Definitely Holyrood

This afternoon a cross-party meetng at the Scottish Parliament. Have you ever been there? I don't know how it cost to build and I don't want to know. It is a horrible building. Badly lit, dark, tunnels rather than corridors, concrete blocks for walls, meeting rooms with terrible acoustics. Did someone once use the word carbuncle to describe a building? Well at the time he did I don't think that the Scottish Parliament had been built but I reckon he shot his bolt too early. Generally I miss living in Scotland, but I am glad that my tax didn't go to this.

Holyrood or Holywood!

On the plus side, staying at the MacDonald Holyrood. Now I like MacDonald hotels. They are good. Especially when you get upgraded to the executive floor which can only be accessed by a special card that has to be put in a slot in the lift otherwise you can't get there. Nice people, would like to see me downstairs for a drink later. Oh yes, and don't bother coming all the way downstairs tomorrow morning, have breakfast in "The Library" (and for any Greenbelt Ops, not that kind of library) which is on your floor, just for you. Now was that Holyrood or Holywood!

Trains

You know those mornings when you wake up just knowing that whatever decision you make it will be the wrong one. Yeah well! I had to travel up to Edinburgh today. I have known this for weeks (actually months but who's counting). Been a bit distracted with other things so hadn't got around to planning. So I woke up with the possibility of flying, driving or the train. Chose the train. Whoops. Very packed, people even standing in First Class. Got in 45 minutes late. They shut the buffet car because they didn't have anyone to man it (like how does that happen, "Oh dear, just noticed we have a buffet car on this train, that wasn't expected"). Someone kindly (! their words) stood in and helped but needed exact change. And in the little brochure thing by my seat it had the nerve to say "travel by train, avoid the hassle of flying or driving". I might have words with old Richard.

Currently Drinking ....

A bottle of Finca Munoz 2004 Chardonnay, Limited Release. Described as full, with smooth peach and ripe orange flavours, rich and complex. Sounds wonderful. Minor problem, I also have had a home-made salsa tonight. As well as vine ripened tomatoes, onion, fresh basil, fresh coriander, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar I added a green chilli and some Tabasco sauce. Lovely salsa. Unfortunately no way my palate was going to be able to make out the subtleties of a fine wine.

Relax

OK, so you might call it girly. I don't care. I am confident enough in my masculinity, and in touch enough with my femininity, that I am happy enough to do something some may raise an eyebrow at. And before speculation gets completely out of hand, today I spent the day at Whittlebury Hall Spa (you might have seen Whittlebury on TV last week as it is where the celebs for "The Race" were staying, now wasn't that a lame idea for a programme, two failed grand prix drivers (sorry guys but really you are) trying to get "C" list celebs to drive quickly) . Two product launches in almost as many months and I needed a break. So on a whim at the beginning of last week I booked myself in. Actually not quite a whim as I am trying to go every 6-8 weeks, but I suddenly felt it was time. Not only did I get to use the heat and ice experience (there is an ice cave which is wonderful, bucket of ice, grab handfulls, rub over body) but also a full body massage. Now feel very relaxed.

Now Reading ...

Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
Review to follow once read. Normally this would not take too long but I do need to learn some work for my next Lodge meeting and I should concentrate on learning rather than reading.

Thirty Minute Service

Our local church has introduced a 30 minute service. On the second Sunday each month they have a short service for families with children. All very relaxed, doesn't matter if the children make a noise, they get to join in with things and generally it is good fun. Couldn't help but smile today when the first song started as someone brought out boxes full of drums, tambourines, triangles and other noisy instruments. The children dived on them and soon the room was a cacophony. I smiled because it reminded me of Greenbelt Ops weekends and I just knew how S would have been loving it while L would have been trying to hide all the instruments down the back of a sofa!

Rugby

So England slump to a defeat by Argentina. The first time Argentina have beaten them at Twickers. I remember going to seeing the Pumas at Twickers when I was 10 or 11. In those days Argentina were a rated side, recently they have slumped but it looks as though they are on the way back. Anyway this sounds as though it was a terible defeat. And no prospect of Jonny Wilkinson returning to save the country.

I have to admit that I can't gloat that much, at least Wales won but, in all honesty, a loss against the Pacific Islanders would have been even worse than the recurrent losses against Western Samoa during which ever World Cup you like to think of (a slight exagerration maybe, but only slight). And to really keep my feet on the ground Cardiff lost to Ebbw Vale 19-21, ten minutes before the end Cardiff were winning 19-9 then they just threw it away.

Windmill Hill

On Windmill Hill
The raven swoops
His calling, croaking
Beckoning me to join
To let my mind
Rise above the grass
To spread my wings
And feel the wind

Above
Windmill
Hill

Moment

Take this moment
Grasp it
Hold it
Fly

Future too masked
Hidden hole
(Hidden whole)
Now

This is awake
Pain and all
Bleeding
To be alive

Poetry

I used to write a lot of poetry. Over ten years ago now since I have written anything. A few bits were OK and actually were published in poetry magazines. It would be quite nice to start again. So I am going to try and you, unlucky readers, will get subjected to it.

Home Again

Gosh, it's nice to get home. Even if there are 666 emails waiting for me (true number, slightly scary). I stayed for the first three races, lost a small amount of money then decided it was time to leave. I wanted to get home before my daughter goes to bed. As it is she and mum aren't in, I seem to remember that they were going to MK to see the Christmas deccies. And as I type they are pulling up so off I go ......

English language

Have you noticed how it is no longer "english" but "english (american)"? We are the ones who invented the b.....y language. Where does this "american" come from. As far as I can see american means putting "z" where there should be an "s" and other incongruous mistakes. English is english, let's keep it that way.

Mobile Phones

OK, I know mobile phones are often victims of a rant, but they are just so annoying. Not because of other peoples phones ringing and disturbing the peace. Because reception is so bad. In the middle of England my phone can't hold a line when I am in the car. Maybe it is T-Mobile and I should have gone with a different server. But T-Mobile did provide the Motorola RZR with i-tunes (which is just cool, and a lovely red colour as well). But I find mobiles irritating in the extreme. I want to use them when I am travelling, moving from one place to another, but I seem most of the time on trains or in the car realising that I have been talking to thin air and having to redial. I hate technology when it is almost, but not quite, useful.

West Wing

I love the West Wing. I started watching it when it was first broadcast but with moving house I lost track. So I have been renting it from Amazon. At the end of last week the first DVD of the second series arrived and we sat down to watch it. Unfortunately it kept skipping and we finally had to judge it unwatchable. I won't give away what happens at the end of series one/beginning of series two in case you haven't seen it, but this isn't a good time to find you can't keep watching. Frustration abounds. This morning a new DVD arrived from Amazon. Great excitment at being able to watch the replacement DVD. Got dinner ready, opened the DVD, only to find that it wasn't the West Wing but 24. Now I have been wanting to watch 24 for ages as I missed it on TV, hence on the rental list, but it wasn't what I was wanting tonight. "Hells Kitchen" in the end instead.

Where did it go?

In to work at 0800 hrs as normal. Finished at 1830 hrs, also relatively normal. When I go in to the office I like to miss rush hour so it easier to arrive early, finish late. So that is ten and a half hours isn't it. Minus 45 minutes for lunch. Down to nine and three quarters then. So why can't I remember what I actually did today. Slightly worrying. Just in case any bosses read this, I promise it was worth while, whatever IT was.

Firework Night

It is always good to keep a bit of the child in us no matter how old we are. Fireworks are like that for me. Watching them with other people I may try to make the "oooo"s and "aaahh"s sound sarcastic but every so often I know that one will have sounded completely real. I can't help it, a decent firework with lots of colour and lots of noise will always get my admiration.
Last night we had the Support Team firework party. Thanks completely to Zippie and D, I simply turn up with J and A in tow, bringing some fireworks and wine. And I have to admit that although my fireworks had a 25 metre rating, they were not the best. That accolade goes to the titanium spiders which almost everyone seemed to want to claim credit for but, in the end, I think belonged to Squeak and Handbag. It would be completely wrong to think that my daughter is trying to set light to Handbag because his fireworks were better than ours.
The Support Team is the group Zippie and I manage (in a very loose sense of the word) at Greenbelt. They are a great group to work with and we strive to have a good team morale. Zippie has organised the firework party for the last couple of years and last night we had McVicar, Teflon, Handbag, Squeak, Sweetcorn, Guilty, DooDah there amongst others. As you can tell from the names we aim to be very grown up about everything. Anyway it was a good night to let our hair down, remember stories from this and other years, and generally have a good laugh. Stories range from the difficulty some people have getting in Defenders, through those of us who have eaten stolen goods, include the finding of frogs in coffee cups in lifts, and may also cover people being sent to the Helicopter Field (now rechristened the "Naughty Field"). Well it makes sense to us anyway.

Sometimes....

Sometimes, thankfully only sometimes, there isn't a right thing to do. Life presents you with choices where neither path has a happy ending. It just shouldn't be like that.

"Dear Charlie"

Programmes should come with "Emotional level" warnings. Driving back from Norwich I was listening to Radio 4, as I often do. O good I thought, Book of the Week. So this week is a book called "Dear Charlie", hadn't heard it at all this week but I don't mind dropping in to the middle, I can usually pick it up. Well, this book should have come with an emotion warning. I am not given to high emotion generally but we all know that we can be caught unawares. And recently one thing that has managed to catch me almost without fail is stories about fathers losing daughters or vice versa. And this particular story is exceptional, letters written by a father to his 13 year old daughter who was killed by a train. This is a true story by the way. I am not going to be able to listen tomorrow, it is too painful. I am not ashamed to admit I had tears by the end of the episode.
I have put the book on my wish list at Amazon. I feel I should read it, I would like to read it, but the way I felt after today I can't actually bring myself to buy it for myself. Leave it to fate.

BVD in Norwich

Let's start by ensuring I don't start rumours. The title does not imply that BVD has been diagnosed in Norwich.
I realise I may need to explain a bit more here. BVD is a rather nasty viral disease of cattle (nasty for cattle, absolutely no risk to humans). It is also very common. We have been working with an action group, facilitated by DEFRA, trying to devise a plan for eradication in the UK. Other European countries have shown that eradication is possible and it is important for the UK cattle industry that we do not lag behind. Anyway, last night I was over in Norwich for the launch of a pilot scheme to start eradication of BVD in Norfolk and Suffolk. Norfolk may not quite be Scandinavia, where they are BVD-free now, but the low density of cattle compared to the rest of the UK make it a good starting point.
There is no quick fix. This will take years and a lot of dedication but hopefully last night marked the beginning of the journey.