Thursday: Chatting and Networking

I guess it depends on your standpoint how you view meeting up with colleagues or friends - as for me, well I call it 'one-to-ones' or networking, gossiping or a bilateral, either way it's a good use of time.  Me, well I like to keep my ear to the ground on what's happening around me, so informal networks are a must.  Today's highlights were:

• A formal mutual colleague was spotted on his day off wearing a suit and anorak atop Beachy Head
• The right kind of insulin ensures continuity to all Type 1 sufferers
• There's very little point in keeping in contact with former colleagues who have taken redundancy as they tend to crow that they can rise at 10am every morning and then moan about how many CVs they've sent to potential employers to no avail
• Loans take years to pay off
• It's difficult to sustain any kind of physical relationship if you only meet up once a month and both live with your respective mothers

I caught an early train in the afternoon to take full advantage of the Oyster saving - basically if you touch in before 15:59 the fare's £2.90 instead of the peak £4.70 - God knows why I know that, I really should get a life.   However, some of the train's passengers were a bit chavvy - three tattooed and shirtless fellows boarded at one station and proceeded to swig from a wine bottle and smoke cigarettes.  Luckily they moved down to another carriage but alighted at the same station as me.  Unfortunately, despite my best efforts to keep a safe distance from them, they kept tarrying to consume more liquor but before long they donned their tops and headed into the bookies on the main road.  Phew!

I was then walking down the road behind another pair who were smoking roll ups and supping from Foster's cans when one engaged me in conversation, so rather bizarrely I chatted to a young man from Latvia who stated that he was pleased that I was 'no snob' and we discussed the relative merits of the area and it's various hostelries.  I declined to provide him with my number though, but I'm sure it was flattering to be asked at my advanced age.

My Son, The Earl, is as weird as me...discuss.

Yeah, it's true - clearly my young son, The Earl as he's known online, has inherited my personality.  "Oh that's amazing!" you may say, but I don't think so - he's bizarre and I'm not quite sure where it will land him in life as mine's been odd enough to date.  A portfolio of his eccentric behaviour is growing daily, but his liking of tacky ornaments, akin to my parents' love of kitsch gardenware is rather scary.  The Duke took him to B&Q the other week and he was desperate to purchase a resin Meercat figure which was dressed in pirate garb:

Yep, I agree that it should be rotated but I cannot work out how to do it at the moment.

He was rather sweet this morning and insisted on purchasing some flowers (which cost £2) from Asda this morning for me.  By this I'm talking about my son, not the meercat who I'd doubt had the spending power to make something happen like that.  I mentioned my parents' strangeness earlier, well what can I say?  Who can honestly hold their hand up and say 'My parents have built a Gothic wall in the middle of their suburban garden, complete with skulls and attached charnel house?' - er, I'd guesstimate precisely none.  They've also constructed a model village in there too.....

Finally, yes I do have an electric organ in my dining room and no, I cannot play it.  Bummer.

Charlie Bears on QVC

Whilst flicking through the listings on the V+ box I thought I'd record a programme enticingly called Charlie Bears which was broadcast on the shopping channel QVC the other day and I'm so glad that I did.  Basically, it's a series of collectable furry ursinesque creatures which are in the £20-80 price range (plus P&P!) depending on size or style.  I recall first watching it whilst breakfasting a la settee and nearly choked on my Marmite toast from sheer laughter.  I think I'm going to have to provide some visuals - so here you are:

Now, this Koala's nice isn't it?  Well, not in my opinion anyway and it's facial hair formation reminds me of the late actor James Roberson-Justice.

Words fail me on this one - interesting foot/snout combo.

This one beggars belief - how cruel is it to spray paint a teddy bear?  Do you think it's been hanging around with the hoodies under the railway arches?  Would Banksy approve?

Finally - what on earth are those monkey's hands doing?  It's just plain obscene!  My friend, who was visiting me last night and I couldn't stop laughing - we were literally in tears.  I've no doubt that it's all a matter of personal taste, but honestly!

Friday: Greetings Cards

Question: do you like sending and indeed receiving greetings cards?  Are you, like me, a bit annoyed by simply the thought of them, or are they something which really brightens up your existence?  I'm a strange woman at times - slightly disconnected and not particularly sentimental, which is a bit of an anomaly around these parts as the most crowded shops tend to be card emporia and the sheer amount of flowers and teddies left on graves tends to bear that out.  Now, I have quite a few dead relatives (who have stopped turning up at Christmas now I've put a block on the undead eating my running buffet), but I cannot say, hand on heart, that I've ever left anything for them at the crematorium which was their final resting place as I don't believe that the spirit stays there, I think it floats around randomly, choosing to turn up at odd times when you'd least expect it.

My favourite example of a birthday card is pictured below - this was sent by The Duke's octogenarian aunt to the Earl, on his fifth birthday and I'll think you'll agree, it's really creepy:

 It looks to me, like something extracted from one of the Chucky films or something available in the 'Local Shop', courtesy of The League of Gentlemen.  That said, it's been adhered to one of my kitchen cabinets for a good few months now as it never fails to cheer me up.  Hurrah!