Marble runs (by alaric)

We were in a pound shop once that was selling marble runs for a pound each. We picked up three boxes, and they've sat around for ages, until this evening when we had a play.

Two sets combined:

Three sets combined:

But it looked too wobbly, so we tried again:

If they still do them, we want to go back and spend twenty pounds and get enough to make a marble run that fills the room...

Not Good! (by sarah)

House Guests who shall remain nameless are in big big disgrace!!!

Me and Al had to go into London today and said guests werent leaving until later so up I got this morning and dug out the trangias - as there wasnt going to be any electricity and one is a tea feind! And put out stuff for breakfast for them. I also left a note pointing to various items and listing certain things.

a) Brekki b) Guest book for signing c) Trangias and location of the matches d) Keys for house and instructions on what to do with them once they had locked the house e) Make sure the kittens are out of the house

We return to find - well 1) the front door is unlocked with my laptop sitting on the setee 2) the book isnt signed - no big deal 3) a match is found on the floor 4) two kittens scamper out of the house as soon as the door is opened - there is a delicate whiff of cat egg in the air - then to mine and Als horror we find a puddle of kitten wee on Jeans little blue bouncy chair - including the toy arch that was laying on the seat instead of in its normal 'arch' position over the seat!

We are now finding out if said seat cover can survive a boil wash and weather the toy arch will survive being soaked in boiling water with detergant and then disinfectent >:( We need to hose the metal frame too and as it is a vibrating one we are hoping we dont fry the electrics! We may have just lost this lovely little bouncing seat becuase of this - plus we only shapood the carpet a week ago 🙁

We are currently training the kittens to go a loo outside - therefore there is no litter tray inside and the kittens are turffed when we go out or go to bed - know it wasnt their fualt they messed in the house this time - but we have been struggling with this concept with them anyway and now all our hard work is probably for nothing - as this event will have reawakened the fact that they can go a loo in the house 🙁

On top of this - we have used all the 'free' carpet shampoo and are waiting for the stuff I ordered yesturday to arrive - so its going to be awhile before Jean can go crawling around down stairs again >:(

Not happy.

Ok rant/moan over.

Getting Home (by alaric)

Today, we went down to Bristol to visit Costco and stock up on baby supplies, and to have an outing in the city centre itself.

It was a lovely place to explore, but I was a bit sad - I remember visiting there about 15 years ago and there being a road with loads of big academic bookshops on near the University; but when we went there today, there was just a single small Blackwells. The others had been replaced with clothes shops, shoe shops, and hairdressers, it seemed.

Still, at the end of the day, we headed back up the M5 with Jean asleep. As we approached junction 11A, I commented that we were nearly home - it was just about ten minutes from there. We took the junction, went along the A417 one junction to the A46, but at Crosshands Roundabout - the exit to continue up the A46 was coned off. "ROAD CLOSED - ACCIDENT".

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Wishlist (by sarah)

I have finally conceided to peopled wishes - here is my Amazon wishlist - its also links at the side of the blog.

Its filled with lots of yummy goodness to keep Sarah Mucho happy 🙂

Mad Day No.3 – did someone mention maps? (by sarah)

Ok I am shy (mostly) I do not but into conversations, I do not talk to strangers, I do not tend to volunteer my opinion - that was until Monday - you'd have thought that the scary man would have have completely cowared me but no obviously not.

I'm sitting there writting my diary and reading paper work drinking a too large cup of hot choc when I hear raised vioces and an arguement about maps - confussion on one mans part about the flate maps and realative sizes of countrys and what latatude means. Another man explaining and the thrid saying that that is besides the point what he was pointing out was the strangeness of England as a population centre when most other equivalent bits of the globe are inhospitable tundra.

Suddenly a well educated, confident young woman informed the of the gulf stream round the UK and the like - to my utter amazement the voice was coming out of my mouth! It didnt even sound like me - and then I ended up embroiled in a huge debate and explaining the fact we are not a perfect sphere even etc... I apologised for butting in but they seemed to be enjoying the extra level of argument and told me it was great and gave me some mental excersises to see if I know, actualltt know my location and the directions of other things - this was really interesting - they also told me of one other person they sometimes meet up with in this coffee shop - hes a geologist apparently.... etc....

The whole thing majorly suprised me to say the least!