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the ‘truth’ about Internet Marketing?

Posted in career, idiot category, It's my life, wealth and finance, tagged get rich quick schemes, internet marketing, internet marketing scams, multi-level marketing on May 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Just read a very interesting article about ‘Internet Marketing’ and this quote jumped out at me like a bombshell – “What we like to do here is OPM: Other People’s Money.” I recall how the many ‘Guru’s’ whose courses I have attended used the same terminology as well as which I could list about 8 ‘guru’s’ who have managed to separate me from the balance on my credit cards, who all say much the same thing….eg they ‘suggest’ to you that you should make the most of OPM…eg your credit cards coz you will make the money back once you do their course, sign up for their programme….. blah blah blah. And so after reading this article I am once again reminded of how they use their fancy terminology to separate you and your money, in this case me and my money.

hmmm….very interesting. So I am posting this for all the folks out there who have not yet been scammed into joining up/signing up for/or in any other way getting hooked into what appears to be a great way to earn money…..and it certainly is….for the person who has just scammed you into paying for their programme. I know there are many folks out there who have lost a fortune to these tricksters…..and one of them is me!!! and I didn’t even want to ‘get rich quick’, I just wanted a way to earn a decent living from home.

It makes for very interesting reading, and of course I most certainly do recognise some of the names……just a pity I can’t draw up my own ‘name & shame’ list. He should also include ‘multi-level marketing in here, not coz they have the same philosophy (although some of them do employ underhand tricks), but because you are led to believe certain things with clever words and then when you get going you realise that it is just a numbers game and you are just a number, then you become a statistic and they really don’t give a toss about you afterwards. When you are making them money…they know you, if you are not….you never hear a word.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/10/2984893/scamworld-get-rich-quick-schemes-mutate-into-an-online-monster

Don’t get taken in…….

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#BGT and me :) #wheresmekeys

Posted in family and relationships, Fun Stuff, idiot category, It's my life, tagged #wheresmekeys #wheresmephone, britains got talent on April 10, 2012| 4 Comments »

well now. this was meant to be kept private!!!!!! but since it has been splashed across youtube & facebook and so many people have now seen it…… I may as well share it with you too! my mortification is complete especially as this was only loaded on Saturday night and by the time we went to bed it had 48 views…..it now has over 2,000 and not only have friends and possibly family seen this…but so have 2,000 other people!!!! hysterical.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arW19A92waY

oh and p.s. Cemanthe has been sleeping in a tent in the backyard ever since!!!
p.s.s. the background to this is Britain’s Got Talent and a contestant that appeared on Saturday night. if your’e on twitter check out the hashtags #wheresmephone #wheresmekeys this will explain more 🙂

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Marie Curie’s ‘Great Daffodil Appeal’ and London goes yellow

Posted in Fun Stuff, idiot category, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, things to do in London, Travel, tagged HMS Belfast National Theatre London Eye Trafalgar Square Piccadilly Circus go yellow, London goes yellow in support of Marie Curie Cancer Care, Marie Curie UK Great Daffodil Appeal on March 3, 2011| 4 Comments »

...And then my heart with pleasure fills, and dances with the daffodils.

So a couple of weeks ago I decided to participate in the Marie Curie UK ‘Great Daffodil Appeal’ that was due to launch on March 1st. I love daffodils and they are my 2nd favourite flower after yellow roses, which is brilliant, coz here in the UK they are prolific at the start of spring. A fabulous burst of bright sunny yellow to brighten even the darkest days at the tail-end of winter.
I usually buy a daffodil pin from Marie Curie each year (now have quite a few 🙂 ) and this year I decided that as part of my increased ‘contribution’ drive I would register to do a stint as a ‘Daffodil’ lady and be a ‘collector’. My chosen patch is in Hampstead Village and I will be there on March 11th for an hour between 1-2pm 🙂 So cool, it’s gonna be great fun and I am so looking forward to the day. I get to wear a yellow apron and a great big yellow hat too, so should look fabulous at fifty!! hahahaha. (Okay, okay dissenters in the troops, I know I am not 50 anymore……)

fab at fifty+

Anyhow, as usual I digress. So back to the daffodils. I connected with Marie Curie on facebook and twitter and a few days later noticed a status update to say that in support of ‘The Great Daffodil Appeal’, London would #goyellow for one night only on March 1st!!!! whoo hoo. Get ya boots on girl!! However, since it is not easy for me to get time off, especially at night, I thought I would most likely have to miss it….again!!! I have missed so many of this type of event the last few years, but lucky me…..as things turned out that night, I could take off and go #walkabout to get photos for my collection….awesome if I may say!

I had a fab time whizzing about and covered a large area within the two hours I had available to me.

I started my journey at London Bridge (quickly becoming another of my favourite places in London). I arrived there at 6.31pm and spent a bit of time taking photos of the bridge and buildings in the area. I am totally loving Number 1 London Bridge, such a fantastic building. From there I made my way along Queen’s Walk past amongst others, the London Bridge Hospital and Cotton’s Centre which looks totally gorgeous at night.

the Cotton's Centre, Southwark

It’s such a great area to walk along and if you continued straight along you would reach Tower Bridge.

The night was by now quite dark and the lights glittered brightly on the water. I kinda took my time at this stage and felt as if I had the whole evening ahead of me! There were lots of people about, striding along, strolling, meandering, standing tight in corners kissing and ahugging! 🙂

London is such a people city.

I strolled along the promenade and then voila! There she was…. HMS Belfast at her moorings, looking ghostly and surreal; bathed in a yellow glow.

HMS Belfast moored on the River Thames, London

I faffed around taking photos, sending a twitpic and a tweet to say where I was when suddenly I heard the chimes of the hour!!! 7pm already!!! What? I only just got here! This also meant that I was now 15 minutes behind schedule and it was time to get a move on!
Making my way back from whence I had come, I strode along with purpose towards Southwark Cathedral which was looking ethereal in the night light, albeit not bathed in yellow.

Southwark Cathedral, London

I am so loving this part of London, the cobbled lanes and alleys of Southwark – lined with buildings that crouch brooding in the dark, lamp-posts cast pools of flickering light that dance and chase the shadows, dark corners, ancient ruins, riverside pubs, historical and modern side-by-side creating a tapestry of mystery and excitement. This ancient area is a mix of very old and very new, neighbours that span centuries, comfortable together in their present incarnation.

modern buildings like phoenix rise.....

The scenery along this part of the Thames Path is wonderful and along the way I passed some of our iconic bridges and buildings, enjoying the night lights dancing on the Thames. The Thames tide was out and the air icy cold. By now my fingers had begun to curl with the cold and standing in one spot to type up my tweets was an exercise in restraint……the temptation to pop into the warm welcoming doorways of the riverside pubs and cafes was huge.

St Paul's Cathedral - ethereal in the night light

As I strode along I kept my eye on the profile of St Paul’s looming larger the closer I got. It is such a beautiful building and looked quite ethereal and mysterious from afar. The Millenium Bridge now faintly visible in the night light, a beautiful structure and the latest of the Thames bridges crossing from north to south, a gateway to St Paul’s Cathedral from Bankside.

the Millenium Bridge gateway to St Paul's Cathedral from Bankside

I finally passed Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, then Tate Modern after a brief diversion onto Millenium Bridge to take a couple of photos of St Paul’s and the river.

St Paul's Cathedral viewed from the Millenium Bridge

Took a few minutes to send a tweet….despite the cold. By now I was way behind schedule! I do wish I could just walk and not get diverted by all the gorgeous things I see along the way. Under normal circumstance the Thames Path runs pretty much right alongside the river through London central, with the occassional flight of stairs to ascend, a road to traverse, then a descent back onto the path, that mostly runs beneath bridges and in the open along promenades both narrow and wide.

along the Thames Path

So the idea last night was to do just that. I made good progress till……..disaster! Blackfrair’s Railway Bridge; currently under refurbishment; and unbeknownst to me, the stairs were sealed off! Urgh!!

Blackfriar's New Bridge November 6th, 1869

With no other choice but to make a long diversion at a very fast pace, my toes protesting mightily, I finally got back onto the path, now seriously behind time, but I knew that just around the corner was my next goal The National Theatre and then EDF London Eye.

Whizzing along now at great speed my eye on the clock ticking merrily away, I finally reached The National Theatre. I could see the great granite block all lit up but sadly could not find a suitable position to make a decent photo. However, I did what I could, sent off a pic and a tweet, and then without further ado I scooted off round the corner to the London Eye, my next stop 🙂

the London Eye....yes it is a bit blurry...I was shivering with cold!!

What a sight; it looked fabulous. The photos I took at the venue were sadly quite blurred, but in my defense it was really chilly and despite the fast pace, I was shivering. Nevertheless as I made my way across Westminster Bridge, Big Ben enticing me on, I stopped briefly for a view that is truly one of my absolute favourites…..and looking back……there it was looking brilliant, bathed in yellow; the London Eye in all her glory, stealing the limelight from the London County Hall crouched just beside.

London Eye and London County Hall bathed in yellow

By now it was 7.52pm

7.52PM - Big Ben

and I was seriously running out of time….I had to be on the train home by 8.30 and I still had Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus to get to. Thankfully the route along Whitehall is a relatively quick walk between Big Ben and my next stop……Trafalgar Square! Wow! The fountains were uplit with yellow and looked absolutely splendid.

fountain at Trafalgar Square - the photo doesn't do it justice

I quick-stepped up the stairs, sent a pic and a tweet, then at an increased pace made my way past the National Gallery, the Portrait Gallery and into Leicester Square, thence to Piccadilly Circus!

Hooray! At just after 8pm I finally reached my final destination…. Piccadilly Circus. 🙂

There on the board was the bright yellow of Marie Curie’s logo and details.

Piccadilly Circus and the Marie Curie 'Great Daffodil Appeal' 🙂

Sadly I missed the 7pm switch-on when the whole of the board was lit up with yellow, but I would never have made all of the stops if I hadn’t started at the other end of town at 6.30.

I had just enough time for a few photos and then back to Leicester Square for the train home. Piccadilly Circus was vibrant with energy, a kaleidoscope of colour, the endless flow of traffic, a mix of locals and visitors either milling about, rushing along or lingering, taking photos, sitting on the steps chatting, a swirling pool of noise and laughter filled the air. A fine end to a fun evening.

Then a quick walk back along Leicester past the Trocadero, the Prince of Wales Theatre, through Leicester Square, the garden area now boarded up and ‘Getting Ready for 2012’ (and the London Olympics) and so to the tube and home! (p.s. and it took me longer to prepare this blog than the whole #walkabout!! 🙂 )

Leicester Square - Getting Ready for 2012

So there you have it, and in my defense…..my mother did drop me on my head when I was a baby. 🙂
You know of course that you are either born mad or get dropped on the head…..mine was the latter! (Seriously!)

What a great life!! And just to finish it off, I have included the wonderful poem by William Wordsworth:

“Daffodils” (1804)
I WANDER’D lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch’d in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:
I gazed — and gazed — but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).

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the priviledge of living in a Democracy

Posted in around the UK, idiot category, It's my life, tagged democracy, democracy is a priviledge not a right, living in a democratic country, protest and demonstrations, student demonstrations, the wright stuff, united kingdom on November 11, 2010| 2 Comments »

It was with total dismay and incomprehension that I watched the events of yesterdays ‘Student Protest’ unfold. In fact, any of the recent demonstrations that have turned violent! I love this country and I have an overwhelming passion for London, and it fills me with disbelief and dismay that I live in a country with people that behave like that!

I am all for the democratic process, the freedom of speech, the priviledge of being able to voice my opinion – by ‘peaceful’ demonstration, to protest in a ‘peaceful’manner and I agree to a point with the view that the University fees have jumped alarmingly.

However, what I do not agree with is the events that unfolded during the protest march yesterday. It amazes me that in what is classed as a 1^st world country, that people who have the benefit of a full-on education go on to behave in such an appalling manner. It would seem that education doesn’t remove the thug-mentality and that there are as usual the small minority of people who will go ahead and destroy…. just because! There was no reason for what they did.

And of course….lets blame the Police once again why don’t we!!!! Let’s blame everyone else and not take responsibility for our own actions!! I see absolutely no reason on earth why the police should have had to have a stronger presence in the area. It was meant to be a peaceful demonstration by students who are in University! Therefore one would expect that they have the intelligence and maturity to make their voices heard in a manner befitting a university education, a manner befitting a 1^st world country.

So now folks will be up in arms and blame the police for what happened yesterday. Take responsibility for your own actions you morons!! Many citizens of this country and other western countries are so quick to blame, blame, blame and seldom accept responsibility for their own actions and the consequences thereof. “Oh! It’s the fault of the police for not having a stronger presence in the area!”. RUBBISH!!!!! It’s the fault of the thugs who smashed the place up! I truly wish that they are severly punished for their actions!! They do not deserve the priviledges that they get in this country.

What will probably happen is that their parents will rush off to the nearest ‘Compensation’ lawyers (if those ****** don’t get there first) and claim compensation for their little thugs getting arrested blah blah blah!! And then we will have the ‘human-rights’ activists putting in their pennies worth!

Yes, the fees are high and yes! I agree that it is quite unfair that foreign students get lowered fees while the students of tax-payers in this country have to pay more, but that does not justify the actions of what happened yesterday. Firstly those thugs should be severely punished, they should be made to perform commmunity service and make reparation for their actions, then they should be banned from University for the total number of years that it takes to repay the damage they have caused.

Of course in reality what will happen is that their parents will be up in arms! You can’t do that to my precious little moronic thug! You can’t blame them for being angry! You have to let them carry on and voice their anger…poor little poppets! Only doing what they think is fair. While hey!!! The rest of us tax-payers who work sometimes 7 days a week to pay for our own education or pay our way in this life, get to foot the bill. Once again!

So, go ahead and blame the Government, after all that’s what they are there for….to act as scape-goats for your little tantrums.

Perhaps, you should take a look at your life, perhaps your parents should shoulder some of the blame. After all they did not put enough money aside to pay for your education…… It never ceases to amaze me that the “holiday, happy meals, fag and booze” brigade never stop for one moment to think about how the money they waste on rubbish each month could go towards the education of their children. Parents are responsible for educating their children. Not the government!

The government provides the venues and the teachers so that parents can send the kids to school, it’s the responsibility of the parents to make sure they have enough money to pay for it.

And then of course we have the people who have half-a dozen kids and then complain there is never enough money. Well stop breeding like rabbits and consider what you can afford….without claiming ‘benefits’ from the Government. Benefits that people like me and other hard-working people pay for through our taxes so that you can sit at home on your backside!

And please don’t get me started on the benefits payouts. I have never in my life heard of such nonsense. Benefits!!!!!! Education is a priviledge. A priviledge millions of children never ever have. They are made to work from the day the are old enough to stand on their own two feet, they don’t have access to schools, and books and libraries and hand-outs from the government to pay for their education. They would never get an education at all on the whole except for the charities that step in and provide the means for the ‘lucky’ ones. Education is not to be squandered!

In this country we have amazing facilities for education and yet it is squandered on the mentality of ‘gimme gimme gimme’ or ‘I want want want’!!! You should be ashamed of yourselves. But then again of course you wouldnt be!!! after all it is the fault of the Government! And while you are whinging and blaming and finding fault with everything around you, pause for a moment and realise how lucky you are (yes, lucky!!!) to live in a country where your actions are not met with your execution, a country where your parents are not tossed into gaol for your actions and where you actually get to live…..even after you have gratuiously destroyed property that doesn’t belong to you.

I watched the ‘Wright Stuff’ on Five this morning, and the phone-ins say that it’s coz people are angry, angry that the Lib Dems ie Nick Clegg has gone back on his election promises re capping the fees!! Ok, fine be angry and voice your opinion, that still does not give you the right to smash the place up and then when you are restrained by the police to then blame them, whilst other people blame them for not having a stronger presence in the area. Either way they don’t win!!

If you justify what happened yesterday as ‘ok’ coz people are angry – then you go on to justify wife-beating coz hubby is angry, or ‘child-abuse’ coz daddy is angry, or smashing into another’s car coz they cut in front of you, or beating a person up coz they are the wrong skin colour, or religion, or sexual persuasion, or any other kind of anger that people use an excuse for their actions.

Anger is an emotion and not a right!!!

I am angry….very angry; angry that I have to pay higher taxes coz I work harder and longer hours to make my way in this world and pay for the things I want….like an education, and then people like those thugs that smashed the place up yesterday get to walk away and my taxes, my hard-earned taxes go to pay for the repairs!!!! So, now tell me….is that then an excuse to go to their homes and smash the place up and vent my anger? I shelled out £50,000 in 2007 and 2008 to pay for my education and now I work 7days a week 50 weeks a year to pay for it. Education is a priviledge to be paid for, it is not a god-given right.

Democracy gives you the opportunity and the ‘right’ to voice your opinion, it does not give you the ‘right’ to smash things up.

And while you are whinging about the Government and spouting all your ‘poor me’ complaints, kindly remember that today is the day that millions of people are remembered, people who gave up their lives during the last 2 world wars and people that today continue to give their lives – to give you a future in a democratic country!!!

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say hello to Charlie

Posted in Fun Stuff, idiot category, It's my life, tagged Oral B Professional Toothbrush powered by Braun on October 31, 2010| 2 Comments »

Charlie is my new toothbrush!

this is Charlie

Not just any old toothbrush mind, but an electric toothbrush; the “all new Oral-B Professional Care 1000 (?), powered by braun toothbrush that cups each tooth for a 3D clean kind of toothbrush!!” No1 recommended by UK dentists! Apparently.

Oral-B Professional Care 1000 (?) No1 recommended by UK Dentists 🙂

I recall way back (why do things always seem like such a long time ago)….when electric toothbrushes first arrived in South Africa….I was like what!! an electric toothbrush, no way……what’s wrong with a good old regular non-electric toothbrush – mmm, I had not yet tried an electric brush!

When I came to the UK in 2001, in my bag was the regular toothbrush, a companion of old (ok, not that old), was easy to pack and didn’t need recharging! Then one day I saw an advert on the TV for the electric kind and the reason for having one seemed convincing, so I thought: ‘Ah well may just give it a try. ‘ OMG what a price! and OMGosh, what an experience! It felt like my mouth had come alive; I have been hooked ever since. This is the 3rd such electric toothbrush since I have been here and that is why I have named it Charlie. It’s also blue so can’t have a girls name! 🙂

Beatrice; my old toothbrush has finally been charged too often and has reached the end of her days, so tonight after I have cleansed my teeth and before I go to bed, I will say farewell to Beatrice

bye bye Beatrice

and send her off to that great toothbrush heaven in the sky (aka the trash – not too much sentiment please, it is after all just a toothbrush!).

Charlie will start his journey with me tomorrow morning, fully-charged and raring to go! or is that b/rushing to go!

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killing wild animals for pleasure!

Posted in around the UK, idiot category, tagged the gratuitous killing of wild animals for trophy on October 26, 2010| 4 Comments »

I was absolutely appalled to read on the news this morning that a beautiful creature, in the prime of it’s life had been gratuiously shot and killed……..as a trophy! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-11624253

definition of ‘trophy’: A prize or memento, such as a cup or plaque, received as a symbol of victory, especially in sports.

A trophy should be for an achievement, for succeeding at something, reaching heights of perfection! How is it that mankind is able to justify the killing of a beautiful creature as a trophy? It is sickening to me that there are still people in this world that view the stalking and gratuitous killing of wild animals as a sport and something to be proud of! “gee look at me, I just killed an innocent creature, a creature that had not a hope in hell of survival the second I came near, a creature that is outmanouvered and unable to defend itself against me as I hide in the brush with a gun and bullets, hide so that the creature is unable to see me…how brave and bloody marvellous I am!”….(but look at me as I run away in fear if same creature had to turn on me! How brave would I be then, if faced down by the very animal I want to kill?)

It is appalling to me that this same person, that killed the stag, would be proud of what they did, proud to take back that beautiful animal’s head or pelt as in the case of wild cats and actually boast that they had killed the animal. How sickening!

It’s the same when people head off into the wilds and if they are confronted by and mauled or killed by a wild animal, said animal is then hunted down and killed as if it had a choice, as if it stood there and said…”mate, your’e in my territory I am gonna kill ya!”. If we invade the space of a wild animal then be prepared to be confronted, have the courage to go in without protection or stay out! I am so angry….if it were possible to spit spiders….there would be hundreds flying about the place by now.

We should be the protectors of this earth and it’s creatures, find ways of conserving and preserving them. I understand that in order for some species to survive in the world we have created there are those that need to be culled to ensure the balance is kept right. Actually that is such a contradition. Mankind procreates and population levels rise constantly, already at dangerous levels, destroying wild habitat and the homes of wild animals and yet mention that perhaps it’s time to introduce a ‘culling programme’ for humans and people would be up in arms with horror. What balance then! There is no balance!!!

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5 steps to explode an egg….

Posted in Fun Stuff, idiot category, It's my life, tagged how to explode an egg, micro-waved poached edds on October 1, 2010| Leave a Comment »

How To Explode an Egg

follow steps 1 - 4 and ignore #5

1. Crack eggs in the Poacher and pierce both yolk and white several times from directly above with a cocktail stick (preferably), sharp knife or fork. This is important as it helps prevent the eggs from ‘exploding’.

2. Add a teasoon of water per egg.

3. Close the lid and position Poacher at the edge of the turntable.

4. On medium power setting cook 1 egg for approximately 30 seconds, 2 eggs for 40 seconds.

5. Check eggs and cook for 10 second increments until you achieve the desired results. Remember eggs carry on cooking a little after removal from the microwave.

Follow instructions 1 – 4 and ignore 5 and you will have a lovely jubbly exploded egg smeared right around the microwave!

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Hello!!! Universe…..

Posted in around the UK, family and relationships, Fun Stuff, Historical, Holidays, idiot category, It's my life, lifestyle, news from around the world, Travel, wealth and finance, tagged blogging, dream job, photography, travel around the world, tweeting, Universe, VW Campervan 1955 on September 23, 2010| 8 Comments »

a vintage model.....1955 VW Campervan

Ok, so a couple of days ago I posted a blog and therein made mention that currently I am working at my ‘day job’ not my ‘dream job’. So what is my dream job? This has been incredibly difficult to pin down….until I came to live in the UK…..

When I was just 17 years old (lordy but that does seem like such a long time ago)….I wanted to be a Nursery School Teacher (I loved little children and babies…still do)…. but my Mother said NO! you go get an office job, you will earn more money! (and what Mother said…you did). So I did, and she was right. But was I happy….NO! I hated working in an office, but as the years went by and I progressed from being a typist who could not type… (the guy gave me a job coz I burst into tears in his office and told him my Mother had said I should not come home till I had a job, and it was 4pm by then)…. to being a Credit Manager; managing a staff contingent of 10 for a group of 5 Companies…. this took the best part of 30 years by the way. In between there were many positions, not just a few companies, and a whole lot of crappy bosses 😦

However, along the way I learned to enjoy working in an office and to love what I did….phoning people and asking for money. Just a shame it wasn’t for myself 🙂

Anyways, when I arrived in the UK, which was by default; I came on holiday and never went back (well only briefly to get my Ancestral visa) and I have never looked back…..quite literally – no looking in the rear-view mirror. So when I first arrived in the UK, what was the job I applied for…..? Why of course…. I applied to be a Nanny :). However as fate would have it…. I did not have current experience DUH! and I did not have an NVQ in child management… double DUH!! So that idea was scotched and went out the window, and anyhow by all accounts being a Nanny in the UK is akin to being one up from a slave. Not to be deterred I continued to look for a ‘job’ and again by default managed to find a position as a Care Assistant for the Elderly….which I initially hated and then without warning I found that I actually enjoyed it and so I have and have been for the last 8.5 years (except for a 1 year stint in an offfice which nearly drove me to the brink of a nervous breakdown!).

So here I am….. working as a Carer…..but is this my dream job? Nope!

Since living in the UK I have developed a passion for travelling. This came as quite a surprise to me since I had never really thought about actually travelling around the world. Sure I had the odd dream about going to the Maldives (not got there yet) or visiting Venice (been there 🙂 ), going to Paris (been there 🙂 ) and New York (been there 🙂 ). But besides the odd daydream it was certainly never something I seriously considered I would actually get to do.

Till now! So UNIVERSE, here is what my DREAM JOB would be…… to travel first around the UK (coz it is so fantastically gorgeous) then round Europe and then the US of A, and then if I am still alive and able to….spread my wings further afield. (ooh that has a double meaning!) LOL. I would however like to spend at least 4 months a year in London!

So here is my message to the Universe….hello!!!! : My ‘DREAM JOB’ is to travel around the world in VW Campervan that has ‘NotJustaGranny’ with the funky logo emblazoned on the sides…. taking photos of everywhere I go, blogging about the places I am visiting and tweeting! and getting PAID to do it! I would quite enjoy writing a book too…if that’s ok with you.

So dear Universe, if perchance you are actually listening, as the Guru’s in the Personal Development world maintain that you do…. Hello!!!!

Oh, and just a little p.s. The Guru’s say that when you ‘state’ what it is you want, you have to be specific; so just that there is no confusion about this…..

the VW Campervan should be a 1955 model (nothing but vintage is good enough for me)… you know what I mean 😉

It should be yellow with white trimmings (yellow is my favourite colour)

It should have 2 beds at least….1 for me (of course, and one for my daughter to join me from time to time, or for a friend to come along occassionally…and also for when my grandchildren arrive…have to have enough space for them to travel with me)

It should be fully re-furbished and reliable; preferrably with modern accessories and equipment…like an up-to-date engine. 1955 is all very well but it is a bit long in the tooth!

It should be modified to be eco-friendly….no fumes please.

I would appreciate it if there is enough space for my laptop and camera equipment (oh and I would need sockets for the chargers).

Don’t worry too much about wardrobe space….I don’t have much clothing… LOL

and it would be awesome if it had a lift-up roof-top for air circulation

oh, and a tent attachment would be brilliant for when I am stopped alongside a lake somewhere in the UK or Europe or the US of A, so that I can sit outside and enjoy the scenery and the night stars while I sip a sherry (or two).

If you need any further specifications….contact me via this blog and I will be happy to give you more details.

and just a final p.s.s. (sorry to be so picky, but…) when I talk about being paid to do this…I am happy to earn the money….. but please note that I would require at least £5,000 per month. For travel expenses and so on. ta

by the way….this is a 1955 model (the one on the right) please be sure to send a yellow one 🙂

1955 VW Campervan

and just in case you are wondering….. I put the picture twice so that you are clear on what it is I am looking for!

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R.I.P. in Switzerland

Posted in idiot category, It's my life, tagged freshly baked bread, frozen peas, pinkie and brain, Tesco, Twinings tea bags on June 20, 2010| 5 Comments »

What do plastic bags, packets of peas, Twinings foil bags and my brain have in common? …….they all live inside my head!!! Metaphorically that is and please note I said head, not brain. 🙂

So today I was standing in the kitchen making myself a cup of tea and mulling over the fact that I just love tea, even though from time to time I do defect to the otherside and enjoy a cup of coffee; tea is my first love.

So while waiting for the kettle to boil and the tea to draw (?), I read the story on the side of the Twinings teabag box. Twinings it seems have made their boxes with wood from responsibly managed forests and are recycleable, which in itself is not really that remarkable since many other cardboard boxes are also recycleable, but what is brilliant is that the foil bag inside the box that keep the bags fresh, is biodegradeable! And that is remarkable. The story on the side of the box goes like this: “Forests are remarkable; they help to sustain plants, animals and the climate. To help protect these places, we choose to use wood from responsibly managed forests to make our cartons. What might surprise you is that even the wrap around the teabags (which looks like foil) is in fact made from wood pulp from sustainable sources. This means it is full biodegradable, so pop it into your compost, along with your teabags and in a few months you will have ferliliser to help grow your own veg. If home composting is not possible please dispose of in the waste bin”. (where else?)

So that got me to thinking about plastic and peas and recycling. I read an article in the New Scientist just the other day (a fab magazine if you want some great reading matter) about how plastic is not as we previously thought, totally indestructible. In fact it does deteriorate and breakdown and eventually enters the mainstream of life via the oceanic creatures that we catch and eat. The article mentions significant pieces of art by Russian-born scultor Naum Gabo housed at the Tate Modern gallery in London that have started to crumble without warning.

I recall that last year I started my own campaign to avoid buying or using anything that came in or was made from plastic, so that I could do my bit for the plant. It was however, a futile attempt. On closer inspection I realised that I would have to walk around stark naked, never buy or eat anything and not be able to ride in or on any vehicle in order to avoid plastic. It is everywhere.
The BP oil spill comes to mind when I write about this because of course plastic is a derivative of oil. This then got me thinking about peas and I wondered if 99% of children growing up these days realise that peas come from a pod and not from a plastic packet. And should the saying “two peas in a pod” now become “two peas in a packet”?

I remember when I was a wee girl of about 7, my mother always shopped at the local greengrocers and we were able to choose ‘fresh, grown in the field behind the store’, produce. We bought carrots that smelled like carrots, and peas that came in a pod and had to be shelled. What fun that was and we usually ate more than eventually ended up in the pot!

So my endeavour to avoid plastic came to nil! We are surrounded by it.
I do hope that more and more companies will go the same route as Twinings and make their products biodegradable and meanwhile I will still avoid buying stuff in plastic wherever I can. Which leads me to why I hate Tesco’s. Yes, they are convenient, but they are also invasive, much like the plastic and you can’t get away from them. They could also send their staff on a customer relations/attitude course.   The reason I hate them is that they don’t give a toss. Buy a pint of milk, a loaf of bread, and various other items and you can be sure that the bread will end up at the bottom of the bag with the heavy stuff dumped on top. The staff never look at you – the view outside is of more interest, they leave trolleys and stuff all over the store and if you happen to walk by, it is no problem to barge into and past you on whatever errand they are about. The shame of it is that yes their prices are cheaper and in these days of escalating prices sometimes you have to cave in and buy stuff from them. Like plastic they are everywhere; invasive and do the same to our high streets that plastic does to the environment.
I remember the days (a sure sign of old age) when my younger sister and I used to walk to the store to buy a loaf of freshly baked bread that came in a brown paper bag, lasted 2 days (coz it tasted so good we ate it pronto) and cholesterol wasn’t even heard of.   Now, I can’t remember what a freshly baked loaf tastes, or even smells like anymore and am grateful just to be able to buy bread that will only expire after a week. In those days we used to have our milk delivered to the door and it tasted like milk, today milk has no taste.   It is completely mechanised from the poor cows that live in bulk in sheds all their lives, hooked up to machines, force fed and forced to mass produce babies so that we can buy it in yet another plastic bottle. Which got me to thinking about how weird it is getting old.
The age stuff relates to my memory…. I can remember with total clarity (or at least it seems that way) things that happened aeons ago, but bugger me if I can remember stuff I did yesterday. My brain has become a bit like a lump of swiss cheese. I have a theory for that though….a few weeks ago my Doctors told me that my cholesterol was above 5.0 and I had to get it back below. Now anyone who knows me knows I love my food and how much I hate dieting!   But I think my brain (the bit that’s left), has gotten in on the act and decided to keep me active and induce me to get fit. I’m upstairs and think of something I want to do or get from downstairs, so I dash down and no sooner do my feet hit the last step than the thought disappears in a pooff!   Gone! I stand in the middle of the kitchen like a dork, with my hand to my forehead desperately trying to remember what it was I was there for. And I know for sure that the second I give up and trudge back up the stairs, I will just reach the top and voila…… I have to get back down….quick, before the damn thought disappears again. This happens at least 10 times a day…I kid you not!!

So here’s the thing….if you see ‘pinkie’ anywhere, please ask him to send ‘brain’ over to my house. I don’t care a bit about conquering the world but I do need his services….my brain has gone AWOL and is RestingInPeace somewhere in Switzerland disguised as a lump of cheese!

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Porn on expenses

Posted in idiot category, news from around the world, tagged expense claims, Ministers of Government, New Zealand, UK Ministers on June 14, 2010| 2 Comments »

I read this article in one of the daily papers a few days ago and felt compelled to put my thoughts (aka irritation) on paper.

The title and story read as:

MINISTER PUT PORN FILMS ON EXPENSES

Ministers in New Zealand used official credit cards to buy porn movies, champagne, flowers for a partner and an aeroplane charter, it emerged today. After official details of the 2003-2008 expenses were published, former housing minister Shane Jones admitted paying for the films, saying: “I’m a red-blooded adult.”

Now, as you are probably aware, we here in the UK have had our own share of Ministers expenses being abused. Duck-houses being one of the most ridiculous! And many of the Ministers have ‘apologised’ for their mis-demeanors and in some instances have paid back some of the funds they ripped off. Call a spade a spade, they abused their expense claims and getting caught out was just an inconvenience. I have no doubt if it was not brought to the attention of the powers that be and the public, whose taxes pay for all this, they would not have paid anything back and would most likely have continued to do what they had ‘accidently’ been doing for years. Fortunately this has now come to an abrupt end and their expenses are more closely monitored.

Coming back to the article in the paper, I have no quarrel with a ‘red-blooded’ males buying porn movies if thats what it takes to make him happy, and good luck to them. What I do take total exception to is the fact that as a Minister he blatently used public funds to accommodate his own personal tastes and thinks that being a ‘red-blooded’ is justification, and seems to be amazed at the fact this was questioned!

How about if the ministers of our various Governments who are voted into these positions of trust, remember that they are meant to be working for the good of their constituencies and not using the position to rip the public off, thereby satisfying their greed. By all means claim for legitimate expenses, but for ‘porn movies’, under no circumstances is that acceptable or excusable.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

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