IT'LL BE ALL WHITE ON THE NIGHT

“What are you thinking?”

“I feel a blog coming on”

“Oh very good, while you are writing it why don’t you wear my cowboy hat?”.

Now that, as they say, is another story!

OG is progressing with the renovation work.

The laundry room is now complete and the mezzanine sitting room is waiting for a new carpet to be fitted. Yes, that IS an enormous TV and I must admit that it is my fault. I am normally the sensible one of this outfit, but when we went shopping I couldn’t resist this bargain. It will eventually live in our newly renovated sitting room (renovations to start imminently) where it will reign supreme. Meanwhile it can content itself by dominating this smaller space.

OG has now moved on to demolishing a chimney. That night he complained of feeling tired!

A few nights ago he asked

"Do you love me?"

"Of course I love you!"

"Why?".

Now that was a tough one and anyone that knows OG will understand why. He is such an unusual man. Maybe that's what I should say "Because you're an unusual man". Would that satiisfy him I wonder? Probably not. Mmmm - this is more difficult that it seems!

To give a graphic explanation of what I mean one of our ex-employees who became a great friend put on face book that the wisest man he knows is an alcoholic, dyslexic, builder. This, my friends, is OG. Unusual. Although to be honest Ashley's discription of him is slightly wrong. He is a recovering alcolohic. Hasn't touched a drop for over 35 years.

And finally ..... a good time to keep your mouth shut is before you put your foot in it!

MY BRAIN HURTS

Today, like most of us, my mind is occupied with thoughts of treacherous bankers and politicians.

Over the past five years the FSA repeatedly warned that the economy was dangerously overheating. As we now know Sir James Crosby head of HBOS was made aware of the dangers to his own bank by both the FSA and Paul Moore, the HBOS Head of Group Regulatory Risk. Did he take heed of the warnings? No, he sacked Paul Moore!

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the Treasury was not made aware of the FSA's communications with HBOS. "There were probably 20 or 30 similar discussions going on with other institutions at the time," he said. Well that's alright then, so is this him admitting that he knew 20 or 30 other institutions had been warned too!!!

These unheeded warnings came to fruition, HBOS was one of the banks that had to be massively bailed out and Sir James Crosby resigned. We all said a collective “good riddance”. But hang on a minute – why did Gordon Brown then appoint him deputy chairman of City watchdog, the Financial Services Authority? Is there something I’m missing here?


And how can Gordon Brown possibly claim that this recession could not have been predicted? As I have said many times before, I’m just a simple woman trying to live my life honestly. I love my family, respect my colleagues and am very loyal to my Country. Even I predicted that this would happened.

As we speak the banks are still up to the same old tricks. The big banks are currently offering a raft of “Guaranteed” bonds. High interest, no income, no transparency and gobbledy-gook small print. Despite being advertised as “Guaranteed” the only guarantees they offer are minimum risk with maximum earnings to the bank and maximum risk with minimum earnings to the punter.

And while I’m ranting. How is this going to work?

Take a Country, any Country, with good citizens willing to place their lives and trust in the stewardship of their leaders. Watch these “leaders” rip the heart out of its economy until most businesses either have to implement severe cutbacks or go bust and unemployment spirals out of control putting the good people in fear of their very existence.

At the same time pile Pollyanna tax money into the already overpaid and overstaffed NHS, build new schools for illiterate, innumerate children to be taught by untalented, uninspired teachers, increase the already sickeningly high numbers of disheartened, demoralised and totally unhelpful public sector workers, council workers, Whitehall mandarins, dream up new harebrained Government backed schemes, government reviews, public awareness PC infomercials etc.

This silly old woman thinks “ummm? tax payers are getting a bit thin on the ground here, how are these mad schemes and top heavy public service sector jobs going to be funded?” As I say, maybe I’m missing something here.

And finally …. I smile because I don't know what the hell is going on.

OF ALL THE BARS IN ALL THE WORLD

One of my colleagues at the office collared me a couple of days ago.

"I was talking to my ex's nephew on facebook last night" (There goes that old facebook thing again!) "he's working in the French Alps and I asked him if he knew Vinnie. He said "Vinnie the chef? Yes I know Vinnie, he lives near me"".

"It can't be the same Vinnie surely. What's his name"

"Sam"

"OK, I'll ask Vinnie next time I speak to him".

As I was leaving the office I asked SallyAnn to write his name down for me (old memory isn't what is was you know). As she was writing it down my mobile rang. It was Vinnie! Scary!!

"Hi, Vin, we were just talking about you. Do you know Sam?"

"Yes, that's why I'm ringing. He's standing right beside me. He is a chef at the bar I drink in."

How's that for a co-incidence?

Isn't this image perfect? Noah is now 2 weeks old whereas Sporty Dad is 1308 weeks old. Question. Which one is the baby? Noah is a wonderfully behaved, in fact he sleeps so much that I have trouble visiting when he is awake! On the other hand Sporty Dad is not so well behaved and is always awake when I visit. Only kidding Sporty Dad, you are perfect too.

GIGGLE, GIGGLE ALL THE WAY

There were two things at the top of my giggle-o-meter this week.

First giggle. My esteemed colleague had devised a sales promotion to “encourage” the telesales team to get their fingers out (as it where).

Each sale entitled the seller to select a sealed envelope inside of which was either a £10 voucher or an inspirational word.

“I would prefer to win an inspirational word. Why don’t you just tell us what they are now?”

“Then you wouldn’t have a reason for wanting to win”

“Oh that’s mean”

“OK then, I’ll give you one inspirational word – P45!” Brilliant, or what?

Second giggle. Watching Celebrity Who Wants to be a Millionaire with OG last night I said

“She reminds me of Jean”

“Anneka Rice?"

“No, Penny Smith!”

“She’s nothing like Jean, Anika Rice is animated”

“So is Penny Smith”

“But nothing like Anika Rice”

At this stage I decided to drop out of this silly conversation. After a while OG pipes up “Don’t go in a mood just because you’re wrong”

“Wrong, wrong, how can you say I’m wrong? MY conversation, she reminds ME of Jean, how can that be wrong?”

Now we are both in a mood.

Immediately after this exchange of unfriendly fire I had a conversation with my grandson Morgan (the City economist). He relayed a conversation he had had with Vinnie recently when they both agreed that their granddad was one of the wisest men they knew. He said he always seemed to know the right things to say and the right advice to give. Are we talking about the same man here?

And finally …. I believe that just because two people argue it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue it doesn't mean they do love each other.

A NEW LIFE

Yesterday our fourth great grandson Noah was born. As you can imagine, with ten grandchildren and four great grandchildren, we have seen many babies but I can honestly say that this is the most peaceful baby ever.

He didn’t murmur for the first two hours and then he only slightly protested when being sponged and dressed. This photograph was taken when he was 3 hours old and despite being cuddled by all of us in the ensuing couple of hours he never objected once. I should also add that this photograph does him no justice at all. He is a handsome little mite, and his enormous hand is just a trick of the camera!




It had been a very traumatic day for his paternal grandmother. This was her first grandchild and she was beside herself with excitement, whereas I, being an old hand, remained calm!

The grandmother-in-waiting and I were concerned that Mum was being fed and cared for by the hospital but Dad was being left to his own devices and was refusing to leave the labour ward until the baby was born. Our many advisers were telling us that as he had been stressed out and awake for over 48 hours he would need to keep up his blood sugar levels and should, therefore, eat. It was decided that we would launch a rescue mission I was despatched to the hospital with some sandwiches, chocolate and drinks for him.

I rang the bell, now how am I going to explain this? The intercom crackled.

“Yes”

I speak into the grid, this is worse than leaving voice mail.

“I’ve bought some food up for Dan, he’s on the labour ward”

“FOOD!!??”

“Yes, he hasn’t eaten today and he won’t leave Georgina to go and get anything”

“Oh,” she sounded puzzled “Wait a minute, I’ll send him out”

Not too difficult. I thought there would be a problem. I was just wandering away from the door when I heard a voice coming out of the intercom again.

“Sorry, did you say something”

“Yes, I said it’s not convenient for him to come out right now. Go and wait in the main reception area and he’ll come out when he can”.

This threw my calm demeanour into turmoil. That must mean the birth is imminent. What do I do? Wait? But if he wouldn’t leave before the birth what chance was there that he would rush out to claim his lovingly prepared sandwiches afterwards. However, being the compliant person that I am, like an idiot, I dutifully waiting for 30 minutes, talking myself into leaving and then talking myself into staying.

At 1230 I thought "to hell with this" and left. Noah was born at 1235! At times life’s a bitch!!

And finally ….. You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me.


IMG00187.jpg
Originally uploaded by anninfotel

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE?

What occupied the thoughts of President Vladimir Putin this week? The crisis in Georgia? The global credit crunch? Wrong! A couple of nights ago he was to be seen on TV discussing the European Song Contest with Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. What's that all about? It’s a funny old world isn’t it?

I just had a call from my grandson Vinnie. The place where he works, Fish & Pips, is featured on the front page of the Guardian Travel supplement today. Anyone for champers & canapés? Sounds good doesn’t it? No wonder he loves working there. http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/jan/17/skiing-wintersports-france-chalet

And finally …. "I have a degree in liberal arts"
"Do you want fries with that?"

IS MY AGE MY WATCH SIZE? I'M CONFUSED

Trawling around facebook, as you do, I dropped in to catch up with some of my grandchildren. The first thing I read was that “Le chat noir has just skiied in the dark whilst drunk”. Le chat noir being Vinnie the chef in the French Alps. Way, way too much information. Whereas Frazer, the mathematician who works away happily in a cocktail bar until he can get a "proper" job, apparently “has a watch that is far more mature than himself”.

Now here is a strange thing, Frazer’s communication of choice is facebook. Ring him or send him a text and you get nowt scout, but message him on facebook and he replies straight away. It’s all very odd and when I ask him why he appologises and promises he will mend his ways. I’m not actually in the business of getting him to mend his ways, I would just be happy with an explanation for this strange quirk.

I have had several ‘phone and text conversations with Vinnie since he started his new job and he is loving it. Yesterday I texted because I read that there had been four fatalities in the French Alps this week and given that he is fond of skiiing in the dark whilst drunk I was concerned that the weather might be particularly treacherous. Back came the immediate (got that Frazer?) reply “the weather is all good, blue sky days! Le chat noir is very well indeed, loving the ski lifestyle” Great to be young isn’t it?

During another trawl, this time on the www I came across my old mate Justin Dennison, the minister who carries the heavy responsibility of having married me to OG. Now here is a great communicator (got that one too Frazer?). Justin is now a minister in Canada and I sometimes listen to his weekly sermon online at http://www.hopetoyou. This day, however I happened across a workshop video made several years ago called Cracking The Da Vinci Code http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4558932418339938842. I found it fascinating, giving me another perspective on the book which, incidentally, I loved.

Talking of great communciators OG had a routine visit to his surgeon yesterday. This man has the ability to make everyone in the room feel special. A truly rare gift. He has just been offered a professorship in London which he said is a great opportunity and priviledge. He has a passion for research in his chosen speciality which is bladder cancer and this very prestigeous post will give him access to a whole new world. And the best news as far as we are concerned is that he will keep OG on as his patient.

And finally …. I believe that maturity has more to do with what type of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated or what type of watch you wear.