will have to get used to being 11pm) and I am not sleeping. My temperature went a little silly so I was shivering loads. Daisy was up so we watched some TV, Deej was also about so one of those weird, let’s all watch TV in the early hours of the morning moments. No rush to get out of bed tomorrow so should be OK.

Hey, Tyler came around earlier, lovely to see him as always.

Finished the September Florida video, couldn’t get it below 45 minutes. There was way too much to cut anything more than I did. The sad bit is, because it was with Javis, not many people want to see it so, another really happy time and memory not being shared.

I think we have Christmas sorted now, just deciding on what to have for dinner left to do now … oh shit, I have a holiday to book tomorrow! Hope she doesn’t call too early!

Look, I don’t write here often enough, I know it, you know it and anyone who doesn’t know it has no idea this blog even exists!

I got a message on Facebook Sunday night, I didn’t believe it was possible for that person to sink any lower. They managed to make ‘low’ seem like the new ‘high’ and I can only hope that, one day they will realise that threatening people, especially ‘certain’ people, is not the way to live a life. Because of that message, some time this week I am going to have to do something I didn’t really want to do and confront that person personally to see if there can be an ‘understanding’, a way to move forward with, at the very least a compromise to agree to differ. I sure as hell don’t want this dragging on forever and a day, it’s high time the cycle came to an end.

I opened a site some months ago, not connected with the above by the way.

One day I am going to be a little unable to communicate effectively so I thought to myself, maybe I should write down some of the things I think about which may help in some situations. Not everyone would agree with me but, if they were to ask me, the site says what I would answer with.

I have got myself a cold, it’s not the flu, I am not about to die! I have a runny nose, aches and pains and my temperature is all over the place … apart from that I am fine!

OMG! This time next week eh?

Meanwhile, back to this week … Wednesday I have a lovely relax session! The day before our Danny becomes a legal citizen of the UK and the day after that, Josh is up the hospital for some tests which I just sense isn’t going to be easy. Things are probably fine but something flagged up the other week and they want to be sure it’s all OK. On Friday I am meeting Royalty, a genuine Princess and nothing to do with Disney! The Princess Royal who you and me probably know  as Princess Anne is on the scene and I need to go do my bit for her mum and country and all that. Saturday, not sure … it’s Pete’s birthday … maybe I should get some packing done too at some point as it’ll be a little late after Saturday.

Why am I up this early (or late)? Well, it is 4am (which I will have to get used to being 11pm) and I am not sleeping. My temperature went a little silly so I was shivering loads. Daisy was up so we watched some TV, Deej was also about so one of those weird, let’s all watch TV in the early hours of the morning moments. No rush to get out of bed tomorrow so should be OK.

Hey, Tyler came around earlier, lovely to see him as always.

Finished the September Florida video, couldn’t get it below 45 minutes. There was way too much to cut anything more than I did. The sad bit is, because it was with Javis, not many people want to see it so, another really happy time and memory not being shared.

I think we have Christmas sorted now, just deciding on what to have for dinner left to do now … oh shit, I have a holiday to book tomorrow! Hope she doesn’t call too early!

Past couple of weeks we have had Adam take over as Zoey’s PA and an excellent job he is making of it, better already than anyone else before him but then, I knew he would be and he was, after all, my first choice when I was first able to get a PA for her, he just wasn’t available!

Nearly a week ago now our Danny turned up rather early! He’s doing fine though and a healthy 8lbs 7oz. I am not sure just which way round it is but suspect that each time I look at Sean I see Danny!

Daisy is boob feeding and managing really well though, somehow I can’t help but wonder how the hell she’s managing to stay awake?

I am a very lucky guy to now have 4 wonderful grandchildren and so need a picture of them all

together, one day, when they are all that much older, I’d love to do a trip with  them all to Disney, it’ll be totally magical to see their faces light up!

Perhaps I need to buy more lottery tickets? Maybe I should stop buying lottery tickets?

Adam has been added to the car insurance which means that I get a break every now and then! It’s lovely to be driven around places rather than having to do all the driving. It also opens up the possibility of doing the holiday Zoey wants to do next year to Spain as, with two of us driving it becomes a lot easier.

Managed to clear a whole host of rubbish both from indoors and the garden. Some was sold, some given away and the rest just dumped. I am pleased to say that nothing got dumped which would have been any use to anyone. One thing I learnt yesterday or, was reminded of, there is a reason why I never went into the removal business!

Hardly any time at all now until I go back to Florida with Robin and really looking forward to it! We have loads of activities planned, some which we may have to forget about but, that’s fine if we do and, if all goes well and we do everything we spoke about, it’ll just be all the more awesome.

Been to see a couple of shows, quite impressed though, they were at a time when I had not quite got my head sorted so I was rather sleepy, I think I am a lot better now.

Been slowly easing back into photography but still need a lot of instruction and practise, the photo editing is also coming along nicely

Took a picture of Chris and was curious to see the results of some concentrated photo manipulation and, I think the results are quite stunning

Can’t be sure that Chris would agree. It often concerns me on the ethics of this sometimes. Am I enhancing a picture or getting the camera to lie? Does it even matter?

I guess I shall just keep working at it all and see what I end up with, I love experimenting anyway so the more the better!

Lighting is my next challenge, getting myself good at dealing with all sort of varying light situations and creating the shot I want. One thing I tried recently was going for a spooky look seeing as we were fast approaching Halloween. In the local forest I saw some trees (no great shock there) and wanted to get one of those shots which make us think, we don’t want to go in there … this is what I ended up with …

I think it works for what I wanted, It was only just slightly on the turn with the light with imminent rain approaching.

Creation seems to be a fair part of photography too, if the shot isn’t there then create it! I often find it isn’t too difficult to get the right angle, a bit of good placement and, voila, the picture I was looking for!

 

 

 

 

I would be totally misleading to say this was what was actually there, it wasn’t. The tree was just a fallen stump and the Fir Branch was on the floor some way off, I just brought them together! I also wanted to give the impression of a vast ‘logging’ environment, not too easy when there are not a lot of felled trees to choose from. I did find some though and am happy I got what I was going for.

It’s been suggested to me that I should offer some of my pictures for sale, sometimes, when I see them like this, I do think I am wasting a talent I actually may have. Looking forward to seeing what I may achieve given plenty of time and good fortune.

Had a first try at Reiki the other day, was surprised at just how relaxing it was. Am very looking forward to my next session and a little disappointed that this is longer than planned as I had to cancel one for next week.

Not to worry though, I have a lovely day or so planned down in Kent seeing family and friends so, one door closes, another opens.

Had a massage last week and, although it was a lovely offer, it really didn’t do it for me, nowhere near deep enough so, I need to arrange another session with Nathan I think. I’d love it to be Karen but just can’t afford it right now. I did have an Indian head and shoulder massage treatment and that was good but, before the day was out I was aching in the same places all over again and, with proper treatment, it lasts at least a day or two.

Is anyone still reading this far in? Yes, well, thank you very much … if not, I could say just about anything I liked about you now and you’d never know!

Swimming tomorrow, need to get my metabolism working right. Have lost quite a lot of weight the last month but now need to do some toning up as well.

No doubt I have forgotten to mention something and someone will be offended, I am sorry about that … this is just me rambling ‘on the go’ now, not a lot of thought put in or research!