Dead or Alive
Hits and near misses…
It’s about time we all vented our spleens once again on what’s good and bad in our world’s. There’s a prize for the best one; a personal finance consultation with the British chancellor!!
Here’s mine, let me and the rest of the blogging world know yours….
Paris in Spring:
1. Giving keen young wannabe chefs a chance-great to see happy faces for a change
2. Welcoming an old face back to one of the kitchens
3. Coming home
4. Watching my mother do my gardening 
5. Not being in debt
6. Laying off alcohol
7. Fixing my computer having only irritated my brother once!
8. Not needing dental surgery
9. Three piece suits
10. Great comments on this blog-seriously.
Winter in Siberia:
1. People who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk
2. Missing former employees who did walk the walk
3. Housework!
4. Watching my father drink my wine!
5. Not being richer
6. Swapping sauvignon for green tea-is it really worth it?
7. Automatic updates which crash your pc-nice one windows vista.
8. Paying £95 to be told that I don’t need dental surgery
9. Addiction to buying three piece suits
10. Time off to write more blog posts
Over to you!!
Spring Greens :
Mild sunny days - British summer time, quite probably all we’ll get!
Working less hours
Vintage kimonos - everyone should have one, a real
education in handmade, hand painted techniques
Local produce - love it
Keep fit programme coming along (slowly)
Healthier eating in general - makes sense
Top quality loose leaf tea - can’t live without it
Miles new three piece suit - haven’t seen it but love the sound of it
My new red sandals
Spirulina Face Pack Green:
Less hours, less pay
Dent in car to be fixed - ouch that’s going to cost…. not caused by me I might add
‘a woman can never be too rich or too thin’ … or so said Mrs Simpson - should I regard myself as a total failure?
Note to self …. must come up with a winning business idea and eat less dried fruit!
Cid
April 22, 2009 @ 2:44 pm
Timothy Taylors;
1. Being on holiday.
2. Going back to Manchester tomorrow!
3. Will be seeing family and friends, some after a VERY long absense.
4. Bury Black Pudding!!!!!!
5. Liverpool dropping 2 points against Arsenal last night.
6. Seeing the Firth of Clyde everytime I step out of my front door.
7. Housework completed. The flat is immaculate.
8. Playing more in the kitchen.
9. Glorious sunshine. (although it’s a bit overcast today)
10. Boob Monday!! (it was last Saturday by my reckoning)
Tennants Extras;
1. United losing an FA Cup semi-final.
2. Monday’s post-football hangover. Oooh it was a wrong ‘un.
3. A couple of good friends losing their jobs.
4. 2% tax rise on alcohol from midnight.
5. Paying £40 for my hairdresser to make me look like a Lego man.
6. People idling their cars outside my window. RAWR!
7. Jack Bauer terminally ill from exposure to a weapons-grade pathogen.
8. Nothing else to gripe about. That last one was reaching.
Miles,
I had a guilty chuckle at no.4 on your first list. Don’t tell Elsie!
GDave
April 22, 2009 @ 3:42 pm
Springtime in the Rocky Mountains
1. Last weekend a foot of snow in the yard. Predicted high today — upper 70s. Aaahhh.
2. Friends, family, Fairbanks and good quality food.
3. Renewed commitment to good health.
4. Eccentric, colorful, and charming blogger friends in the UK.
5. Dreams of fame, fortune and global domination through soup and natural beauty products (with a little help from the above mentioned cast of characters).
6. My 26 week CSA delivery (fresh organic fruits and veg from up the way).
7. Hiking, backpacking, nourishing homemade trail food.
8. Kayaking? Maybe.
9. Riding my bike to yoga, headlamp no longer needed.
10. Red sandals? Must get some for myself!
Wonderings
1. What is Boob Monday?
2. Photo of the 3 piece suit please (with owner in it).
3. Poster of Cid advertising world-famous spirulina face mask — which becomes sought after by everyone from George Clooney to the Queen herself.
4. Photo of GDave with his Sponge Bob hairdo.
5. Photo of the mystery man at Table #5.
6. Photo of Anne gardening.
7. WHO are these people?
8. No complaints.
9. Life is good.
10. Happy spring, my wonderful mystery friends.
April 22, 2009 @ 5:31 pm
Melissa,
I looked like a swamp monster with that mask… not the sort of thing one should suddenly appear in without prior warning for anyone who might see
Wouldn’t mind but I only used a teaspoon of spirulina…. it’s powerful stuff! Think we should market it as Fertilizer for the Face 
Cid
April 22, 2009 @ 6:18 pm
GDave,
. The budget has done nothing for Elsie either 
.
Elsie heard you loud and clear
Anne
April 22, 2009 @ 7:41 pm
Cid,
Hmmm? Fertilizer — I’m not sure we want things growing on our faces. Maybe you better test it on our little lab rat first, upon his return from Manchester.
I’m thinking phelodendron bark, green tea and peppermint might make for a better face mask. I’m starting to worry about you with the spirulina. Or how about some lavender? At least we’d smell good while looking strange.
Have fun in Manchester, GDave. Be safe and make smart choices. I have a rather unorthodox son whom I always say that to.
:-)
Melissa
April 22, 2009 @ 8:04 pm
Melissa,
We may have trouble convincing our single male friends to use our algae green cosmetics… only the bravest, manly and most handsome of men (that should be sufficient to guarantee sales
) will venture forth. In the spirit of sharing insider information with our host, I could drop a tester pot off at his fine dining establishment… tightly lidded for fear it could turn into a sequel of The Blob 
My money’s on a mixture of aloe, spirulina and lavender to induce soothing calmness…. something every head chef needs surely?
Cid
April 22, 2009 @ 8:40 pm
All,
Great contributions as usual, well done!
It’s a good job I’m not drinking now the tax has gone up again. Good old labour, run the country into the ground then screw us on tax for the only thing to help us forget about it all.
Miles
April 22, 2009 @ 10:35 pm
Miles,
Because of my clean eating lately and no drinking I’ve felt wonderful (healthy, energetic, sleeping well, lost weight, etc.). I went out to a nice restaurant last night and met a friend for dinner. Lovely restaurant, great quality food. I had a glass of wine (just one glass) and didn’t sleep well and I don’t feel good this morning. It’s not that I feel bad (gosh, it was one glass spread over 2 hours, with food), but I don’t feel the way I should or want to. There’s a difference when your body (your liver) has to deal with alcohol. It also interrupts your deep sleep cycles. So — if it’s any consolation, I do think you’re probably better off not drinking. Having said that, I did enjoy the wine and think there are times when it might be worth it. However, I’m going to be very selective and those times will be few and far between.
Hang in there. I would think it would be very difficult to NOT drink if you are in the restaurant business.
Melissa
April 23, 2009 @ 11:47 am
Melissa,
I don’t miss it at all which is strange for me because I’ve always liked a drink in moderation.
Not sure I could face one at the moment, I’m also working a lot of hours so feeling rough in the morning is not a good idea.
Miles
April 23, 2009 @ 5:05 pm