Whirlwinds & mysteries

As our annual holiday in Madeira comes to an end, and we fly home
tomorrow, it's time for me to reflect on all the 50th birthday
celebrations my husband organized for me this year. (please excuse all
American spellings, it's this iPhone and it's auto correct).

It has to be said that Rob did a briliant selection of surprises in
jan, feb and mar!! A BIG thank you is well deserved.

Back in january I mentioned in my blog the surprise meal rob lined up
for me in London at a favourite Indian restaurant the Bengal Clipper
in Shad Thames. I can't remember how many of us there were there,
about 30 I think, although it is whatever no I wrote before.

Then there was the surprise arrival of my sister Jan and husband Joe
in New York. There were 24 of us, including Jan and Joe, enjoying a
meal at Josephinas restaurant Broadway and 63rd. A great evening. 6
school friends and their families all celebrating 50 in the Big Apple,
and one son (my godson Sam) celebrating his 23rd (how time flies)!! A
brilliant weekend away, once again providing an opportunity to spend
time with some very special friends!!!

My birthday weekend was spent away with Rob in a very lovely hotel in
Cheshire. A Michelin star restaurant meant more meals with diet pushed
to one side. It was very relaxing and enjoyable, and the bonus was
driving home in the snow! Our friends Di and Rol had wanted to come up
from Kent and join us for lunch, but the heavy snowfall put paid to
that plan.

The last birthday surprise was the Friday before we came away to
Madeira. Friday 13th. Unlucky for some, but not for me!

We had taken the day off work, and Rob told me the day before that we
were Kent bound, spending the afternoon with our grandaughter Ruby,
our daughter in law Lou and her parents, then out for a meal with
them. My other step son cancelled as he was stuck in Africa for work.

We had a lovely afternoon, and little Ruby was a delight, and fun to
be with.

We set off for our meal, turning up at a local hotel, in Bapchild near
Sittingbourne where they live. I didn't know of it's existence.

I soon found the meal was to be shared with over a 100 others at what
turned out to be an excellent murder mystery evening, with a very good
meal thrown in!! What surprised me even more were the 32 friends/
family who were there too!!! Amongst us, all sharing a birthday within
a few weeks of mine, was a 30th, a 60th and five 50ths!!! It was great
for all of us, and I felt a fraud being identifed by the acting group
as the one with the birthday. However, Ann had made a cake, iced with
a scene of the New York skyline, a curry and the outline of a dead
body!!! Brilliant.

Guests included about half of those who came for the curry and 15 or
so who just came for my murder!! I was really pleased to see my ex
Father in Law Peter (a sprightly and fit 82 year old who still sails a
laser) and my former sister in law Sally who had come over from Geneve
especially!! Also there was cousin Derek whom I hadn't seen for four
years, and friends Pat and Laurie whom we rarely see now we are in
Yorkshire.

I feel very heartened by my circle of friends and family, and it was
brilliant that so many could share the evening with me. I wish of
course that my sister didn't live in the States (they would have
enjoyed all the 'dos'!). But, can't be helped, and at least she was
able to share some of it!!

Well, the sun here in Madeira is trying to peak through. It has hidden
itself behind cloud the last few days, but we have still been able to
sit out in it (as old people do at sea side resorts : blanket or towel
over knees, wrapped up warm against the crisp sea breeze that you get
off the Atlantic at this time of year!!!) Rob has been gently snoring
beside me. He has only been awake 3 hours, so I suppose it's time for
a nap!!! Oh no, he has awoken, off to get a newspaper. Arsenal won
yesterday, Chelsea lost. It's all go on holiday!!

We fly home tomorrow, and Tuesday we are back at work and a very
hectic work and social diary. Our next free weekend is in June,
although by then all Saturdays are taken up with umpiring (Rob not
me). And, that Saturday in June is the week before our 3 week holiday
to Alaska!!! How lucky are we!!

We enjoy our life, and value our friends even more. We would like to
live nearer them so that we can see them more. However, we still have
our jobs, and what more can someone ask in the current economic climate?

Thanks to all who shared in my birthday celebrations. Thanks too for
my gifts, all well chosen, and now I must find a zimmer as I am now an
old woman!!!

.....end.....

Lovely new front door

We had a new front door, french doors, and windows in the lounge last
autumn. Some people like upvc, others hate it. I love it. The house is
warmer. There are fewer drafts, and I no longer see the blinds swaying
In the breeze when it's windy outside. They look clean and are easy to
keep clean!! Well pleased.

However 'keys' have become a swear word in our house. The front door
does not lock on closing. You have to use a key. Remembering to turn
around and lock the front door when we come in seems a simple enough
task, but it is proving to be difficult to remember.

Rob is the worse bless him, and there are no signs of improvement!

Having put up pictures, words and cartoons around the house to serve
as a reminder, I am looking at last resort options.

A locksmith is coming Friday morning to advise on what can me done on
our lovely new front door to ensure it is secure when we shut it!!!
The locking mechanisms on these doors seems quite sophisticated with
bolts shooting in all directions. So not sure what options are left.

So, if the locksmith fails, I am taking him to a hypnotherapist. And I
am not kidding. At the same time I may ask if they can persuade him to
turn off the tv at night, and lights we don't need!!

My concern then will of course be that I will end up living with a
complete nurd. He could become such a pain in the neck, and end up
plunging me into darkness. Do you think the hypnotherapist will ensure
moderation not mania prevails after the session.

We shall have to see!!

Train journeys and holidays

It's a Wednesday. I am on the train again. I have 20 minutes to post a
blog. For me, that's not a lot of time. I am far too verbose. My
essays as a child always started as if they were a
novel, ambitiously tackling the descriptive opening paragraphs
setting the scene for the reader... only to have to rush the ending as
I run out of time.

I don't have much spare time, so trying to research a holiday for val
and me is difficult, but I am having fun.

So far the three possible destinations have been India, peru/incas and
Thailand/Cambodia.

We have both decided we are a bit nervous of the altitude isssues in
Peru for differing reasons: walking at altitude and feeling unwell,
walking and not being able to keep up with the group, altitude and
blood clots. John Peel! So we have knocked it on the head through too
much alternate choice.

Have had some great itineraries suggested for India. Fortunately we
are of similar minds when it comes to what interests us. Culture,
lifestyle, scenery, mixed mode of travel, and the people. Val is
specially interested in doing a princess di, and visiting any
childrens charity projects, and that interests me too.

It is if course a question of how much we want to spend. Budget.
Deluxe. Delhi belly or perfect health and fitness throughout. I think
we will take a bucket load of hand sanitiser whichever destination we
choose.

One tour was a holiday along the Ganges. Great I thought. Reading
on ... Camping at night on the river banks ... Hmmmm, a screwed up
nose in thought, eyes to top left (visialising) ... Yup. Cautious. I
can cope with that. Uncertainty in voice... Reading on... In be
mornings we leave no trace of our having been there (that's good) ...
All rubbish is cleared... Uh ha.... And human waste buried...... Oooh
noo, I don't think so!!! ... Think again. Add to must list : private
shower and flushable toilet!!! One has ones standards!!!

Research to be continued.....

Nearly to Manchester time to leave the blog for another .... Oh, I
don't know how long... But I'll keep you posted.

Gill Butchard
0772 591 1320
This msg comes from my iPhone

New York New York

Its 6.00am in the big apple, and I am sitting at jfk awaiting my
return flight to the uk. It has been a brilliant trip. Arriving
Thursday, and departing today, Tuesday.

We have been so lucky with the weather. We had none of the snow or
blizzard that were a distinct possibility. We took loads of thermal
layers with us, and havent had to wear them all. In fact, I only had
to wear the stupid hat yesterday!! Instead we have had blue skies and
bright sunshine, albeit with a biting wind at times.

There were 24 of us for a meal on Saturday evening. This included two
friends who live in new york (a childhood friend and his partner), two
friends who live in phoenix (an old school friend and her husband), my
sister and her husband (who live in massacheusetts: I can never spell
it properly!!), and the rest were school friends and their kids (some
kids older than others)!

My sister was a surprise. Yes, a couple of clues had not escaped my
attention, so I kept an open mind as to whether she would turn up.
Brilliant. A few of my friends were in on it too!! Apparently, there
was a lot of subtefuge too, involving my stepson who was the conduit
for all communication with rob whose email is not sacrosanct as I have
access to it, both at work and home (his choice)!

So, now we are resting our weary feet (we have walked and walked),
waiting for our flight which is due to depart in an hour or so.

Sadly, it will be a while before we see our friends again as we live
quite a way away, even from those in the uk!! We are however so lucky
to have a great crowd of close friends.

Well, there seems to be more activity, and I must close.

Thanks to all friends and family for a great trip to the big apple.

Gill Butchard
0772 591 1320
This msg comes from my iPhone

It's been ages!!!

Typically me: start a diary, go large with it for a few days, then
abandon it!! Of course I have the excuses! My birthday is now in it's
third week and with a trip to New York imminent, it'll be going into a
fourth.

It's been fun. I have received som great presents and need to knuckle
down to the thank you letters!

I am in my lunch. Ignore the time this is posted. I don't know which
dateline it is using but I don't think it's the Uk. It's 1.00pm and
have just had something to eat, but sadly soon to be heading back.

With the Mon/Tue crowd today. Busy and trying to get right up to date
as I am off next week. Few laughs this morning not least because
Alison was being teased about her strong perfume!! It was I believe
referred to as air freshened at one point!!

I am off tomorrow. Lots to do. Blood test. Pick up prescription. Catch
up on invoices, accounts, and expenses. What doesn't get done tomorrow
will have to be done when I am somewhat jetlagged!! I also have to do
some ironing and packing for New York!!!

Well, it seems time has run out now. I must be back. Maybe I will blog
from the big apple!!!

The Great Train Journey

Wednesday is another day in which I work in Manchester, however,
because I work a normal day 8.30 - 5.30, I travel by train rather than
drive. I pick up the train from Dewsbury into manchester piccadilly.
This morning I only just made it however....

I was up at normal time of 4.55am when the alarm clock penetrated my
slumbers. Ablutions, then into the bedroom where I dress, don on my
running gear, and hit the road for 15-20mins jog. A cold dank morning,
but at least it wasn't raining!! Not very fit. Struggle to keep going
and not walk for a bit. Kept going.

Back indoors. Upstairs sort washing pile. Downstairs shove washing in
the machine. Back upstairs. Clear the clothes horse of dry washing.
Fold put away. In bathroom for shower and hair wash. Back into
dressing bedroom. Make up. Hair. What to wear??? That is the tortuous
part of the morning and the reason why I nearly missed the train! What
I and planned to wear didn't work. Standing there looking at a
wardrobe full Of clothes I don't wear very often if at all, hoping
that something I do like wearing will leap out and grab me, it's not a
good idea when on a tight timescale with a train to catch! The
Wednesday office can be chilly, and it's cold outside. I need to wear
boots (low heels) as it's a trek from station (I can catch a free bus,
but feel very self righteous walking the just-over-a-mile), and I do
want to walk quickly. So that means one of three longer skirts, and a
cardigan or jacket. Try in. Take off. Reject. Try something else. A
decision is made. Downstairs. Washing finished. Better take it out of
machine. Fold. Leave on side. Maybe rob will hang. But then he always
hangs wet washing next to dry washing and then nothing dries. Maybe
better If he leaves it to me. Now I am late. Socks on. Boots on.
Keys. Money for parking. Money for loo at Manchester (always need to
go). Car keys. House keys. Bags. Glasses (needed for driving). Out the
door. Lock. Reverse up drive. To station. Whizz into parking place.
Out of car. Lock car Get ticket. Back to car. Open. Ticket on
windscreen. Grab bags. Train coming in. Shit. Lock car. Run run run.
Neednt have jogged this morning. Board train in nick of time. No
ticket. Buy on train. And here I am. 'we will shortly be arriving at
Manchester piccadilly. Please remember to take all your belongings
with you. Thank you for travelling with trans pennine express'.

The day has begun....
This msg comes from my iPhone

Chocolate!!!

Not good news for anyone on a diet for whom it is an irresistable
temptation! It's also not any good for anyone with high
cholesterol .... but it slips down so easily especially mid morning
when hungry!! ....and the thing is, M&S do sell the most devine
chocolatey chocolate cake you can imagine. Not just anyones chocolate
cake, an M&S chocolate cake!!! None of your cocoa flavoured chocolate
cake, but a chocolate chocolate cake. So when colleagues at work
presented me with this sumptuous delightful chocolate cake at 10.30
this morning, just when the breakfast has all but disappeared from the
pit of my stomach, and lunch is such a long way off, I just couldn't
resist!! Singing 'happy birthday' (in unusual office style: start on
the wrong note, too high so no-one can finish it except maria who is a
soprano) because it's my last day with the mon/tues client before the
big day, they gave me a card, the chocolate cake (for us all to
devour) and an M&S voucher with one pound for every year!! How lucky
am I!! So, I just had to cut it, and present it to my Mon/tues
colleagues on 50th birthday napkins (also supplied), and have a piece
myself!! Don't tell my personal trainer!! I will just have to hold my
tummy in even more on Friday now!!

Of course I am on my lunch break now!! Sitting in starbucks with a
large cuppa and an unopened prawn sandwich with no appetite to eat it
because I had too much chocolate cake!!! But, I am still drooling. I
am also still smiling at the generosity of my colleagues. Next tues
will be bubbly time methinks!! They should like that!! They deserve
that!!

I like the Mon/tues crowd. It's quite a stressful place to work, but
they are a friendly bunch, and I have got to know some of the
barristers quite well. I suppose it's because I am appreciated that I
like it there, although I do generally enjoy work. It's most unusual
for me to have a sour face at work unless I am tired and then any mood
is possible!!

Half way through my cuppa now and starbucks is very crowded. Its
1.20pm. It's v popular amongst the workers, although most only
enjoying a latte or some fancy coffee or other. It's a bit of a walk
for me, but the comfy sofa does help to escape the 'being at work'
feeling.

Chilly outside, but dry thank goodness. I don't mind it being cold so
long as I have enough layers on, and so long as it's not too wet!
That's a tall order of course in Manchester. Being on the west of the
country means more rain!!

Talking of layers, one of my mothers stock phrases whenever we
complained that we were cold when growing up was ' well, you should
wear a vest'!!! How uncool was that! I wouldn't have been seen dead
wearing one as a teenager. I wouldn't have been able to cope wit the
embarrasment of someone noticing a glimpse of a vest at the waist
band!! No way!!! We would rather be cold my sister and I, than anyone
notice a bit if thermal material about our persons!!

Of course, once you reach 40, you really don't care what people think.
Comfort is more important than being cold, shivery and fashionable.
Now I'm nearly 50 I care even less!!! Of course I have my self
respect, and I don't think Gok* would be wholly disgusted with my
attire, but I must be warm and dry if I am to be pleasant with those
around me.
*for the benefit of my sister in the USA, Gok is an inspiring TV
presenter and fashion guru who, like trinny and suzannah is liberating
women throughout the Uk by trying to make them feel good about
themselves again!!!

Well, I seem to have moved from chocolate to thermal undergarments in
the space of, oooh, 30 mins or so. My sandwich is as yet still
unopened before me, and my large mug of tea almost empty. My lunch
break is coming to an end, and I must depart back to the office,
sarnie in hand, ready to munch through it around 3.00pm.

Until another tim ....

The Master Chef at work

Today's blog is written via the internet....I have just 15 minutes to put something together, but I may add something via iphone at lunch time....we shall see.

I notice that there are a couple of typos in the previous one (from iphone) : but I shall keep them there as a reminder that using the iphone keyboard can be problematic if the text of the message is vitally important!!

Whilst MasterChef was showing on the TV, I tested my own culinary skills by cooking Rob (husband) a steak and me a couple of lamb chops. I'd like to say that the aforementioned programme is an inspiration to me, but all it does is highlight what I don't know about cooking. I can do some basics, but I could do with learning a few more. I can't be asked to read cookery books at all, I don't find them at all interesting, and think I would prefer to be shown. Maybe a cookery class would be good, the challenge would be to find the right one. I don't really need very basic. I mean, I know how to cook meat and a few veg, and I am not particularly interested in learning how to cook game or pastries. What I could really do with is learning about sauces, herbs, spices and things to give basic food flavours, mindful of the fact that I still need to be able to cook a meal, from scratch, in 30 minutes when I get home from work at 7.30 each evening!! Oh..... and I need the food to be healthy: I don't want to learn to cook with lots of butter and fat that I really don't need to consume!! Not a tall order then!

Rob enjoyed his steak, and my lamb chops were ok, but I prefer chicken and salmon and minced lamb. However, it did make a change - and I did buy British!!

I do like the programme though, although I think the presenters make it especially enjoyable. Rob of course spends his time helping me in the kitchen calling out 'Yes Chef' as per professional kitchens. Now he has come a long way : 22 years ago his cooking comprised a boiled egg and a tin of potatoes. Now he can put a meal together, meat or fish, although less confident with the meat. At least we can prepare food together in the evening, especially useful since he arrives home a little before me.

Well, that is all the time I have for this today....I am at work, and now need to start. Its 7.20am.(I usually work for this client from 7.00am to 6.00pm on a Monday and Tuesday - so feel I can afford a few minutes off to do the blog). I should also add that my journey to / from work is between 50 minutes and 1 1/2 hours depending upon traffic: travelling across the M62 from Leeds to Manchester. Of course, that sort of journey time is par for the course if you are used to commuting into London, but here people tend to spend far less time getting to and from work. Personally, I don't mind. I just get on wtih it...and at least I am in gainful employment to help pay the bills, and for high days and holidays!!

Enough ramblings...over and out!!

Lunch time bites

Am playing with my iPhone now, seeing if I can update this blog using
the phone. Keyboard skills are always iffy on this gadget. You see, I
can touch type, but using my thumbs is a completely different issue.

For anyone who doesn't have the benefit of an iphone or iPod should be
aware of the following:

When you return home with the fancy phone nearly packaged in a little
box, the instructions provided are unhelpful. As with setting up most
computers, you are looking at a couple of hours to get it set up,
obviously less if you have done it before!

Then, when it comes to using the keyboard the biggest irritations are,
you keep pressing return in the middle of a sentence, or the auto
correct changes the word, but you don't notice!! Hence any mistakes in
this blog!! Also, I haven't found a way of setting up my own auto
corrections which means one of my friends is referred to as 'do'
instead of di.

Of course the benefits far outway the irritations. I am therefore more
than happy to send out emails and texta with poor spellings or, worse
than that, making absolutely no sense whatsoever! Many a time I sound
like one of the British airmen on 'allo 'allo!! I just hope my
intended recipients don't mind!

.... And so to the next step in accomplishing the Blogger tool ...
Posting to my blog by email. From the
iPhone, I thought this would be much easier than having to sign in
first.

Well, lunch break is drawing to a close and I must return to my intray
and the joys it beholds for me...

Another day another dollar!

After the fantastic weekend, I am now back to work. We arrived home at 5.30pm yesterday having stopped off at Bar Hill Tescos (very conveniently located just on the A14 - you woudn't know it was there, although the sign posts do alude to a 'superstore' but that could be a B&Q). We often stop there on the way home if we have food bits to buy - since by the time we reach home, the shops would be shut!!!

Now, in Manchester, in the rain, its back to the daily grind. I am of course thankful I have a job as there is yet more doom and gloom on the news today, and they are talking of negative inflation.

So, I will press on with my work here ... put my head down for the day, and get as much done in 10-11 hours as I can...

Birthday Celebrations

I had a fantastic day yesterday.

My husband and friends planned a surprise meal for my 50th!

I have been married to Rob for 22 years, and I didn't realise he could be such a good liar, nor indeed did I realise that he would be able to keep a secret! Mind you, I didn't press him with

questions and I refused to discuss my birthday with anyone less they let some little snippet of information out that would enable me to put two and two together and make four.

He had totally convinced me that it was just the two of us to put me off the scent. I had thought we might be eating with the usual crowd, but he convinced me we were eating early because we were going to have a really late night, alluding to us going to Ronnie Scotts jazz club. Even then I thought maybe Di and Rol would be meeting us there. When we walked into the restaurant at 6.30pm, they showed us to a table at the end of the large restaurant: a table for two in the corner with our backs to the room. Odd I thought. Usually couples are placed facing outwards into the room. There was a massive table down the length of the restaurant. I even said to Rob "look, there's a massive do on here tonight".

Whilst we munched our way through the poppodoms, rob explained that we weren't leaving until 10. He had asked for a later table, but the restaurant had said they were really busy, and could we come earlier. Imagine my surprise when Matt (step son no. 1) leant over my shoulder "surprise!" Even funnier, I still didn't know who it was as I couldn't get his face in focus it was so close to me. I stood up and, turning around said, 'I'm sorry I still don't know who you are!'Then there was a line of 31 friends leading down the length of the restaurant all queuing to say hello. We worked our way down it like a bride and groom at a wedding!!

The usual friends were there: Ann Nigel with Emily and Sam, and his girlfriend Lucy. Then there was Deborah and Martin, Julie and Simon, Anne and her partner Adam. Matt (Lou was at an East End Boys concert booked a year ago). Val and Matthew. Brenda and Mick. Di and Rol. Nick and Jo. Tony and Trish (cricket friends). Cousin Cathy (not that I know another Cathy, but I always refer to her as Cousin Cathy - she probably doesn't know that). Arthur (Robs cousin) and wife Trish. Pam and Bert (U Charles relatives and friend of Stella's). Mick (an old friend and clerk from when rob first started) and his wife P. Rebecca Hayward and her new partner Charles.

There were others who weren't able to be there which was a shame. Would love to do it all over again!

No, we did not go to to Ronnie Scotts.

Yes, it was a late night.

We sat up chatting until 2.00am, when tiredness forced me to my bed, but what a fantastic memory of my 50th. I don't have any photos...so hopefully Emily, who was taking lots of snaps, will be able to pass them on to me!

Well, my 50th is not actually until the 2nd Feb, and Rob and I are going away for the weekend which will be lovely: relaxing he says.... more another time!

PS. this blogging-ing is a new experience for me. I have always been totally rubbish at keeping a diary, I wonder whether this will be any different. I know the experience is supposed to be quite cathartic: but its odd to think that just about anyone can read them. Lets see how long I can keep this up....or will it by like all my diaries in the past: 3 weeks worth of gibberish and then nothing....the pages empty through to the end of the year!!!