Grown Up Night Out

With the veritable shenanigans from last weeks evening out, the four of us had the back up parachute that was THIS weekend, when we would be going out for a nice evening out that, all things considered, was likely to finish later than midnight.

Woot.

The plan was to go and see Kerrys cousin play with his band at a club in Southend on Friday night. So, babysitters were advised to be ready, plans were made, details were hammered out... Luckily for some of us, yours truly is a smart-arse that likes to check things, and through a little bit of luck, I noticed that the flyer for the band showed they were playing SATURDAY night. Not Friday. So, another flurry of activity, and the babysitters and arrangements were juggled around so we could go out Saturday - not Friday.

FYI: it was the GIRLS that had planned the night out this time around... They are both claiming they were given bad information by the band, but I digress. I'm not one to blame others unless they are in the wrong.

*ahem*

So, Saturday night, the plan was pretty much, kids gone by four, we leave by five, meet Kerry & James on the train to Southend by about half five, get into Southend about six, have dinner in an Indian restaurant, have some drinks at the bar, watch the band, have some more drinks, head home.

The fact James called at four, running late in traffic, didn't bode well. We were ready to go just before five, but Kerry & James were having a nervous breakdown trying to get their shite together.  It should be added, that where women sulk that they "don't have a thing to wear" or "that's it, I look crap, I'm not going out" I need to point out that James is right up there with them. So with our group being comprised of three-quarters girly women that have to look just so, it's no wonder we were running late.

Blame where blame is due, after all.

So, with James crying down the phone that they were now at the station and cold, we were getting our arse into gear waiting for our cab and just missed one train. Back on the phone to James, we missed this train, but the next is due in fifteen minutes. Our train arrives, we get on, and let them know we're on the second carriage, at the second set of doors, and will be with them in a little bit.

A few minutes later, my phone rings, and once again, it's the six foot four woman.

James: You're not on this train?
Me: Er, yes we are...
James: No, you're not on THIS train...
Me: Did you get on the wrong train?

Now, technically, it's not the wrong train - it goes to Southend, but it wasn't the train WE were on. So, a few minutes ahead of us, they arrived in Southend, then we arrived too. Hi hi hello, you're late, you're fault, her fault, his fault, call a cab to the restaurant.

Miserable-arse taxi driver (number two of the night) drops us at the Indian place, and from that point on, the booze started flowing. Now, before we went out - and because we were ready and they were not, we had time to kill at home, so like any youngish couple that is child free with some spare time, we did what anyone would do.

We started drinking at home. Two or three Jagerbombs were already in our system.

So, at the restaurant, James decided it was Champagne o' Clock. I decided it would be a waste of time ME drinking champagne, as to me it's just fizzy wine. So I had a beer while they started on the champers. I know what you're thinking, champagne vs. beer is a no-brainer, but it doesn't do anything for me. At all. But, we were drinking, then out came the Sambuca, then we went to our table.

The food was gorgeous, absolutely wonderful, and while the girls were watching the clock worrying we'd miss the band, we enjoyed ourselves. Good food, good drinks, having a good evening, chatting and laughing. Another bottle of champagne, though this time with a measure of Amaretto in the glass (of which I partook!) while we were eating, and then out came the Long Island Iced Teas which, as it turned out, were gross, so they went back and were replaced by Woo-Woos for the girls, and Kentucky Jack for us boys. Cocktails are always a laugh...

With the meal all done with, we headed out along the seafront.  Now, a few years back, Southend-on-Sea was a busy spot for people going out, and was always heaving on a Saturday night. There are bars and clubs and pubs and amusement and a theme-park type thing too, not to mention the theatre up top and a couple of casinos, and loads of restaurants... THIS Saturday night, however, seemed, well... Quiet. There were people around, but it wasn't what I would consider busy by any stretch of the imagination.

By the time we got to the bar, we decided we needed more drinks. We met up with Chris and his band, said hellos and got some more drinks in. Dirty Vimtos (Port & WKD Blue) all around, followed by Jagerbombs. Once they were gone, it was Vodka & Coke for Kerry, JD & Coke for Kellie, and Rum & Coke for James and Myself. The bar was WARM so we had to keep our fluid intake up ;)

We left the bar and went to the venue next door and listened to a couple of bands play - all amateur, but pretty good. None of this Britains Got X Talent crap, proper bands with proper music. While we were waiting, we opted for more drink - JD & Coke, Vodka & Coke, I had a beer, James had something - oh, and more Jagerbombs.

Finally, despite flapping about being here or there late, people taking ages to get ready, people getting on the wrong train, eating dinner at a slow, leisurely pace, we were in the right place AND at the right time to see Chris and his band - FTL - come on and do their set. Before you go much further, go visit them on Facebook! Clicky clicky clicky!

They were brilliant - three guitars and a drum kit, you can't go wrong - and we all rocked out while drinking more drinks.  The did several songs, and afterwards, after giving our congrats and saying our goodbyes, the band left.

Yes folks, you read that right - the youngsters that are living a rock and roll life went home as they were tired. Us lot, however, well, even though we could have made the last train home (at a push), we decided to plunder Southend a little more. It was a little after 11pm, and upon leaving the venue, we were pretty much in awe at the lack of people on the seafront on a Saturday night. It wasn't particularly chilly despite being early November. There were no "sporting events" on that I could think of - besides, all the pubs had big-screen TVs for such occasions. Unless the world has gone MeNtAl and everyone stays in now to watch Reality TV (which, as I write this, is actually a fairly good assumption), Southend was deserted.

So, what do four people with babysitters, no kids, and time to kill do?

That's right, we sat down and ordered more drinks! We sat outside the bar for just over an hour, drinking, chatting, laughing - we had a REALLY good night, putting the world to rights, talking about complete an utter shit, talking about serious stuff... It was brilliant.

With it now gone midnight, and all still a little tipsy, we decided food was in order, so we plundered the local chippy, got a load of chips and had a munch out. James, being "manly" and all had a cup of tea.

*ahem*

With food in our bellies, and being on the Seafront, there is only really one other thing to do. We hit the arcades! Getting a pocketful of change, we started playing games. Kellie & myself had a rip-roaring games of Air Hockey. Granted, I kicked her pretty little backside 7-3, and I scored two of her points. I cheated, apparently, but unless my telekinetic powers have finally blossomed, I'm fairly sure that's another way of her saying "Shit, I'm pissed, I need an excuse..."

With her luck being what it was, she then tried her luck on a fruit machine, and swore at it after it stole her £1.70. Time Crisis next, and while I had NO idea what was going on with the plot, I racked up 70% of the kills with 86% accuracy. I think Kellie was the eye-candy in that movie.. Lastly, to give the government additional research into Drink Driving, we hopped on Mario Kart. We didn't play together - she pressed the wrong pedal - but while both WELL over the limit, we both won our games. However, it is fair to say the rules of the road do NOT apply to Mario Kart - I've not seen many Real World drivers firing mushrooms at people, and ramming a gorilla off the road - while amusing - is not an every-day occurrence.

Just before half one, Mr Taxi Driver arrived outside, so we all bundled in and dropped the first two weirdos off on Canvey - even if it was ME that had to point out where their road was to the driver. I think they were dozing.. Kellie and myself rolled in the front door just before 2am, and set to picking up the chaos of sweets that the cats had dragged everywhere - Galadriel has a thing for taking sweets off the side and unwrapping them - and possibly eating them - to play with the wrappers themselves.  Freaks.

Despite the drink, despite taking a handful of painkillers once I fell into bed, despite being shattered, I could NOT get to sleep properly. It was gone five last time I looked at the clock, and then, at half eight, the 0dd Mother-in-Law dropped off the kids.

Of the two of us, 50% of us did not have a hang over. Nor did 50% of us remain in bed dribbling till lunchtime. Nor did we keep drinking water, ask for the TV to be turned down, for voices to be lowered or pull the curtains to keep daylight out.

Or, to put it another way, I was fine. Kellie, however, was not. I even had to pop out to get her a Pot Noodle to get her some carbs.

A brilliant night was had by all. It was nice to not have to watch a clock, worry about the babysitters getting pissy, to talk about pretty much ANYTHING without causing offence, to have a good laugh and joke, and to let our proverbial hair down to good food, good drinks and good music.

Oh, and as a lasting memory - sitting in the cold has made Kellie poorly, who is now sucking furiously on throat medicines, and sounds like she's turning into Yoda.

Being Nursed...

With Monday being what Monday was, Kellie decided to go into overdrive mode in order to look after me.  With movies being the best way to distract your favorite blogger, Kellie got a shed-load of movies in to keep me entertained.

And, I mean the proverbial Shed Load.  Kinda like a metric Crap-Ton.  Only more-so.

Now, I can't remember exactly what order we watched them in, but starting from Sunday evening, and into the wee-small hours (just after 3am!), then all day Monday, again, into the wee-small hours, and again on Tuesday till late.

Our lounge was Movie Central!

For the most part, they were all comedy, some were action comedy, a couple were kids movies, and a couple were, er, Harry Potter.

• Despicable Me
• Keeping Mum
• Marmaduke
• Matchstick Men
• The Hangover
• The Other Guys
• The Boat that Rocked
• The Infidel
• Tropic Thunder
• Wild Target
• Harry Potter And The Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince
• Red

Out of all of them, I'd be hard to say which one was the best.  The Boat That Rocked is about Pirate Radio in the UK back in the 60s, and was excellent.  Red was a really good action movie that had us both giggling throughout, and The Other Guys was a great take on Not-So-Action-Cops.  Harry Potters Phoenix was quite good, but The Half Blood Prince kinda sorta didn't seem to do anything or go anywhere.

All of this was broken up with random programs on BBC iPlayer - mainly while we ate dinner and stuff.  On top of all this, Kellie has never seen Heroes, so I've been slipping an episode or two in here and there.

But this wasn't the only distraction...  Kellie used her female wiles (*nudge wink*) and after nipping out to "get a few bits of shopping" came back with all the trimmings for a roast lamb dinner.  And on top of this, all the stuff to make a slab of Rhubarb Crumble.

Yum.

And this isn't including the sack of snacks and nibbles to go with it all...  Nuts, crisps, chocolate, popcorn, snacks...

No, suffice to say, Kellie has well and truly looked after me the last few days.  Granted, she may be fattening me up for her large oven in her Gingerbread House, but I don't care...

So a great big thank you to my Kellie for looking after me.  I love you very much baby.

So much so, that I won't post the last "Things She Says" from last night.  How nice am I!

Piss-Holes In The Snow

That is how I can sum up my levels of alertness at the moment.  My eyes feel like deep, dark piss holes in the snow.  It's all my own doing I know, but none the less, since Tuesday of last week, I've not stopped, and think I am either going to need to rest ASAP, or just crash and burn.

The post I made the other day about being Rough still stands, and while I'm in less pain, I can attribute that to the wonders of drugs.

The weekend with Kellie has been excellent on so many levels mind you, it made it all worthwhile.  Sally and Myself got there Friday afternoon - a little later than planned thanks to the bus we were on deciding to stop a fifteen minute walk down the road from our usual stop.  Oops.  However, the weather on Friday/Saturday/Sunday has been marvellous, so the walk was all good - and Kellie met me halfway anyway!

Friday night we went to a pub called The Haystack, followed by an Indian meal at a restaurant called Ananika which was fantastic.  My food was spicy to the point everyone was making little O's with their mouth and reaching for their drink.  Yummy ;)  After that, we headed back to the pub, where the DJs took over and had a few more drinks.  We were out with Kellies mum, and her boyfriend Jon who, strangely, has the same birthday as me, just a few years older.  Two girls from Canvey, both with a boyfriend from Basildon, with the same birthday... Freaky ;)

Saturday was Kellies oldest at football practice, followed by housework, followed by some people over.  Kellies best friend Kerry, plus her fella Paul and her three kids came over, along with Kerrys brother, Kevin, his wife Kelly, and their toddle - all over to have a birthday drink with me.  Music, lots of laughs, some very obvious cheating at Trivial Pursuit... Good times!

Sunday we stayed in bed till the shockingly late time of 10am, got up, and Kellie set about making a roast dinner - Lamb - with all the trimmings.  We pottered away in the kitchen - well, when I say "we" I was there for moral support - and eventually sat down at about 2pm.

I can sum up the meal with Om Nom Nom Nom and indeed, Nom... 

The rest of the afternoon whizzed by, and before we knew it, we were saying goodbye and I was trundling across Basildon to get Jaysen

And now, here we are back to another Monday.  Pah.  The weather has gone crap, I'm cold, tired and aching, but I'll get over it ;) It was all worth it, and I've had such a good week... I'm going to slob and veg out today and try to recharge Ye Olde Batteries.

And for those that noticed... Bugger and Damnation! I completely and utterly forgot Talk Like A Pirate Day! DOH! I think I am destined to never remember it! Yaaar indeed :(

(No) Musical Monday

So, once again, I'm late with my Musical Monday post. However, I've gotten in this evening, and with so much going on in my head, I am actually copping out. I hold my hands up and say "I gots nuffin guv"

This weekend, I shifted the kids off to Jo and headed over to Ruths. Her fella was down, and needed help lugging a bloody great rather heavy television, as well as having his computer looked at. TV, not an issue, we got it in and spent an hour fiddling with connections. However, the banana head managed to forget his hard drive... Ho hum.

Saturday I cleaned, then Kellie came over before we both jumped on a bus and headed back to our old stomping ground. She used to live next door to me, and we have plenty of memories of accident, injury, falling off/over/through things, so we decided to go back home, stopping at my mums for a coffee.

Was great to look at the places we used to terrorise, and marvelled at how similar but different it was, how walls and trees we used to climb just seemed dinky now, and how the walk to the local shop and then the school was a few minutes - I'm sure they used to be miles from home.

Then we headed over through the old Laindon Shopping Center. Wow... It used to be a concrete and depressing stand of shops - now it's a concrete and really depressing stand of boarded up shops. Headed over to Gemma and Petes to see Zoe and Amy. Ooooh broody. Zoe is lovely, Amy stole all my money, but I got a beer out of it, so you know, fair trade off ;)

I would detail what happened after leaving Gemmas, but I promised my guest that I'd not mention her weak bladder or her doing the "Don't Pee Myself" dance. Suffice to say, after not seeing Gemma for the better part of fifteen years, Gemma saw Kellie twice in one day.

Then it was back to mine, grab my stuff and head over to Kellies. Bus ride, walk, collected her kids, ordered chinese food (Yes, I'm a lardy) and then spent the evening drinking and watching comedy telly, and one of the Jackass movies. Oooh how we chuckled. Well, I chuckled, she chuckled and gagged.

Sunday we nearly got lost wandering to her sons football practice, then wandered home where she sorted out a roast dinner. Yummy. Did I mention I'm a lardy? Then it was a few more drinks before I had to head home in time to have the Boy returned to me.

After an early night - and waking up with a snotty nose and sore throat... I headed over to see Jo's new place. Oooh it's purdy. While wandering lost on an estate I should know, I gained a stalker. Now, aside from the fact I should be used to stalkers (as, let's face it, I have a few of them!) I was completely unfazed while people I've told today have said they would be scared...


He literally popped out of a bush next to me as I walked through the estate, and followed me from ten - maybe fifteen feet - for about twenty minutes. People kept stopping and staring at me as though I was The Crazy Fox Man or something. Even after coming out of Jo's place, he was there and around for a few more minutes before heading off into a bush where I assume he had a nap.

After having lunch with Jo and Tam, I headed back to Ruths, then school run, then back to Ruths for dinner until finally, being knackered and feeling a bit icky, I headed home. I think the plan for this evening is to throw the boy in the washing machine, get the tiny bit of washing up washed, then have a shower and maybe an early night.

How was your weekend :D

Another Busy One!

Once again, life here in Chez 0ddness has been a wee bit hectic, a bit up, a bit down, and a bit, kinda.. squiggly.

Jo finally has her new place all done and dusted and has moved in. Of course, moving in there means taking stuff from here, and suffice to say, it was a bit icky. Not the "That's Mine!" "No, it's MINE!" stuff, far from it, but the whole next step part. If she had moved out and taken her stuff, I think that would have been easier. But having her pack her things and going again, I don't know it was just a bit rough.

Her, her mum and her fella were helping out through the house, and it's amazing how removing things can make a house even messier. I've cleared out a couple of rooms that have had all their Jo-Stuff removed, and dumped out crap that I don't want or need any more. Two rooms down, what seems like a billion to go ;)

Otherwise, I've been in town pretty much every day this week, keeping busy, shopping, paying bills, and generally being out an about. As per the wise words of a few people, I have also taken to letting people talk and think what they like about me.

In a while, me and Tam are off to Mother & Toddler Group. Yes, yes, I know ;) But the girl really needs to start mixing with kids and other adults - she's often very shy with adults, and is still refusing to talk properly. I am thinking she's going to need to be checked because she refuses to talk properly, even though she is smart as arses.

I am hoping that the group isn't a load of mums gossiping and bitching and suchlike - life's too short for that, and if it is, I'll find something else for us to do in future. Luckily, I'm friends with the woman running it - she was Jaysens preschool teacher, and Bethys preschool teacher, so it's fitting she'll be with Tam as well!

Otherwise, Jo is getting the kids after school this afternoon for the first time at her own house. Her fella also has a son that will be there this weekend, so I think that should be interesting ;)

Maybe I should load my two up on coke and sugar and let them go!

The weekend should be a good one. I am out pretty much the entire time. This evening I am going to Ruths where her fella will be so I can have a look at his computer. Tomorrow me and Kellie are off to our old stomping ground and going to have a wander around the streets we used to rule. Then it's back to hers for dinner and beer. Sunday I am heading home, then probably at Ruths for dinner again, before getting Jaysen home.

I'm knackered thinking about it!

Anyways, for those of you that were lucky enough to see the photo-post this morning, consider yourself lucky as I received a very long-distance phone call from someone telling me that she is very sorry and will not call my bluff again :D And seeing as I am SO DAMN NICE, I've taken the post down ;)

Well, I converted it to a draft, so it's still there, lurking in the shadows... Just in case... *cackle*

Saturday Night Plan: A Blog By Pictures

Kids nailed down.


Chinese Food ordered

House MD Season One

And Booze

Lots of Booze

With more Booze

And something to mix it with of course...

And some Absinthe to boot.

Being the psychic that I am, I predict Sunday mornings blog to read something along the lines of uuuuurggghhhhh...

The Dumps

Despite the recent few posts, I'm actually been a bit down in the dumps over the last few days. I'm fairly sure it's more to do with it being A) Winter, and B) Me being bone tired, but none the less, I've been trying to keep my mind as occupied as possible.

Mostly playing WoW and pissing around on here.

I can't even say what started it, but I've been missing Bethy, and everything reminds me of her. Today at school Jaysen ran off across the field towards his class. That's it. And I had to be careful not to cry in front of the gaggle of mums saying farewell to their little sprogs. I don't know what it was - he looked small, defenceless, and just needing me.

To add to this, the infants playground was teeming with little kids running around with teddies and bunnies and what-not, all with a bandage on of some kind. The stuffed toys, not the kids. Of course, it was all in aid of Children in Need, but when Bethy was in hospital, we put a bandage and cannula on her favourite toy.

In general, I am OK, and like I say, I am fairly sure it's because it's just been a long-ass week and I am honestly that tired. I was in bed this afternoon sleeping. I was in bed last night at half eight, and now at half eight once again I am exhausted. We have people travelling down the country to see us this weekend, and while I am looking forward to seeing them, I am dreading it at the same time.

Ugh, you can ignore this whiney bitch post. I've even disabled comments for it.

Weekly Roundup #2

OK I forgot last week, but it would have been a mostly-shite roundup anyway, but today lounging on someone elses sofa with tea being made for me, I figured I would do another one. Hopefully it'll keep Christine off my back too.

But I doubt it ;)

So here we have my second weekly roundup.

Da Highs

• Finding old workmates on Facebook
• Finding old childhood friends on Facebook
• Escaping the house for a weekend
• Causing Wii-Injuries on other people

Da Lows

• Having a cold. Still
• Jo having ManFlu
• Jo having that monthly guest
• PC Repairs. Enough said
• The dry, thirsty feeling of drinking till late

Weekly Roundup #1

Taken from Christine over at Randomness, she came up with this idea. Granted, she came up with it two weeks ago and forgot the first week, but still. The purpose? To list the Highs and Lows of the previous week. And, granted, it should be done on a Saturday, but it's not like I am known for my "doing things or time". Anyway, more information here, and her first list here.

Punctuality, that's the word I wanted there. But it IS 6am.

So anyway, I am doing it late today, and then will do it again on Saturday. Assuming I remember, that is.

Da Highs

• Getting the entire Samurai Jack collection on DVD
• Reaching 1000 posts on here (Sad, I know!)
• Seeing Lane again after disappearing from work
• Not having to house-sit for the entire time the In Laws were away
• Not killing a certain non-relative
• Receiving LOTS of boobies for "charity"
• Slaving away and making the house virtually clear of junk
  

Da Lows

• Reaching new highs of sleep deprivation
• The kids trashing and re-junking the house
  
• Having to house sit just a tiny bit
• Not killing a certain non-relative
• Hearing a friend is being dicked around by someone. The bastard.
• Insomnia. It sucks.

And there we have it! The simplest things that either entertain or piss me off ;)

The Week In A Post (Pt, er, 9?)

Yay For Dan! I managed to churn out two weekly-round-up posts on two consecutive weeks! Go Me! The week here at Chez 0ddness (With a Zero...) has been go go go as is fricking normal. The weather has alternated between gales and pissing rain, to "just damp" to brilliant spring with blue skies and bright sunlight. Spring is well on the way. As is Jo's birthday next month. Ugh.

The world of the blogsphere - ie, you lot - has been busy, with 0ddness racking up huge amounts of traffic from the proverbial magicians hat with the 30k mark getting closer. Added to that, I've been exploring other blogs out there in the wilds, finding more whacky and wonderful people to meet and greet, shake hands, take the piss, and generally chatter with. There's something addictive about blogging, I swear. All the links down the side there are blogs I personally read daily. Actually, that's a lie, as I read them multiple times a day, looking for updates, perusing through archives, basically spying on their past. All very interesting.

My comments have also started increasing an impressive amount, which is like another form of addictive narcotic. Before I liked to see the crap I've written on the web. Then I was impressed when the hit counter creaked over into extra digits. Then when I started getting comments. Then when people came from nowhere, or I was linked elsewhere, or people found me through word of mouth. And again, I've had people suggest a Donation button and Banner Ads. As I've said before, I do this because I enjoy it. Not because I have to, not as a job, but because I like to spew my crap out. I HATE banners, Popups and ads in general, hence the lack-thereof. And a Donation button would annoy me, as I feel guilty when I don't give to others with them, I wouldn't want others to feel guilty. Want to make a donation? Say Hi in the comments section!

Anyway, as is usally the case when I am wandering the web, following links and everything else, I've come across a few more blogs that are fun to read - either making you think, giving you entertainment, or people just posting frankly about what they are up to. Four new ones to report on this week. Deeper Shades of Red is written by Burg, lets readers chose her subjects, and has been stalked by yours truly! Miss Britt uses her blog as an outlet to talk about whatever, be it fashion advice to talking about her life. Queen of the Mayhem rants and raves about, well, whatever takes her fancy, and she thinks Terri is great, so clearly she has a screw loose! hehe Lastly, we have the Rantings of Deb, who is heavily preggers (and with details to boot!), and discusses pretty much what takes her fancy.

All good stuff! Go say Howdy!

And lastly, before the blog roundup - a special mention to JennyHaHa. She's had a week that started with Wolf Crotch, but Friday morning I got an email about her hubby in an icky car accident. He's concussed and bruised, but otherwise OK. So here's to a quick mend for him. Which he needs, living with her ;)

So - this week. Remember - no updates for a week, I skip over you!

• - Alan in Scotland has been playing at boot sales and ebay, and has taken a risk on some crap!
• - Nancy has posted some very deep, philosophical questions to push your mind to the limit. Kinda.
• - Gretchen has a Hump Day and covers several topics in one hit.
• - Mary manages to sum up her day with a music video (which rocks, BTW!)
• - Cassi (who's blog is open to all once more) posts 16 rules she tries to live by.
• - China Blue remembers her blog! This time she covers the choices of Childless, vs Child-Free.
• - Claire posts about her day of good and bad stuff all hitting within one 24 hour period.
• - Debbie has fun trying to work out what to buy people as gifts.
• - Burg set a quiz to find her in America, which I won, and chose her next topic of blogging!
• - Deni is having a hard time with the end of Februay - go give the girl a hug!
• - Karin fills a post with good causes, after receiving messages from various charities!
• - Emma has been busy writing school reports. So busy, in fact, that she's vanished!
• - Other Emma makes a weeny change to her life, and joins the becomes a witch, oops, devil worshipper, er, evil, um...
• - The Other Jenny discusses why The Name Game is bad, and reveals the true identity of Mighty Mouse...
• - Jeanne and her tribe get their first hit of snow. Four Inches. Unlike the UK, she doesn't grind to a halt.
• - India finds a series of books aimed at young kids preparing for hospital.
• - Joansy has a very cute daughter with an imaginary friend...
• - Nutty Mummy has to take one of her wee ones into hospital - and we've all been here!
• - Luna discusses her love, her lessons, and her life - as well as the evils of her local weather (Adult Blog Warning)
• - G-Man goes to the gym, and observes his fellow gym-goers, thankfully skipping the sweaty-crotch descriptions!
• - Miss Britt observes her fellow bloggers, and how strange it is so many of us meet, get on, and appreciate one another, all without meeting.
• - Laney proves I exist, and her son starts at a new school. As well as life-changing upheavals on the horizon!
• - Queen makes a new friend from the world of the blogsphere!
• - Reynolds posts about the level of "care" the elderly receive in a lot of nursing homes.
• - Christine gets an offer out of the blue that she - thankfully - turned down. Note: Work on my mexican accent ;)
• - Deb has an interesting "interaction" with her unborn baby. Babies are so fun!
• - Jenny starts plotting her new year bird-killing quota after last years adventures.
• - Tim cries into his Fosters as the UK becomes the source of most of his visits. Probably people making sure he's staying in Australia.
• - Terri tells us about her eldest son, Casey, and how smart he is - not to mention well dressed!
• - Brian slowly drowns in work, and forgets the most important less of all men. Always do yourself up before walking into class.
• - Michael gives us a montage of Mathews expressions, from angelic to monster!

As for the rest of the World Wide Web, well, there's a few bits that amused and interested me as normal! And remember - click the red parts at your own peril!

• - Drawing In Snow - Taking snow-drawning to a new level. I can do it, but I make it yellow... (Photos)
• - Warcraft Cake - If only I could make a cake like this! (Photos)
• - Everybody Panic - Guide your mouse thingie through the maze to the green dot. (Flash Game)
• - Ye Olde Keyboard - What happens when geeks meet antiques? (Photo Article)
• - Windows XP Install - To say this computer was under the reccommended specs would be an understatement! (Article)
• - Cooking With Pigs Trotters - Exactly how it sounds. Looks vile too (YouTube Video) (*Gross Content Warning*)
• - Making Ugly Less-So - A gallery of "normal" women that have had a make over. Some of them are very well done. (Photo Gallery)
• - Zesty Art - Clay, Granite, Marble, Canvas, oil paints... Oranges? (Photo Gallery)
• - Table Hockey - We've all played Air Hockey, but this is Table Hockey with Ice (Photos/Article/Video)
• - Bowling Skills - OK, I suck at bowling at the best of times, but this must take practice (Video)

So, I think that covers it for this week! Lots to read, places to visit, things to see. I am sure if you're bored, you can come on over! And as of writing, there are less than 130 visits remaining to the big 30k. To recap, the person that is visitor #30,000 AND proves it with a ScreenShot, they will get the following:

- A sticky post for 7 days at the top of the blog, linking to their site
- A sparkling review from Yours Truly of your blog with me saying only nice things
- A prize from Tim (who, as my "sponsor" will get advertising!)
- A permanent link to the image for the world to see

No, I know it's not a lot, but it's not like it's Xmas or anything. Not yet, anyway! And in regards to the prize from Tim, here's his comment:

"Alright Dan .. here we go. As a hobby we list a few collectables on eBay.

If you would like, Beachside Collectables will offer the 30000 visitor any item in the store to the value of $40 (unfortunately I will limit it at one item due to postage)"

So - fingers on the print-screen button! Visitor 30k here you come! If you DON'T get 30k, but get CLOSE on the other side - that is, 30001 and so on, send a screenshot anyway - if 30k is submitted, then we'll see who gets closest!

Linkage & Weekly Roundup!

It's been a while since I did one of these posts, and generally, they're well received - so I figured "What better thing to do just after 5am?" Trying to find an image for these posts is almost as hard as getting one for the tag posts, but I managed it :D So ner. Gold star for those that get the reference.

Anyway, it's been a shitty iffy week but after Wednesday, things are certainly on the up, which is nice. makes a nice change to not sit here mooding and dreading upcoming dates. The biggest surprise for my week came in the form of an email to Jo a couple of days back, when someone we've not seen for... erk... six years contacted her out of the blue. Added to this, he contacted me through WoW the same day after my long boring post that I posted for no reason. Very odd. So welcome back Pogo.

His name is Dave, but he's been Pogo since college. Bless.

In other news... Tam is using the loo, Jaysen has a genetic weakness to mud, I nearly killed myself on lemon not once but twice, and Jo keeps physically abusing me. So almost a normal week really. Oh, and I am (obviously) still waking up at silly times.

And I showered my keyboard yesterday. In the bath. Moving on...

The blogosphere has been busy busy busy over the last few weeks, and I've added a couple more to my list of readings. The first is Man Overboard which is a chap somewhere in deepest darkest American with the same sense of humour as me. The second is Steel Magnolia, which is Terri from Whomagoo with her own personal blog to break play with. All good stuff. And lastly, welcome home Mr Alan in Scotland, who is no longer a high-flyer and being repressed in the middle east!

So, on with the blogs! Most of these are the most recent posts on there as I fell behind, but most of them are linked with reason, probably that it made me chuckle or think. Yes, I do that occasionally.

• - Jo proves I am a nice chap!
• - Minge is entertained by his StatCounter results.
• - Alan from Scotland has fun with his ebay listings.
• - Gretchen talks Mud, Diet and Exercise (Congrats on the improvements!)
• - Stuart has fun in the snow, and Kieran seems to love it!
• - China Blue remembers she owns a blog and sums up her chaos.
• - Debbie also plays the catchup game!
• - Deni gets her hair dyed, and now clashes with her coat (women...)
• - Karin clearly has too much free time and updates her book list.
• - Emma (being a perv) talks condoms!
• - Other Emma is also amused with the white stuff from the sky.
• - Jenny admits to her Comment Addiction. So go spam her.
• - The Girl posts about Valentines Day (Adult Blog Warning!)
• - Grayma rants about certain Heart Charities being, well, twats.
• - Lara remembers she too owns a blog, and plays catchup!
• - Alan in Ireland shares the same hatred of small talk as me!
• - Nancy receives a very lovely Valentines card from her son...
• - Joansy has trouble with her Wee Ones homework.
• - Gman finds subtle undertones in kids games. Or, like me, has a mind like that.
• - Laney has a tired Tuesday - and realises she's probably going to meet me!
• - Nee Naw contemplates breaking, entering and dog theft.
• - Reynolds gets invited to see Casualty being filmed by the BBC.
• - Christine does her first Vlog, but says nothing!
• - Jenny buys the worlds supply of Pretzels (Blergh!) and rips off the store!
• - Tim sells a very rare signed shirt for charity! YaY!
• - Terri has a rant about health insurance (then so do her readers!)
• - Brian posts a short, sweet item about something I noticed a few days back.
• - Becky also realises she's not updated her blog for a century!
• - Sween captures the aftermath of an ice storm.

As usual, all is chaos in the world of Bloggers.

Other stuff to catch my eye on the blogs out there is Minge doing his "Window on the World" again this weekend. Let's get lots of pictures sent his way! The basics: at 5pm GMT, take a photo from your window, and email it to him, with details if you like. That's GMT, NOT your local time. Granted, this will mean some of you taking dark photos, or morning pictures, or some of you being asleep, but still.

And remember, go spam Jenny with lots of comments. She will love you for all eternity.

Obviously, with this week marking the second anniversary of us losing Bethy, various readers of 0ddness have published their own tributes. So special thanks to all of you that took the time to remember Little Moo; Debbie, Karin, Emma, Other Emma, Grayma, Nancy and finally, Tim. On top of that, thank you and welcome to those that came from the three forums that had a Bethy remembrance on them; Heartline.org.uk, ValveReplacement.com, and BadMothersClub.co.uk. If the respective members of these forums could send my thanks and appreciation on, that would be grand :)

Moving on, the rest of the web. As usual, there is plenty of 0ddness out there to keep the bored, tired and generally "looking for something to do" club busy. As usual, anything marked with a red warning, it's up to you to click it ;)

• - Blending Lightsticks - What happens when you put a dozen lightsticks in a blender? (YouTube Video)
• - Large Bug - Very interesting size of hornet in the Far East. Wikipedia Info here! (Photo)
• - Warcraft Nation - Not convinced how popular this game is? (Article)
• - Biiig Fish Tank - Think you've got a cool tank setup? Pfft. (Photos/Article)
• - Interesting IP Address - Click the link and see what you score. Me, a crappy 4. (Webpage)
• - Cat+Laser Pointer - I think this cat was probably on speed as well... (YouTube Video)
• - When Harry Met Sally - Re-edited movie trailer, very well done. (YouTube Video)
• - Everyday Items - A massive gallery of everyday "stuff" in different situations. (Photo Gallery)
• - Pranking Telemarketers - We all hate the Telemarketer, but this guy takes it to a new level (Audio)
• - Biffs Questions - The actor that played Biff in Back to the Future answers some common questions (YouTube Video)
• - Nailing Jelly to a Wall - You know the old adage about how easy something is. HOW easy is it? (Photos/Article)
• - Drilled Chilli Beef - Todays cooking for tomorrows Engineers. (Photos/Article)
• - Big Plughole - When you REALLY need to empty the bath/resevoir.
• - Zombie Killing - Fun little game with guns and zombies. And blood! (Flash Game with blood!)
• - Stack of Fun - A webpage with lots of simple, cutesy games which are kind of addictive (Games List)

And there we have it - an hour and a half wasted by typing out this post. The sun has come up, plus the postie and milkie have been. Don't say I don't love ya!

Looong Week!

Has this week just draaaaged or is it me? I can't believe that Saturday has only JUST arrived. Of course, despite having a long, busy week, my stupid body clock is on the fritz again and I was up at 6.30am. I had a crappy night as well, being that someone has given me a sore throat, so I've been coughing and trying to clear my throat all fricking night. Added to this Miguel was wandering around on the bed all night which didn't help, and Jo couldn't get comfortable which didn't help. and I couldn't get comfortable...

Meh.

All in all, it's been a pretty hectic one, with kids running around alternating between Saints and Devils, Jo being ill then tattoo'd, housework, phone calls, texts, idiots on the web, getting tagged, getting glasses, shopping, socialising... WHY am I up so early again?

On top of all this, there are several new blogs I've started reading and spamming commenting on. I've added them all to the sidebar there, and aside from Jo at the top, they're all in some sort of alphabetical order. Kinda. You've got the return of Alan from Scotland with his third blog in the last 12 months. Karin has also returned with her Dried Papercuts & Chicken blog. There's Deni from Canada that doesn't blog often, but also misses the afore-mentioned Alan. There's The Girl In Her Underwear who, it turns out, is dealing with a child newly diagnosed with CHD. You've got Grayma's Place, who is new to blogging and still learning the ropes. You've also got The Reluctant Dad, a man that is new to the whole Fatherhood thing, and lastly, there's Sween in the Bean, who like most of us, posts whatever springs to mind.

This week, the news has been filled with, er... Well, I don't know actually. Mostly politics I suppose. Plus certain world leaders throwing more troops into various war zones. Idiots. And speaking of idiots, David and Ugly Beckham are finally pissing off to America. He wants to change football. Yeah, sure, the £128million had nothing to do with it. Ah well, they can have him. And on top of this, England is once again gripped by the weather - wind and rain this time. My closest call was getting wet on a school run. hehe

My blogging week has been filled with tags (as usual - and you should do them too), crazies on the street, realising I am living by a clock, recreating my family, a la South Park, posting from my mobile phone, harassing spammers, and as usual, pissing around with my template - which ended up back exactly the way it started. From the polls, it seems everyone is happy with how things look, so I will cease my fiddling. Everything is almost working fully, but it seems we have a random popup on here which is out of my control, thanks to the Cbox. I am hunting around for a better free one, but so far - no luck. We also have two votes on "Something Is Missing" so if people could elaborate on that, I'll see what I can do.

And Minge, I will post on my "Irrational Thoughts" later on for you old boy :)

Being that I've not done this since Mid-December, there might be a fair bit on here. I'm sure you can deal with it ;) There's always the "Don't click the links!" part to save time! And as usual, anything that might be bad/dodgy/rude or whatever will be marked in Red. Don't say I didn't warn you! At least, I assume that's red. Whatever.

• Jo once again goes to the hairdresser, and once again gets a restyle.
• Alan from Scotland is once again back in UAE, but with a different company and loving it.
• Minge celebrates his blogs First Birthday with a look back at his year as a Blogger.
• Gretchen has joined a "Future MILF's" weight loss group - and if you don't know what it means, then search google carefully!
• Stuart finally hits the Big 3-0, and celebrates with his town being flooded.
• Cass (who has a private blog) has left England and returned home to America.
• China Blue debates on the need for a New Years Resolution or not.
• Debbie gives us photos of the three men in her life. Oo-er ;)
• Deni From Canada deals with the feeling of incoming depression - but is pointed in the right direction to Alan :)
• Dried Papercuts is into reading, and lists out the books she wants to cover this year.
• Emma deals with a government school inspection by, er, Dancing...
• Other Emma proves she's old and wrinkly by becoming a grandparent. And blew up her pooter.
• The Girl In Her Underwear (Jenny) writes an expansive post on... Boogers.
• The Girl With A One Track Mind blog hits it's third birthday, which she rounds up with a look back to her being outed by the press. (Adult Blog!)
• Grayma learns how to use Blogger and edit her posts. But fails.
• India Knight details her daughters first day at Nursery, and the parental stress involved.
• Lara hasn't updated for a while, and after asking around, she's OK and busy with work!
• Alan From Ireland has a bit of a Rant about New Years Eve, complete with some humbugs.
• Nancy goes into detail about her daughter and sex education.
• Joansy cracks me up with a story on how her hubby dealt with a sick child on a school run.
• Mark in Wales rants about Rich Beggars and a busier-than-usual week.
• Moncrief photoblogs his trip to San Fransisco at the end of last year.
• Money For Old Rope resurfaces after a busy end-of-year.
• Laney celebrates with alcohol once again, and gets drunk once again. With interesting hair.
• Nee Naw tells the tale of a couple of very cheeky emergency callers.
• Reynolds works with a trainee on what could be a big job for an ambulance crew.
• Christine seems to be extra busy and up extra late. Which is becoming more regular of late!
• The Reluctant Dad learns the valuable lesson of "Why Babies Cry"
• Jenny has fun trying to sort her medical bills and enjoys automated phone services.
• Tim the Convict makes himself sound like a real catch with his drivers license.
• Brian is having his house pulled apart and rewired. Brave man. Also includes Child Entertainment Tip!
• Becky finally manages to post an update on her blog - and *gasp* disagrees with a doctor!
• Sween loses faith in the ancient wisdom contained within the almighty fortune cookie...
• Matthew and his family have a day at grandmas where he discovers grass for the first time!

Lots and Lots of bloggers! And to think I check all these several times a day. And people wonder why I post such inane crap on MY blog, or why I do stupid things to keep my poor wee self entertained! hehe

As for elsewhere on the web, well, there's a fair bit that I've been bookmarking, checking, watching and generally paying attention to. So, for something to kill a few minutes, have a wander!

• Book Art - people making detailed, delicate art simply by cutting into books. (Photo Gallery)
• Trap Shooting - Except, it wouldn't be interesting if it were clay pigeons. So let's use computers instead. (Video)
• Dis or Dat - a quiz game that is updated daily with a different theme, and rather amusing too. (Flash Game occasionally with Adult Undertones)
• Mano et Mano - Some kind of extreme boxing with two guys beating the living snot out of one another (Video: Extreme Boxing! With Blood!)
• Run Mr Robot - The Honda Asimo has been updated, and can now run - but looks like he's crapped himself. (Video)
• Plant Overlords - Scary what a little fungus can do to a bug. (Video - graphic if you love teeny insects)
• Transformers Movie - A massive collection of all the leaked images from the upcoming movie for you geeks. (Photo Gallery)
• Deflector - Amusing little game - you can't shoot, but have to make force fields to bounce enemy bullets back. (Flash Game)
• Build A Castle - Ever wanted to have your own fortified cardboard home? Well now you can!
• Bee Attack - When faced with a bee swarm, how do you deal with it? (Photo Gallery: Again, graphic if you love bugs)
• Armoured Critters - If your pet cat or mouse is fighting a battle, best get them a suit of armour... (Photo Gallery)
• Pulp Fiction (Edit!) - The entire movie showing nothing by the F-words used. (Video - Contains the F-word about 280 times!)
• Interesting Cocktail - Everyone loves Cheese & Pineapple on a cocktail stick, right? (Photo Gallery/Article)
• Get A Necromancer - Print out for making your very own Necromancer model to sit and, er, glare. (Article/DIY)
• Duck Whistle - Ever wanted to put a duck whistle thingie on a car exhaust? (Video)
• Horror Movie - Wow, a new breed of evil tries to take over the world. I imagine this is somewhat Tongue in Cheek, BUT is a real, honest-to-goodness movie due out - proof! (Video: Graphic Violence, Blood, Monsters!)

So there you have it, the first round up of the new year. If you clicked every link, have a gold star*.



*Star not included.

Linkage!

Another week gone, another week close to Xmas, another week to 2007, and another week of weather that just cannot make it's mind up. It's been busy here at Chez English (Or should that be Chez Anglais?), with Jaysen hitting the big nothing-eight, with shopping being done on an almost daily basis (multiple times yesterday, in fact), and with the mountain of presents slowly being wrapped. Good job really, the stack is causing problems for low-flying aircraft...

England is all over the place at the moment with the serial killer targeting prostitutes in Suffolk, the Princess Diana enquiry saying there is no conspiracy, plus all the random political stuff I tend to ignore. There's sport, there's weather, and there's stuff. But the serial killer is the subject at the moment. Fingers crossed they get some decent leads and find the crazy sonofabitch soon.

On a personal level, things have been going swimmingly - pain from being so damn busy not withstanding. Had a bit of a shaky morning after reading another little baby died because of CHD, in what sounds like a horrific thing for all concerned. On an unrelated note, I also had a diabolical night sleep last night thanks to a squirmy Miguel and a unsettled Tamsyn. I think I almost made it to two-hours of sleep last night. Go me.

But other than that, I am fine and dandy!

As for the rest of you out there, you're busy, that's for sure. But I notice something missing... A lack of Xmas-based posts! Alan in Ireland posted photos of his tree, and Joansy had some Xmasy photos from her trip to the Bellagio in Las Vegas. And I realise the irony of me saying there aren't many posts, and have yet to show my tree to the world. You see, my tree started out fine, but between cats, dogs and a certain toddler, it looks like the poor thing has Dutch Elm Disease. It's, ah, balding. From the bottom up. And we're missing a serious number of glittery balls (*ahem*). I think the Evil Pixie Empire has stolen them.

• Jo thanks everyone for helping her with her debt worries. And an extra thanks to someone that helped us out in a massive way. Saying no names to him, thank you.
• Christine has a rant off about an AOL List of Dumb Music Moves and justifies them. You go, girl.
• Minge is in Bouremouth, sans internet connection or his beloved iMac. I think the pressure is getting to him.
• Joansy posts about how much she misses the kids, even though she'd only been without them a few hours.
• Laney does what any true Basildon Girl does best and gets drunk.
• Lara posts about the loss of her newborn daughter, and vocalises perfectly how the loss affects a parent. Very touching and very sad. And I hope you don't mind me linking it honey - if you want it removed, just say the words and I'll edit it out :)
• China Blue makes more excuses as to why she's not blogging as much, and aside from Writers Block, she's also being sucked into MySpace. Someone, quick, get her out of there!
• Mark manages to check off something else from his To-Do list, plus has to deal with the indecisiveness of his other half.
• Stuart posts Kierans school photo. Bless the sweet little man!
• Other Emma describes her surprise at the lack of a certain persons parenting skills.
• Debbie discusses how certain sounds can push a parents mind straight back to hospital when their child is fighting for their life.
• Gretchen talks about traditions old and new, and things she does in her home for Xmas.
• Paul at Money For Old Rope has come out of hiding once again and talks about his visit to the big dish.
• Tim at The Special Zipper got to meet the Adelaide Crows and had an excellent day by all accounts!
• Nancy posts about her son, Geppetto Brandon creating his own wooden boy - who has a mysterious "accident"...
• Brian has a bit of a Star Wars moment, visiting the desert set (and it's inhabitants), plus is surprised at the prices for the Lego sets.
• Moncrief details his trip to Las Vegas, where he met another gay man suffering from "denial".
• The Girl goes through her experience with the new Bond movie. (Adult Blog warning!)
• Jenny - in a moment of classiness - describes throwing dirty nappies at her family!
• India has a rant at the console industry with their skewed views on Supply & Demand
• Alan from Ireland lends a helping hand to Mac users that want to watch YouTube videos on their iPod.
• Reynolds the EMT in London details how a patient was ignored, while her partner attracted a lot of attention.
• Reynolds non-Ambulance blog posts details on a new Social Application that sounds pretty interesting.
• Nee Naw has a change of scenery for a day and deals with the First Response Unit/Ambulance Car, and how the crews deal with nasty things.
• Matthew starts to wander around the house, and a camera is ready to catch the action!

Other blogs without links - well, Emma needs a break from everyone assuming she's having a bad time and is taking time out. She's fine ya'll! Alan in Scotland... Could someone please send me the login details to his blog please as I cleared my Cache/Cookies and don't have the login anywhere! DOH! Cass is having a hard time in the run-up to Xmas, and I hope to help her before or just after by kidnapping her and dumping her here.

As for the non-blog-stuff out there, well, there are a few items that have caught my eye over the last week, but due to my levels of being busy, there's not huge amounts (he says as he sees how much is in his folder!). After looking at this little collection, it would appear most of the movie clips are of idiots being idiots, and almost all of them have people getting injured in some way. If you don't like seeing people hurt - even if it's them being dickheads - then skip the Idiot Video links :)

• FoodTube - The chap that is eating his way across China tries another interesting food: Tasty Crispy Sikworm. (Article)
• AfroFly - Eat the pies, smash through the window. Simple! (Game)
• USS Enterprise - as furniture, apparently, though I think it counts as "Ornament" and not "Furniture" heh (Site)
• Idiot: Playing with Fire - Kids pour petrol on a train track, them himself, lights tracks, runs through it. Note how shocked everyone is that he's burning!!! (Idiot Video)
• Idiot: Playing with Gravity - Jumping from a height and landing on your face.. OF COURSE IT HURTS! (Idiot Video)
• Idiot: Blowing Up Teeth - Unsurprisingly, biting down on even tiny explosives will mess up your teeth. (Idiot Video)
• Will It Blend: iPod - The ultimate blender is put to the test with an iPod. Well, not so much a test, after all, this things blends everything. Once you're done, scroll down the page and watch all the other clips. Craziness. And if anyone has a spare £900, I'd like one too!
• (Video)
• World of Warcraft: Expansion Cinematic - For the geeks that like pretty - click the "Stream in Flash" link on that page, and watch the new game trailer. DAMN pretty. (Video)
• MORE Badgers - You know my love for the Badger-Badger-Badger stuff, well here's another. Though it might make your ears bleed!
• New Grow Game - I love these games, and have completed them all so far - this one is pretty easy, but the "Failures" endings are cool too. You win when you see "Congratulations".
• Cool Table - OK, yes, it's just a table. But damn...
• Plethora of Gadgets - A list of seven very cool/interesting/pretty gadgets that you HAVE to have. Sort of.

And there we have it. More links that you can shake a cyber-stick at, let alone a REAL stick. I'm sure there is plenty of reading, watching and activities for one and all. And lastly, I HAVE to post this as a video because it's just excellent. I found this video on Reynolds "Mental Kipple" blog, and have fallen in love with this song. Enjoy. And if you don't like it... Grrr!

And yes, this post took me forever to write. For ever.

Linkage For Friday

Bored? At a loss for something to do? Then look no further my good friend! For here is a brief roundup of, well, pretty much where-ever I happen to go. I know it's been a while since I did one, but I felt creative. So, aside from my favourite posts across the board, we've had other things occurring. First up, Mr Minge has been given the all-clear from his nasty tongue lump that could have been that, so congrats to the crazy Scot. Other than that, we've had a nice tagging-thingie from Moncrief that quite a few have done. The weather has been a hot topic of conversation on both sides of the pond for several bloggers, as has Xmas with is literally looming on the horizon. There have been health issues, Aussies moving house, Software Programmers working around the clock, parents dealing with children...

Chaos, I think is the best word for it. There are a couple of new blogs in the list - Reynolds at Random Reality is an EMT working for London Ambulance Service and is a frank look at his world. Nee Naw is similar, but he is an Emergency Medical Dispatcher in London (the people that you speak with when you ask for an Ambulance after dialling 999). Matthew's Blog is another CHD child that is as cute as a button. Alan from Scotland is blogging again (and back in Dubai) so you'll need to contact him for his logon names.

So, anyway...

• Christine has a new tag-thingie going on over on her blog, which I WILL get around to. Soon. Ish.
• Emma has the world banging down her door thinking she was down in the dumps, when she was just busy - so she went into hiding!
• Minge managed to get a load of Xmas Shopping done, plus managed to decorate his house, the busy bunny.
• Joansy discovers the location of the greatest martini ever - but has a problem.
• Laney thinks the cat she stole rescued might be up the duff, as it were...
• Lara finds that she's been so busy, her feet haven't touched the floor.
• China Blue has a tag-thingie listing the things she'd never do - another list I need to do at some point!
• Mark has been working hard and looking forward to the party season. Probably so he can listen to more Take That...
• Stuart geeks out in a big way with his new GP2x Console and a wad of old games.
• Other Emma has a few issues with the Inland Revenue and their Tax Credit department!
• Debbie's baby Joshua discovers that which entertains all babies - his toes.
• Gretchen has a Hump Day, but has over 10,000 hits on her site (Congrats!)
• Paul over at Money for Old Rope has been busy and tries to make excuses as to why he's not posted (and double-posts in the process!)
• Tim The Convict at The Special Zipper has managed to raise just over AUS$600 for a charity in Australia by exhausting himself. And he's moving into a new jailcell house!
• Nancy breathes a sigh of relief that Jessicas endoscopy goes without hitch, and the results are deal-with-able. If that's a word.
• Becky has a perfect moment with Miles.
• Brian shows off his sons artistic side.
• Moncrief makes a trip to Present Day Wisconsin, by photos..
• The Girl receives hate mail (Warning: Adult Blog)
• Jenny receives the greatest gift of her life. And we're still waiting photos.
• India posts a touching (Read: Tear Jerker) poem that won an award.
• Alan in Ireland receives something he's needed for many years: Proof.
• Reynolds posts about his anger at loss of life.
• NeeNaw describes a scary call he and his trainee dealt with.
• Michael posts Matthews upcoming month that looks like it's going to busy - as life can be with some CHD kids!

And I read all these blogs, multiple times per day! Just remember, when you're not posting, I'm twiddling my thumbs! Your lack of posting makes me sad! hehe

If you're done with the blogs, and need something to do, maybe entertainment for a little while, maybe something to last longer, then look no further!

• Simple But Annoying - A massive collection of games that seem simple enough, but get harder, faster!
• Sling - A physics/cartoony platform game that is very well made - especially for a free game!
• Missile Game 3D - Zoom through the tunnel, avoid the obsticals, win.
• Mary Poppins Horror - Someone has taken scenes from Mary Poppins and edited it to look like a Horror. Very smart!
• Tony vs. Paul - Stop-Motion video of two chaps fighting. Very well made and suchlike. With huge amounts of patience, no doubt.
• Spikey Ball - Another physics-based platform game. Rescue the bugs, destroy the plantlife.
• WD40 - The reason it says on the tin "Do not puncture or rupture this tin"

So, there you go - my boredom should help alleviate any that you might be feeling! Have a good weekend :)