Doll With No Name

I just couldn't resist posting a picture of my litte Huron doll, after discovering that Shop Girl also collects these figures.

She lacks a habitiat, fellow tribal/Nation members and also a name. Veggie Hubby just suggested Anouk, but can you do better?

Gloomy day

It was very windy today; here is a picture I took this morning from the window. Mysteriously, there was a book alongside the overturned bench...

I spent this windy day in Slough, recently described as a place of misery by American journalist Eric Weinger.

"Slough is a treasure trove of unhappiness, buried beneath a copious layer of gloom. The colours range from deeper to lighter shades of grey. The people seem grey, too, and slightly dishevelled."

About me!

A) Four jobs I've had:
1) Cleaner
2) Camp counsellor in an American summer camp (worst experience of my life- prison camp!)
3) Research asssisant/officer x 3
4) University alumni relations assistant

B) Four films that I can watch again and again:
Ok, I don't like watching films again and again, once is enough but:
1) Dirty Dancing (get well soon Patrick Swayze!)
2) Sound of Music
3) Beauty and the Beast (or any other Disney film)
4) Casino Royale (because Veggie Hubby often watches it, so I've seen it loads)

C) Four places I've lived:
Just four? I've lived in too many.
1) Derbyshire, UK
2) Montreal, Canada for a few months
3) Connecticut, USA for a few months
4) Egham, UK (the name says it all).

D) Four TV programmes I like to watch:
1) Desperate Housewives
2) Lost
3) Neighbours
4) The Apprentice which is starting again here tonight :-)

E) Four places I've been on holiday:
1) Travelled around southern USA
2) South Africa
3) Athens, and some Greek islands
4) Spain

F) Four places I like to visit on the internet:
1) My new blog and other blogs.
2) Facebook (to play scrabulous)
3) Digital Spy
4) BBC

G) Four things I never (nearly never) eat:
1) Meat
2) Fish
3) This is getting more difficult now... peanuts
4) Marmite

H) Four favourite meals:
1) Vegetarian bolognaise/anything with pasta
2) Pizza, especially with pineapple
3) Panini's
4) Fajitas/enchiladas

I) Four places I'd like to be right now:
Anywhere but here, some places include...
1) Brittany, France
2) Australia
3) Cambridge
4) On my long-awaited honeymoon!!!

A Greek party to remember

In response to Shop Girl's story, I am posting the story about how VeggieHubby and I met.

Late in November 2002, I met up with a Greek friend of mine (who I've sadly lost contact with now) in town for a cocktail. She suggested that we leave town and go to a Greek party, so I was happy to do that. We got a taxi to the university hall of residence in the middle of no-where, where the party was being held. Another of her friends lived there, so we went to fetch her first.

Whilst we were waiting for this friend to get ready, I went into the kitchen and then... I met Almost Veggie Hubby for the first time. He lived in the same block as the friend of my friend. So we met because we both vaguely knew the same person! Also because he is a 'gourmand' and was in the kitchen eating a mince pie (which I can't recall) when I happened to go in. I asked him whether he was going to go to the party too. He didn't even know that there was a party and told me that he didn't like parties much, but nevertheless, he decided to join me.

It was a Greek party, and we were the only two non-Greeks there, so spent most of the evening talking together, and eating too many crisps. I remember talking about the Queen, I was telling him about the time I met her, and mentioned about how all the teenage girls went crazy when Prince William went to Canada. He told me I looked Russian, and I was quite impressed as I do have Russian roots. We did some Greek dancing, where everyone puts their arms around each other and goes in circles kicking legs. Greek parties are quite mad but fun! I could kind of tell he was interested in me, as he moved to stand next to me during the dancing. However, he thought I wasn't interested as when, at another time, he attempted to touch my hand but I moved it away (which I also can't recall).

We nearly bumped into each other at the library by chance the next day, as we were both there at the same time, but we missed each other. I went home without realising that he was there. We didn't see each other for another 6 months...

Marble cake

I made a marble cake today. Very messy (icing sugar everywhere!) but well worth it. It reminds me of being a child, I used to love all of the different colours that you could put in them. I admit on this pic the cake doesn't look very marbley, and I am still very amateur when it comes to baking, but it did at least taste nice. I wish I had more people to share it with here, as then I wouldn't feel so guilty about making such calorific cakes. I have decided though that it is better to make them than buy them.

Making cakes gives me an ethical dilemma though. I feel guilty about eating eggs. I never used to feel this way before, but after watching recent documentaries about chicken farming, I feel bad even eating free-range eggs like the ones used in this cake. Male chicks are economically worthless, as they are unable to produce eggs (obviously!) and chicken meat is a made from different breed, so they are gassed. I was already feeling guilty about this when breaking the eggs for the cake, and to make it worse, I broke one that was slightly bloody inside, a young embryo. I was a bit disgusted. Having said this though, there is no way that I could ever be vegan, my diet would just be too limited and almost VeggieHubby has enough difficulties with me being vegetarian as it is.

Following my parents' advice

I have been reading a book I borrowed from the library, 'Blogging for dummies.' It is slighly out-of-date now I think, as the online world quickly evolves, and I have noticed on Amazon that an updated version has recently been released by different authors. The author of this version, Brad Hill, recommends the following article about how to write a better weblog. He also suggests that you should update your blog every weekday as to not lose readers. In general, I only try to update my blog when I have something useful to say, heeding the wise advice from my dad, 'If you have got nothing to say, say nothing.' Nevertheless, today I shall try to say something, despite having nothing to say.

My mum told me that everyday you should try to think of 5 things that you are grateful for.

Here are my 5 for today:

1) That I live close to the supermarket, so can just nip out and get some ingredients. For some strange reason, I love wandering around supermarkets even if I don't buy anything (which is rarely, as I can usually find something).
2) That I have my own space and don't need to share with other flatmates, such a luxury.
3) Of course, I live with my 'AlmostVeggieHubby' but I am grateful for that too, and that he has his visa for the time being.
4) That VeggieHubby loves washing up.
5) That I can randomly ramble on and someone, somewhere will read it ;-)

Three ugly brothers

You know those little arcade machines that you can win stuffed toys from, by grabbing them with a metal claw? Well, I never thought it was possible to win anything, I thought they were rigged so that you couldn't. Today however, I realised that sometimes it is actually possible to win.

I was visiting a friend and her baby, and we went to a soft play centre where there was once such machine. She was saying how it is impossible to win anything, and they aren't worth playing in England, but you can win in Las Vegas. However, as she was saying this, to our surprise, when we pressed the button the claw started moving, and we hadn't even put any money in it. We were so shocked that it moved, and didn't win anything that time. We tried again, and aimed for a corner packed with toys, and this time we were more successful. The machine grabbed not one but two!!! We were so excited. However, they were the ugliest toys I have ever seen. They were little men, who looked a bit like Pinocchio's. Even the toddler wasn't impressed. There was no more credit in the machine, so we put in a pound for another go, and won another of the same. They were the ugliest toys in the machine, yet we managed to win three of them. Perhaps it was rigged after all, as they have longer limbs so are easier to grab than the nicer teddies. They are already falling apart. I hereby present to you... Pug, Tug and Ugg*! Have you ever seen any uglier toys than these?

*names have been changed to protect their identities

Delia's low-fat moist carrot cake

Well, I had my first attempt (for a while) at baking today, and I even surprised myself with it. I chose to make Delia's low-fat moist carrot cake as a) it is low-fat b) we had some carrots to use up and c) it is a carrot cake without nuts (Note, it uses English measures).

We went out this afternoon to buy some proper baking utensils. We bought some scales and cake tins (although we couldn't find the exact tins that we were looking for). I made the cake tonight, it was quite a lot of work grating the carrots and orange (but then I am a bit lazy!) and then sifting the brown sugar and flour as we don't have a sieve here, just a tea-strainer that is tiny. I did make a few changes to the recipe, due to the ingredients that I had to hand. The main change is that I used white and not wholemeal self-raising flour as I couldn't find any wholemeal, which made it quite pale. I also replaced bi-carbonate of soda with baking power; and cinnamon with nutmeg inside the cake, and hundreds and thousands on the outside.

It was actually delicious, good recipe Delia! I had tempt my husband into eating a slice though, by pouring him a glass of milk, as he declared himself not hungry. However, after one slice he then had a second so it can't have been that bad. So there you go, I am now officially a housewife, eek!

Oops just realised- sorry to those on fake Lent! Chocolate cake is better.

Too adorable

Here is my 'baby'. She is the most friendly, wonderful and greedy dog in the whole world.

10 things Sky loves...

1) Her little dog (that she stole from me) she treats it like her baby, and takes it outside with her.
2) Eating, just about anything. Favourites include brocolli stumps, carrots, apple cores, yoghurt and sardines, but sometimes the more disgusting the better e.g. tubs full of margarine, old socks, maggots and other unmentionables...
3) Stealing (something is more naughty and enjoyable to eat when stolen, it must be rushed into a secret place in the back garden so no-one else can get it, and gulped down very quickly). Notable thefts include fishermens' sandwiches, stealing and eating a little boy's McTeddy bear, and once (horror of horrors) she stole a piece of chocolate cake from my brother's fork just as he was about to eat it.
4) Playing football by her own rules, you kick it and she follows it, and then eats some grass when she reaches it, and waits for you to kick it again.
5) Tummy rubs, she gets so silly when she lies on her back.
6) Tug of war, this can last forever as she will never let go of the rope, it is impossible to beat her.
7) Humphrey and other forms of bedding and cushions (no more to be said about this!)
8) Sleeping, especially if it is in a human bed!
9) Doing anything for a biscuit, whatever trick we ask of her, she will perform for a mere morsel. Playing dead, going around in circles, waiting for ages, creeping along the floor, sticking out her tongue...
10) WALKIES! When she hears this word she goes crazy and jumps around in circles.

Things Sky hates:

1) The vacuum cleaner- her enemy as it sucks up crumbs of food that are rightfully hers, and makes a loud noise. She must rescue her bedding before the evil hoover gets it.
2) Pigeons - they deserve to be barked at!
3) A few dogs - Sky will do a big deep woof at them, but mostly she loves other dogs
4) A few food items such as clementines, watercress and raspberries but if she has to, she will force herself.
5) Finishing a walk, she will make herself heavy and lie down, refusing to move, or when she was little she would start jumping and snapping at the lead.
6) Bad weather, she doesn't like going on a walk if it is too dark or wet, so she is very sensible really!
7) Swimming, despite being a labrador she prefers to paddle.

I miss her loads :-( but at least she is having a good doggie retirement.

Procrastination

Perhaps I spend too much time procrastinating when I should be doing other, more important things. Perhaps blogging is procrastination. In psychological terms, it is a displacement activity, something to do when you really ought to be doing something else. I should be preparing for an interview, but instead I am blogging.

The results of my poll so far are interesting, it seems that people are more interested to read about everyday events, and would prefer to read a blog that is like an online diary, rather than one that is more abstract/less personal. It also highlights that people prefer to read postive comments on a blog, and that complaints are not so enjoyable to read about. I have a few exciting things to look forward to this week, I am meeting up with a friend & her baby who I haven't seen for a while, and also will buy some cookery equipment so I can do some baking, can't wait!

Yummy

It is March, coming up to Easter so it is time for some yummy Cadbury's mini-eggs, my favourite chocolate ever!!! Looks like I'm not the only one who loves them...

Red Kites

Since I have been living here, I have noticed a lot of birds of prey around, but I wasn't sure what they were exactly. We had some friends over today, who suggested that they may be red kites, and after having a look at the RSPB website, we are sure that this is what they are, because they have very distinctive forked tails, and glide as they fly, their wings hardly moving. Here are some pictures I took from the window, and better still is the RSPB video of red kites in flight.