tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-218068042008-08-20T02:40:22.786-07:00happyralphnoreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-63370200091279667122008-08-20T02:40:00.001-07:002008-08-20T02:40:22.794-07:00

... I want one :( http://ping.fm/ybSBR

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-86535765920387597232008-08-08T07:39:00.001-07:002008-08-08T07:39:47.385-07:00

... Today is 8-8-8 ... Hmm ... 888? The year that Charles the Fat died...?

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-974825961978478302008-08-08T04:42:00.001-07:002008-08-08T04:42:10.980-07:00

... For me? Really? A dead bird? Why thanks, Enki, my ever-generous cat...

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-88415393494989987522008-08-07T03:25:00.001-07:002008-08-07T03:25:19.080-07:00

... is it Friday yet?

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-83324013757181160752008-07-25T00:58:00.001-07:002008-07-25T00:58:23.821-07:00

In the Waterwitch, Lancaster, it costs 50p! Oh, I feel a rant coming on. As the Grue said yesterday, muttering as he emerged from the pub, 'It's like pulling teeth, getting a pint in there.'

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-48504387259802180202008-07-24T08:37:00.000-07:002008-07-24T08:39:15.028-07:00

'So you have a healthy diet, it says here,' says the nurse, looking at my form. 'Yes, very healthy.' I tell her. 'So, lots of fruit, vegetables, meat, fish?' 'Well, no, I'm a vegetarian.' Silence. 'I see. Do you take any supplements with that diet?' Wtf? What supplements? I think. 'No,' I answer slowly, 'I cook.' She looks at me for a moment and then moves on. Do you think that the

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-48757140724299240552008-07-21T06:36:00.001-07:002008-07-21T06:38:33.506-07:00

'Do you have any real cream?' I ask, as I put the tub of Elmlea on the counter. The young girl looks as me with suspicion - this is obviously a trick question. 'Um, that is cream?' she tells me, which she manages to turn into a question right at the end. 'No,' I sigh, 'it's a mix of vegetable oil and various E numbers, not cream at all. Look,' I point to it, 'it doesn't say cream anywhere on

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-39850885685582385322008-07-05T11:31:00.001-07:002008-07-05T11:36:42.074-07:00

Rather surprised to find that people have actually been reading my blog. People I know. Yes, I know who you are. Well, a useful Lancaster resource at last... Last night was DrC's birthday so a mob of people turned up and rearranged furniture outside the White Cross. I drank weak bitter, knowing full well that it would be a long night. Nothing out of the ordinary. Then splintered and most

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-43259728180594476242008-07-03T02:07:00.000-07:002008-07-03T02:19:44.933-07:00

So, Gilbert "Gil" Grissom of CSI fame was pottering about in his lounge. (I was a mere fly-on-the-wall in this dream, watching the drama unfold) He looked like he was getting ready for bed - turning off the TV, lamps etc when I noticed a large body bag on the floor. Gil turned to the bag and said, 'Goodnight'. Upon which it started to move a little. Then a noise came from it - muffled,

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-48456857553124538142008-06-30T05:59:00.001-07:002008-07-03T02:22:26.951-07:00

Quiet weekend with the folks, did little except eat, drink a few beers, and visit the local Aldi. Car made it fine up and down the M6, which is very good. Now have a car stereo too, but it is too complex for me to fit (hmm, I don't seem to have a panel light wire, I wonder if that matters, etc...) Trip to Majorca is being planned. Looking forward to some sun, sangria, sol, siesta, sea and um,

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-16556863256204672272008-06-26T05:41:00.001-07:002008-07-03T02:26:40.280-07:00

Just eaten something shameful...

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-60671504515840337642008-06-24T01:50:00.001-07:002008-07-03T02:32:31.938-07:00

The proposed shindig at Clougha was rained off, so people went to the Brit instead to drink more alcohol than is sensible and listen to one-chip-tatty play. At 8pm. I mean, these days, who goes out at 8pm? *and* the had a late license for some reason... So that's 6 hours of drinking time. *sigh*. I started quite well, in the beer garden, as the pub was jam packed and I didn't feel for that

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-81852774815537804612008-06-21T09:33:00.001-07:002008-07-03T02:45:35.948-07:00

A night in, oddly, for a Friday. Chilled out with the Colonel, played some Go, drank some beers. Cooked a Thai curry with mock chicken and sticky rice. Pudding was made, but didn't set due to arrowroot amount issues. Tried to watch a DVD but it died 20 mins from the end, very frustrating. Now it rains. All night, all day.

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-87485119956898743372008-06-20T01:46:00.001-07:002008-07-03T02:53:52.881-07:00

We managed to cram quite a lot into that Thursday - first I went to Morecambe and back to drop off the Nissan Micra for Bay View Cars to check out, then drove home the long way in a large, shabby Purgeot (which was full of left-over food, the windows don't work, had no petrol). Then we went to eat Tapas at the local bar (great, happy hour meant £20 meal for 2 inc a bottle of Mateus(!) rose - the

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-89203793143209747822008-06-17T01:28:00.000-07:002008-06-17T01:37:32.762-07:00

Yearly cat vaccinations seem to be quite contentious these days. We decided to go for the 1-year booster and then wait for a couple of years before the next one. We took the car, one of the last uses we'll get from it before it is scrapped, so, sombre on the way there. The vet, however, was a very jolly, big man - his huge hands pulling the jaws of our little cats open is oddly disturbing.

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-24469680859130944282008-06-16T04:46:00.000-07:002008-06-16T04:51:06.861-07:00

Cleared out the back yard, loaded the little car up with smelly and / or heavy bags of rubble, garden waste and more and drove them to the ever-busy dump. The wife then drove about for a while, practising roundabouts. Home to a magnum in the yard, looking at Loot to try and replace the little car. The little car's days are numbered - it failed its MOT and will cost too much to get put right,

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-75495173511066875952008-06-15T06:22:00.000-07:002008-06-15T06:28:17.082-07:00

A 4am finish, or so, from a Tibetan evening round with DrC and the Colonel. We had thenthuck (my meal), momos (the wife) and 'greens' (the Colonel). DrC kept us supplied otherwise whilst we cooked. Great, simply great food, we stuffed ourselves, but not to the extent of the Thai evening last week. 18 bottles of beer, two bottles of wine, the end of some Port and a bit of vodka later (plus

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-61124677140453234272008-06-14T05:59:00.000-07:002008-06-14T06:08:05.116-07:00

A night at the Dogonastring, as we used to call it all those years ago. The usual suspects drifted into and out of the beer garden, the heating light was pressed by numerous fingers, drinks were poured over knees, into shoes, too much alcohol was drank too quickly - the usual sort of affair. I was talked into a Jagermeister by Dnt , who said it tasted like dentist mouthwash. 'Not like

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-35368784257377760402008-06-13T00:03:00.000-07:002008-06-13T00:11:01.534-07:00

Another party, and another late night loomed. The talk at Vulcan and Xo's place was of placentas, mainly, with Xo being pregnant and all. There were a range of terrible things done with after-births - freezing, eating, burying etc. 'The after-birth is very psychedelic,' says Fiddler. Xo agrees - 'Men are more interested in the placenta than the baby.' I find this fairly hard to believe, but

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-47321560605841293332008-06-12T03:09:00.000-07:002008-06-12T03:15:31.094-07:00

Deathly tired today after a medium-late night with DrC. We started at the Gson for the latest anti-evil event, which was a surreal affair featuring a slideshow of adders and a graphic birth video (which I missed, thankfully, being outside). DrC was in jubilant mood after landing his new job, so ordered unwise whisky chasers with every pint. Something I joined in with, but with less gusto,

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-63228657430379748332008-06-11T01:01:00.000-07:002008-06-11T01:08:08.173-07:00

A few things, okay then, a lot of things, can wake me during the night, being such a light sleeper - the wife's phone, dying on the kitchen table, forlornly in the early hours; the cats playing with a spider near my feet; rain; wind... You get the idea. Last night at 3am a buzzing noise woke me from a deep, deep sleep. I immediately dismissed it as a text message emanating from my jeans

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-79588110256094005872008-04-14T01:47:00.000-07:002008-04-14T02:12:44.142-07:00

Feeling truly awful this morning. An entire weekend spent in bed, or snoozing on the sofa, coughing and self-medicating with red wine, codeine and Benylin. Head feels like it is being squeezed with a large, troll-sized hand. Eyes hurt when I look anywhere but straight ahead. Sinuses burn with each breath. I should really take the day off sick, but think I'll try and do a little bit anyway,

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-39420786187198341062008-02-06T06:37:00.000-08:002008-02-06T06:41:00.662-08:00

In desperation, in the madness of hunger, I found a packet of SuperNoodles at the back of my cupboard. Sweet and Sour flavour... Into the pan they went, I forgot to measure the amount of water, but just slooshed some in. After a few minutes I tasted the brew - oh my god, wtf is that? Chemical sensations linger on my tongue for a few moments and then fade, leaving merely a sticky, tacky,

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-58032460918765576242008-01-25T14:08:00.000-08:002008-06-11T01:42:06.908-07:00

A knitted village... Words fail me. - Posted from http://mobypicture.com

happyralphnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21806804.post-56237264474495988552008-01-24T04:26:00.000-08:002008-01-24T04:29:16.200-08:00

Nimba says hello - Posted from http://mobypicture.com

happyralphnoreply@blogger.com