the urban badger

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57130562011-09-22T13:56:20.547+10:00the urban badgerDown home, Down Under: an English badger in SydneyLisa Wnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-33623105614425845062010-08-03T12:02:00.001+10:002010-08-03T12:04:09.413+10:00

I'm shiny and new. Open spaces. Possibilities. I'm excited...

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-50941215855832871812010-06-18T18:14:00.002+10:002010-06-18T18:18:40.304+10:00

gordon effing bennetWow. It's been bloody ages.Life, eh? Super crazy, huh? I'm listening to Radio 4 on t'interwebs. I'm a mother of R two days a week, working two days a week, a wife at the weekends and what am I doing the other one day of seven. What?What am I doing?Where has my life gone?Answers on a postcard.

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-25423482981613233402009-10-28T19:42:00.002+11:002009-10-28T19:51:09.119+11:00

mutherfucking kangarooI saw one, jumping down the streeet. Our street. The street where we live (in complete Tom-and-Barbara stylee). Gordon-fucking-Bennett.Other news; there is none.The vegetable garden is coming along; the apple and lemon trees both appear to be doing well (though the app;e treee frankly needs a really hard prune [don't we all, dear] both should drop some fruit at least).I wish

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-42149509894314215612009-07-18T10:50:00.003+10:002009-07-18T11:42:55.010+10:00

fun - ee cummings styleJust so that the joy is recorded along with the misery...when the world is mud-lusciouswhen the world is puddle-wonderfulit'sspringandthegoat-footedballoonMan whistlesfarandwee

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-37622972490049663982009-07-15T21:58:00.005+10:002009-07-15T22:17:38.839+10:00

jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jumpingChrist, things are mad here. Nowhere to live. No job. Staying with TA's friends, who have a Sprout-aged little girl, while TA teaches in Melbourne. We're saving money, but my sanity has gone for a burton. Sprout is up from 3am every night feeding until 6am, at which point I just give up and get both of us up. I miss London. I miss work. I miss friends. I miss

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-49856463392383137462009-04-13T05:17:00.002+10:002009-04-13T05:22:08.564+10:00

orphanedBack to my point of origin, but feel both hyper-connected and strangely distanced. Unreal city, unreal island. Sprout doesn't care, of course, as long as there's milk and me he's happy. He's not so keen on the grandparents though and, presumably thanks to the plane journey, he is spraying snot every which way - his first non-teething illness. Nice to be back in the homeland of melus melus

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-23218777444021323152009-03-21T06:13:00.003+11:002009-03-21T06:30:50.246+11:00

by Sydney Central station I sat down and weptOr at least I felt like doing so. The last couple of weeks have been very strange. It was my birthday - always a time of introspection in the run up. Then on the day (here) I heard that my cousin had been taken very ill suddenly and, since it was sadness several steps removed, it made the day seem sweeter and more precious in comparision. I woke up the

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-177037665235501732009-03-05T16:57:00.004+11:002009-03-05T17:16:32.024+11:00

just dance nb. I was standing next to the CD player, the music wasn't that loud.

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-5360266905274286352009-02-27T16:16:00.002+11:002009-02-27T16:23:03.829+11:00

onwards and upwardsYep, we're moving. TA's extended probation came to an end and with it his employment, which - after two months of sniping and bullying - was quite a big relief. So. We're off to Melbourne to start afresh. So many thoughts, ideas, hopes, fears. So much hanging in the balance. It's scary times again. And we all know that last time we were in this position we both lost our minds;

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-61700277584710554712009-02-20T15:21:00.002+11:002009-02-20T15:36:33.755+11:00

post-grad peachyI never really 'got' Angela Carter the first time round. Shame. I get her now. The blood. The confusion. The pride. Motherhood was supposed to resolve the conflictions, not enhance them. I'm very slow.

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-49324569892278561862009-02-20T11:02:00.006+11:002009-02-27T16:25:43.799+11:00

we will storm any fortress Sometimes, about once or twice a month or, if I'm lucky, more, I get this amazing rush. I suppose something like Tony Robbins feels all the time: personal power. Or, if you grew up in a new-age house like I did, Kundalini rising (though the feminist in me - she's still there - finds the snake imagery inappropriate).*I will overcome.Whether it's directed at myCGpimp, the

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-42740870354636244372009-02-17T18:17:00.007+11:002009-02-17T19:04:08.885+11:00

releaseThat's what we're looking for, isn't everyone? We're both so tired of laying track as fast as we can while the train's whistle sounds in our ears. We read Four Hour Work Week and a light that had been flickering for years went on and stayed on. Now, I veer from messianic self belief to crippled with doubt. The audacity of stupidity, perhaps, but we tell each other - it has to work. And if

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-31164792871592888562009-02-03T16:50:00.003+11:002009-02-03T16:57:56.621+11:00

envyTA is sad - he's missed out on ten centimetres. 'S no big deal,' I say to him, but we both know that's not true. Depth does matter. TA imagines how much fun he could be having taking the pupster and Sprout out to play. Cold seems like such a comforting, cosy idea when it's 40C outside.Meanwhile, in the sweat and stink of our little study, we hatch our plans for world domination and financial

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-11734682014799842652009-01-29T09:55:00.004+11:002009-01-29T10:12:10.085+11:00

learning curveTA and I have had an idea for a business; well, TA had the idea, but I'm the one who is currently executing on delivery. It's a big leap in the dark! Anyway, I'm experimenting with the tools that will form a supplimentary part of the project over in the sidebar. I expect the adverts will be removed once the project is up and running. It's a bit crazy - we've never done anything this

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-37802469073013363292009-01-27T14:21:00.003+11:002009-01-27T14:27:45.684+11:00

gestationTA's job situation has gone from bad to worse as the two-month extension passes. I had thought that this would happen as I've watched similar things happen to friends in the past. Plans are being hatched, cunning and otherwise, to get us out of this employment pickle in a stronger position than before. We're entering, for us, uncharted territory as we seriously consider taking a year off

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-46675897008647210712009-01-12T18:12:00.002+11:002009-01-12T18:27:39.295+11:00

windedOuf. Things have gone for a burton; if not immediately, soon, we might well be back in 2004, with neither of us working. It’s all even more scary this time. We’re much better prepared for employment gaps - we have some savings, for example - but I can’t look for work until I have a spouse visa, which although in progress has been complicated by my odd medical history and may take months to

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-85471794655007195862008-12-23T13:37:00.001+11:002008-12-23T13:39:55.994+11:00

going AWOL on the AWACSChristmas, eh? Different things to different people and, of course, much different depending on where you are in the world. However, no matter how far you run you cannot run away from yourself and, despite saying that we wouldn’t do anything at all this year, TA and I suddenly and simultaneously got the festive bug. It is going to be scaled back, mind, from previous Isle of

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-84622692335477148272008-12-22T09:51:00.003+11:002008-12-22T09:56:33.734+11:00

where did you get that hair?Recessive genes can surprise anyone, I guess. However, somehow being adopted and having no idea what my blood holds makes this even more of a puzzle. I do wish people would stop asking though.

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-83793427111342484832008-12-20T06:48:00.002+11:002008-12-20T07:10:13.815+11:00

diet of wormsMy master class in how to alienate and horrify the few people I am friendly with in Sydney continues apace. I am in the post office queuing to pick up a parcel (something I do frequently as 1. the postman refuses to ring the bell but would rather leave a ‘sorry I missed you’ card and 2. the postal service here does not allow one to organise a redelivery - honestly, the list of things

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-27342517751319979002008-12-15T18:23:00.003+11:002008-12-15T18:37:45.166+11:00

helloIt's been a while, hasn't it? It did take a long time to get internet, it took a long time to get a flat and then our stuff was in shipping...Anyway, we're here now. Sprout is walking these days. The sun is shining and, well, I'm brain dead. Suffering from housewifeitis. The lights are, sporadically, on but mrs brain is still in London. This country is lovely, but just all wrong. Woolies and

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-43519254136454703342008-08-27T23:15:00.004+10:002008-08-27T23:31:33.874+10:00

manic panicYears ago "manic panic" meant violently red hair or, on one memorable morning, waking up with a blue pillow and a blue-faced young man as well as blue hair. Now, sadly, it means full-on, for real, waking-up-with-a-pounding-heart manic panic. Things I am currently manically panicking about include, but are no way limited to, the pupster's failed blood test (requiring a new test to be

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-28346971128535352792008-08-09T00:22:00.006+10:002008-08-09T00:56:40.833+10:00

who hasn't?So, I'm about a million miles behind the bleeding-edge of popular culture; I'm at the suppurating flank, if you will. Anyway, please forgive my tardiness on this topic, but I have to get it off my chest. The oh-so-catchy tune from the pop moppet Katy Perry, “I Kissed a Girl”, it’s doing my head in.The plot of the song is she got a bit drunk and went for a bit of sexual tourism by

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-9255542792480780002008-07-29T02:41:00.004+10:002008-07-29T03:18:46.704+10:00

do not pass goSprout is asleep in my arms as I type this softly and slowly. Today - hell, the last week - has been a trial. My thoughts have gone like this: can't plan without a departure date - can't book cleaners, removals or dog shipping; can't tell the utilities we're going - can't get a departure date without flights. Can't book flights without three passports (TA and I both let ours expire

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-47426686374908129522008-07-23T23:27:00.002+10:002008-07-23T23:44:32.181+10:00

two summers in one yearWhat on earth have I been doing all these months? Well, looking after Sprout, mostly, but also reading and listening to Radio 4. Meanwhile, TA has landed himself a new job. And now I am crazy busy, as crazy busy as one can be while still allowing an infant to sleep in one's arms for up to six hours a day (we've tried putting him down with no success whatsoever - it's easier

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-90638711562050097282008-02-26T01:54:00.004+11:002008-02-26T02:12:59.893+11:00

well, I'll be...Out of the blue, out of nowhere, I have been contacted by social services because my birth mother wants to get in touch. Crap. They are forwarding 30 years' worth of letters to me as way of introduction; with the disclaimer that her writing style is "florid" and that she's more normal in person.How unbelivably tiresome. I have absolutely no interest in re-establishing a tie with

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-71589926814559066002008-02-04T20:40:00.000+11:002008-02-04T22:48:26.806+11:00

dr googleSometimes I wonder why the health service bothers with diagnosing mild complaints when, frankly, the internet is so much better at it. A case in point, I was chatting to the health visitor about the shooting pain I get in my breasts sometimes - is this normal, I wondered. She breezily replied that I wasn't the first person to mention it. Perhaps I would have been satisfied with that if I

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-35009943351110529422008-01-29T01:51:00.000+11:002008-01-29T01:53:07.862+11:00

afterbirthI’m not sure quite what I was expecting, but I don’t think that this is it. Sure, there’s the clichéd tiredness, of course, and there were tearful days as the preg hormones left my system, but the rest? So far it’s been an odd combination of fear, anxiety and bewilderment.Perhaps it is difficult to love a baby who makes nipples bleed - this is an understatement, the last two weeks have

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-82357568387468012222008-01-14T21:58:00.000+11:002008-01-15T00:10:34.902+11:00

blood and profanityI have been itching to write up the labour experience before it gets all misty, but was unsure where to put it. I’ve decided my lengthy reminiscences can be posted here and ignored at will - perhaps this way I won't inflict the story on other people ad nauseam.So, Tuesday afternoon, after a day of chores and interruptions, I finally get into bed for a short nap. Bang! As soon

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-40893981041892417982008-01-11T04:20:00.000+11:002008-01-11T04:27:37.967+11:00

3.40am, 9 January 2008After a two-and-a-half-hour labour, we said hello to our son.

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-28810691044041241432007-12-14T23:50:00.000+11:002007-12-15T00:13:00.019+11:00

milky milkyIn preparation for Sprout's arrival (not long now!) my norks have sprung into action, or perhaps I should say sprung into leak. I'm overjoyed by this new talent and keep attempting to give TA a demonstration of their creamy prowess, but unfortunately he is not as overwelmed by their ability to fountain baby fuel as I am. This is a particularly gratifying development given that the

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-458888051197908602007-11-20T03:02:00.000+11:002007-11-20T03:13:35.805+11:00

every day in every way, I'm getting bigger and bigger And tireder and tireder. Gah, who'd have thought that growing another person - a wee person at that - would be so completely knackering? My pelvis, despite physio, a bondage belt and paracetamol, has pretty much given up on me and I've still got seven or more weeks to go.On the plus side, no stretch marks yet...

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-23073012540457973562007-11-10T01:54:00.000+11:002007-11-10T02:09:05.324+11:00

special dayMy mother sent me an e-mail with "special day" as the subject line. In it was a picture of all of us standing in our finery outside Camden Register office: blue sky, smiles. TA and I look so young, so brave. It's five years to the day since we were married.I was going to title this something sly, referencing cockney slang, but the knowing, cynical tone didn't suit what is genuinely a

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-35295739913349737492007-11-07T00:44:00.000+11:002007-11-07T00:46:58.873+11:00

laboured analogyImagine you’ve got a long walk ahead of you to an unknown destination. You have a detailed map and lots of people are on hand to tell you about the route, but this is the first time you’ve tried it yourself. You know how long it’s going to take - a long while, but not forever - and you think that the time will probably fly by once you get underway.The first third of the walk is

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-65768914785734591022007-10-25T20:53:00.000+10:002007-10-25T20:54:23.561+10:00

sprout proofingYesterday I wrote a cheque for new windows, my second attempt to get our windows replaced (the first floundered on the issue of scaffolding). Today I am overseeing the repairs to the storage heater in the living room, which has been out of action for more than a year. We want the Sett to be warm enough for Sprouticus, even though making it so is costing us a hell of a lot of

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-42729260638916504902007-10-19T03:19:00.000+10:002007-10-19T04:06:25.991+10:00

the wheel turnsTA is coming to the end of the bears - only one more week to go. For the last three weeks he's been trying to get a new gig at the same company. Various projects were mentioned, mainly television programmes (which are very short-term contracts). The biggest project, the one that TA's friend has got a job with, the one which will last six months, didn't seem as though it was an

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-33688169923545906812007-10-17T00:12:00.000+10:002007-10-17T00:17:11.053+10:00

twice the woman I wasHere I am in my jimjam bottoms and a stretchy vest proudly showing off my new haircut and, of course, Sprout's impact on my previously svelte figure. Not bad for 28 weeks, I think! Also, check out that cleavage! TA is a very lucky man, no?

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-65022508738406232352007-10-10T19:23:00.000+10:002007-10-10T19:25:11.694+10:00

days end confusedWork continues to be crazy, crazy busy. After a weekend spent working and days and days of panic, I made the mistake of relaxing yesterday only to discover, at 6pm, that files I had submitted to the printer were borked and needed to be redone. Great - cue much frantic head scratching and sleeplessness as I tried to work out how to get myself and the client out of a

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-30170387901518143632007-09-28T03:13:00.000+10:002007-09-28T03:21:47.980+10:00

bear necessitiesTA came home grumbling. "You should get the word out, you could start an online rebellion." I could, I thought, but what if it leads back to TA. "That doesn't matter," he said. I questioned the wisdom of this but, remembering my feeble visitor stats, figured he was probably right.So, if you're interested in a forthcoming movie that features fighting bears and is an adaptation of a

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-26761091077026853032007-09-21T00:35:00.000+10:002007-09-21T01:03:21.053+10:00

we're all doomedAfter a summer of thumb twiddling, Evil Corp's crazy season is about to start. For some reason, all events, press tours and news announcements happen in the two months before the run up to Christmas. Also, my client has been given a new job with a worldwide remit, the essence of which is we will need a badger in every time zone to do what this badger does, but in the meantime

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-35225496689676052412007-09-18T03:14:00.000+10:002007-09-18T03:17:15.430+10:00

obs-tin-ateI had my second appointment with an obstetrician today. I wasn’t holding out much for a pleasant experience as the clinic is held in a community centre that has not seen any NHS investment and the scheduling and time management is crap. Also, it’s pikey central - I don’t like to judge the overweight, bleached hair, teenage sarf lundun mothers, but of course I do.So, having filled my

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-35534142599993047322007-09-12T19:06:00.000+10:002007-09-12T19:28:36.906+10:00

ooayWhich is to say, still, wooyay, but ugh I’m knackered. It is, as we feared, hard to have TA working (long, long hours) on a fantastic, high-profile film project and balance the needs of the pupster and me. After some push back from the lovely HR department, I’ve managed to change my schedule to a more flexible work-from-home arrangement, meaning that the pup is only home alone for half the

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-57371315317789699052007-09-05T22:43:00.000+10:002007-09-05T23:05:34.890+10:00

wooyay Which is my rubbishy way of annotating woo to the power of yay in a headline format because my HTML skills in no way allow me to figure out a superscript option. But still, woo, yay.TA got the gig! He starts on Friday, yes, the day after tomorrow. He will, pro rata, be earning much more than me. This should be a woo-yay thing, but somehow I resent it. "Come back after a year and a half of

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-73470430938785048642007-08-31T20:45:00.000+10:002007-08-31T21:10:55.192+10:00

hodge, meet podgeFirst off, cross your fingers, toes, arms, legs and anything else you've got - TA has an exciting interview today for a short-term contract doing really cool stuff for a high-profile project. There's money in it too. Obviously, getting this job would be good news.Second, I owe you a Sprouticus update!I had a midwife appointment yesterday. "Have you felt the baby kick yet?" she

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-81884046113359863622007-08-29T20:59:00.000+10:002007-08-29T21:00:52.712+10:00

clotted cream, family tension, small people, dog vomit and much, much moreI’ve been on my annual summer pilgrimage to the Iggly Wiggly. I’m still a bit overwhelmed by the events of the last two weeks, which embraced the many and varied delights of tourism on the cheap, a dead badger, family, friends, a naming ceremony, a late-night train journey home with a child who insisted on tormenting our

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-66281493176698125762007-08-15T21:32:00.000+10:002007-08-15T21:49:21.108+10:00

farenheit 451This pregnancy and parenthood lark, it’s a puzzler. I’m all for reading what my health visitor friend referred to as evidence-based information. For example, I can’t get enough of the BBC pregnancy calendar (this week Sprout is about 20cm long, and weighs 300g) and I frequently return to the lovely Pregnancy book handed out by the NHS (seemingly every pregnant woman resembles the

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-10393448932296831352007-08-14T16:32:00.000+10:002007-08-14T16:39:30.126+10:00

spam novellaThe more I think on it, the more I'm convinced someone's sending me a story in installments. Today:Published by Bokbooks: a hypnotic bodice ripper.Serena, "My boyfriend's shaft is too big for my mouth..."Sophie, "Be confident and stand tall."Odd plot device: Alaskan marzipanSerena, "Remember me?"Justin, Serena's well-endowed boyfriend, "Don't be left out, join millions of men in the

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-64490103305014184022007-08-09T19:20:00.000+10:002007-08-09T23:30:39.891+10:00

imbibed with mother's milkHaving grown up as a resolutely black sheep and ugly duckling, my thoughts continue to travel down the same road. What does it mean to be a good mother and to what degree can I help inoculate* my child with gloriousness? My mind conjures a daughter because that’s what I know best - a Maggie Tulliver, dark-eyed, rosy-cheeked, willful little spark of wild being. But, of

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-73380121423832152762007-08-08T18:33:00.000+10:002007-08-08T18:39:12.736+10:00

what do you choose to give?Recognising that everyone self creates, self mutates and chooses for themselves who to be and what to take from the rich world to hold precious in the heart; what would you give to the next generation? TA and I, obviously, bring different gifts to the party. His is the CD of Mozart playing through headphones, his are the plans to take Sprout through all the wealth of

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-64913698786401314482007-08-07T19:06:00.000+10:002007-08-07T19:09:04.113+10:00

the return of the kingThe conquering hero returned! After a last-minute e-mail enquiring as to our availability, ex-housemate C was in the house last night. Oh, it was wonderful. We gave him the tour (this is the airing cupboard, this is our dog, here is the bathroom, here is the porcelain badger plate...) and fed him a roast beef dinner. And we talked and talked and talked - about the fame

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-50296268323119971002007-08-02T02:02:00.000+10:002007-08-02T02:14:17.341+10:00

sixA bit difficult, contrary even. Full of new-found independence, but still clingy at times. Fully formed, with likes, dislikes, passions and secrets. An age I've never warmed to in girls, too close to the terrible sevens. Boys still lack that social skill that makes them aware that others might be watching them. Relationships seem to be somewhat similar.If I could turn back time to change the

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-14805323127594081112007-07-31T18:56:00.000+10:002007-07-31T18:58:23.535+10:00

sauceThe books warned me about vivid pregnancy dreams; one even hinted that they might be racy. Even so, I wasn’t quite prepared for threesomes in a health club with champagne flowing. Actually, fate, if you’re listening - I’d like to let you know that I’m always prepared for threesomes in a setting that involves a beautiful woman, champagne, soft lighting, warm water and lots of fluffy white

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-28955619756456734622007-07-23T21:47:00.001+10:002007-07-23T21:47:42.718+10:00

things fall apartAfter three years of making suspicious whirring noises and never quite being as cool as you’d expect a machine with an ultra-cool system to be, TA’s custom-built whizz-bang PC has gone bang and will no longer whizz. TA is mourning it like a lost limb and wondering how the hell we are going to afford a new one.Judging from the bereft phone call, he’s currently crying in a corner (

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-81358075074975491022007-07-19T18:36:00.000+10:002007-07-19T18:54:42.019+10:00

aka sproutMy brother asked in an e-mail (he writes maybe three times a year) if we were going to refer to sprout as increasingly large vegetables. I replied no, but it did get me thinking. TA suggested "turnip" for sprout's current girth.We've been batting suggestions for a name back and forth. It was like this when we decided to get a puppy, this never quite agreeing, then TA would make a

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-18577208395117057732007-07-16T23:21:00.000+10:002007-07-16T23:22:49.739+10:00

back in the saddle, sortaDo you remember back in the day when I was all fired up about making massive life changes? Quitting my job, moving to Wales, building an earthship, breeding chickens and practising permaculture... I had big dreams. Somehow they shrivelled, didn’t they? Money worries. Practicalities. Other aspects of my personality. The necessity of compromise to maintain a happy and

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-26509289169702084662007-07-14T01:55:00.000+10:002007-07-14T02:01:47.722+10:00

pumping ironI'm not happy. I've got a cold with a fever and the bloodsucking sprout has given me anaemia. I was quite pleased when I found out because I innocently thought that if the anaemia was treated I'd feel a lot less tired. Ha! How little I knew. Iron tablets. Three of the little fuckers a day. To be taken on an empty stomach. And suddenly the retching and vomiting has made a return. It's

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-90933653905165596162007-07-11T22:01:00.001+10:002007-07-11T22:02:27.678+10:00

yesterday in parliamentAs past-it 30-somethings, TA and I enjoy listening to the Today programme on Radio 4 in the mornings. Humphreys and co burble along while I try to muster the enthusiasm and energy to leave the house. Conveniently, I know that if I accidently hear Thought for the Day I’ve stayed too long.This morning I was eating yoghurt and TA was looking in the fridge for some butter while

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-35658228350143360292007-07-09T22:51:00.000+10:002007-07-09T22:53:41.346+10:00

taking the piss in baggy trousersI’ve seen the future; it’s a pair of expanding-waistband trousers. Thank god for e-bay and women selling all their expensively bought, hardly used maternity clothes for next to nothing. I’ve now got more pairs of maternity jeans than I have ever had normal jeans and I love them, love them. Maternity clothes are fantastic: so comfy, so extensible. I’m not sure I’ll

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-47723167097936942442007-07-02T20:18:00.000+10:002007-07-02T20:23:57.939+10:00

sprout comes secondWe’ve been upstaged! TA is one of five and the second youngest, but we were smug: we were providing the first grandchild. We were wrong. One of TA’s sisters, not the one we used to share a house with, is pregnant, two weeks more pregnant than me. As we all know, when it comes to being a grandparent, a child in the same country is worth a multitude of overseas kiddies. Bah! Poor

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-59098621164613034872007-06-28T19:42:00.000+10:002007-06-28T19:49:29.333+10:00

let her eat cake?It's odd. The whole thing is very strange to me. TA has responded to my pregnancy, the gift of a special maternity recipe book and my inability to face cooking with compulsive baking. So far, we've had two mammoth carrot cakes, a batch of chocolate brownies and poached pears with chocolate sauce. Plans are apparently afoot to make flapjacks. He hasn't bothered to explore any of

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-27041574695696639222007-06-27T18:27:00.000+10:002007-06-27T18:28:11.453+10:00

a stitch in timePatchwork. For me, it’s right up there with weaving as an archetypal female act of creativity, something I blame Alice Walker for. Ironic then, given that Ms Walker turned out not to be such a role model for her own daughter, that I’m preparing for motherhood by making my first quilt. It’s monotonous, pernickety work to stitch a quilt by hand, but I find myself drawn to it.While I

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-21381807867819132922007-06-26T00:29:00.000+10:002007-06-26T00:30:43.762+10:00

look, no handsFor a reformed bulimic I sure am throwing up a lot. Having survived the three-week onslaught of morning sickness, on Friday I accidentally made like the Queen Mother and choked on a fish bone. I’ve always thought that was a bit of a joke, but no it’s actually quite scary. At first it just tickled and then the tickling started to sort of prickle and then the vomiting started. Ah, I

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-65564428620771188872007-06-22T01:05:00.000+10:002007-06-22T01:20:52.129+10:00

to be filed under: who knew?This just in from the BBC's excellent, if frequently deeply disturbing, pregnancy calendar:The foetus can now urinate and the urine is discharged into the amniotic fluid.Just wait until Sprout comes out - then I'll have my revenge.In other news, tonight TA and I are bussing across London to pick up a small, second-hand "antique stain style" cot. Woo! I love me some

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-36713844089366280762007-06-20T21:29:00.000+10:002007-06-20T21:44:19.206+10:00

A: er, um...I'm learning that people lose all sense of propriety when faced with an up-the-duff woman. I'm not a hugger or a sharer in the workplace; I'm friendly but not intimate with my co-workers. That has been no bar to certain individuals and I find myself tormented by the subtext of their comments and questions.Q: How far along are you?Trans: When did you have sex then?Q: Was it planned

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-26115446555472741522007-06-14T19:54:00.000+10:002007-06-14T20:03:25.442+10:00

nine and a half weeksWell, what a relief! I’m not being or feeling sick anymore and the tiredness has become much more manageable. Phew - even for me, going to bed at 7pm seemed a bit early. On the downside, I’m beginning to be a bit on the tubby side and my feet have a tendency to swell up - it’s only going to get worse, isn’t it?Yesterday I scored a series of complete blinders - I managed to

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-76966379341667119152007-06-08T20:41:00.000+10:002007-06-08T20:43:31.705+10:00

ch-ch-ch-changes...Don’t want to be a fatter womanCh-ch-ch-ch-changes(turn and face the strain)Ch-ch-changesJust gonna have to be a pregnant womanTime will change meAs I can’t turn back timeAs Bowie might have sung if he’d got himself in my condition. Christ, it’s bloody hard work and it’s only just begun.In addition to all the physical changes, there are the unexpected changes to my priorities.

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-69828224482495477742007-05-24T18:38:00.000+10:002007-05-24T18:54:37.517+10:00

let's get physicalThis morning I don't feel too bad, for once. The last week has been ghastly - queasiness morning, noon and night and sometimes actually retching - poor TA has had to bully me in to eating. On the upside, my cups continue to runneth over and my cleavage would make Dolly Parton blush.The hospital visit started, obviously, with a trip to the loo. I was pleased that my innovation

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-44657511517506149922007-05-21T18:19:00.000+10:002007-05-21T18:35:43.579+10:00

sproutThe UB has a new dramatis personae. Meet Sprout. Sprout, at eight weeks old, is about the size of a cherry tomato, but growing fast. Sprout is the reason a nurse was giving me an internal exam yesterday and Sprout made me throw up this morning. Honestly, it's a bit of a love-hate relationship at the moment.I'm having an ultrasound tomorrow at St Thomas's. I already love St Thomas's - there

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-83473326327387020402007-05-14T19:42:00.000+10:002007-05-14T19:46:33.328+10:00

gang aft a-gleyThings are tickety boo. My cups runneth over. I'm hungry a lot; I eat a lot. I'm tired and sleepy, but happy. A bit freaked out, but we'll make it work somehow. I'm taking excellent care of myself. I'll tell you more when it's official.

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-86289517377588241992007-03-30T18:27:00.000+10:002007-03-30T18:31:23.935+10:00

abdicatingElizabeth declined our meeting at the last moment and nominated a replacement. I shall meet the replacement on Monday.With so much writing to get done and so much going on I think I'm going to let the UB hibernate for a little while. As I said to TA, I think somethings need to happen behind a curtain.My subconscious would seem to agree - for the last two nights I've had anxiety dreams

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-76443286962205207712007-03-27T19:29:00.000+10:002007-03-27T19:30:38.804+10:00

novel assignationsI received a call on my mobile yesterday evening just as I was thinking about leaving the office. As soon as I heard the woman’s hesitating and polite enquiry I knew what was coming. I confirmed that I still wanted counselling (despite being sorely tempted to decline). She sounded more cheerful as she informed me that there was an open appointment on Thursday at 11.30. I let her

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-7599419339624924412007-03-26T23:32:00.000+10:002007-03-26T23:41:19.449+10:00

pure poetryI call my dad on Sunday morning and apprise him of my plans for the day. He’s doing okay. He drove my mum to the airport and, on the way back, had fish and chips – I take this as a good sign (as the day before he wasn’t eating anything) and bite my tongue about him supposed to be on a diet. I’m off to Beckton to see a friend and won’t be home until the evening. Beckton is at the

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-52990861990223382832007-03-24T00:41:00.000+11:002007-03-24T01:03:50.176+11:00

all bets are offI was in the midst of writing a defiantly cheerful post about how I was going to have a lovely weekend when I made the mistake of calling home.Gordon Bennet! My mother leaves for a two-week safari in Kenya today. Last night my father woke up bathed in sweat and suffering from palpitations and chest pain. After consulting NHS Direct an ambulance was called. My father has

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-21728874715415338402007-03-23T00:56:00.000+11:002007-03-23T00:58:31.156+11:00

tissues for issuesI get these totally useless brainwaves. For instance, if anybody out there is planning a Tears for Fears tribute band then I have the perfect name for you. But then, sadly, how often do you hear about Tears for Fears tribute bands?As we’ve already covered, I’m officially mental, which might go some way to explain why I’m already rehearsing for my first – as yet unbooked –

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-67958655734888241762007-03-21T22:15:00.000+11:002007-03-21T22:27:34.175+11:00

bed shapedToday I am working from bed. Yesterday we had our company's annual general meeting (complete with live video link up with offices around the world), never a good experience, and I had my appointment with the GP and Pope Benedict this morning so I was able to persuade my co-workers that working from home was the best option. The joys of wireless broadband.It's official: I'm mad.

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-36572448162816725422007-03-20T01:36:00.000+11:002007-03-20T04:07:23.913+11:00

give her a medalTA kissed me at the glass doors – have a good day. He says it every day as he tries to make it seem as though I’m about to spend the next nine hours on pink fluffy clouds of happiness, but today his words were even more filled with devout hope. I smiled and said, well, it can’t be worse than the second year of middle school. Walking into the office I was comforted to see Skye

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-39244802317348358052007-03-18T23:54:00.000+11:002007-03-19T00:49:32.351+11:00

paint it redA glass of red wine with a friend and a colleague on a Friday afternoon. Lovely. A second glass of red wine on a Friday afternoon with a friend and perhaps a proto-friend. A naughty, daring, silly thing to do. A third glass of ruby red wine. We had crossed a line. Three empty bottles on a small table. Three people sitting around a table when they should be at their desks. Rebels, but

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-88808958036882909032007-03-16T02:33:00.000+11:002007-03-16T02:39:27.662+11:00

haraldskær womanWhat a difference a day makes or, more strictly speaking, a night since that’s where the problem probably lies, so to speak. Moogie, caffeine, the office and sunshine – nothing has changed except that I feel as though I’ve been buried alive in a claggy, clayey peat bog. Perhaps it was the three large glasses of Rioja last night or staying up until 11pm that did it, but today I can

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-74620361329004116392007-03-14T21:52:00.000+11:002007-03-14T21:54:19.673+11:00

haemapoeticsA day of counting blessings – I have my health, a puppy and husband who love me, a significant pay rise, the sunshine and a beautiful apartment.Coffee is percolating its way into my bloodstream while the moogie is playing the best kind of music there is: moody, intricately syncopated piano that slips between the ribs like a serrated knife. I’m back in the office after a day and a half

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-8578030778146078262007-03-08T19:51:00.000+11:002007-03-08T19:16:48.903+11:00

playawayI wrote this a day in advance! I’m going to have my hands full with champagne, chocolates, pork pies, Guinness, cake baking, wine and acrylic paint (TA bought me a new canvas to play with)…oh, and presents too.I’ve compiled a birthday-themed playlist to play on random that reflects my mixed feelings: 30 songs for 30 years.1. Oedipus, Regina Spektor (a song about claiming inheritance. Oh

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-85068214683147830872007-03-07T21:11:00.000+11:002007-03-07T21:16:27.056+11:00

the pupster’s predilection for puddlesFor many weeks the pupster would not – there’s no way to put this delicately – “go” when he was on a walk. We became resigned to the fact that he’d never twig that outside was a good venue for piddle and poo. TA even thought it was a good thing.Then, out of the blue, one day he surprised us by widdling while walking – right on the South Bank steps, outside

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-85253947857290142772007-03-07T02:01:00.000+11:002007-03-07T04:22:17.412+11:00

head caseOh how I’ve tried to avoid writing about this, but really it’s still bugging me.I like the writer; seriously, I’m a huge fan of her mouthy, opinionated, educated, literate posts. I really admire her take-no-hostages approach to adoption, her sanity, erudition, ballsyness. But that makes this evidence of her fallibility worse, a greater betrayal and also makes me worry that I’ve laughed

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-16146441337748004172007-03-06T01:07:00.000+11:002007-03-06T01:09:40.187+11:00

a dolt?I think, by any measure, 30 should mean a certain degree of maturity. I’ve got three days to achieve it and so far the signs aren’t great. As time goes by I get more resentful of the responsibilities and constraints of age rather than less. The sun is shining in a clear blue sky and I should be outside skipping through meadows instead of staring at a screen, avoiding my timesheet and the

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-36099362099472412032007-03-01T23:39:00.000+11:002007-03-02T03:51:23.385+11:00

home, sweet spinachK, a friend I made in Greece (why do all my friends have the same initial?), is off to Namibia for four months to help with Operation Raleigh activities. After all, if it’s good enough for Angelina and Brad it’s good enough for lesser mortals. I went round to K’s house for dinner the other night to wish her luck and say bon voyage.K’s boyfriend has recently bought a flat in

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-55743576351828236522007-02-28T00:22:00.000+11:002007-02-28T00:27:49.711+11:00

the line of beautyAs a young woman I really didn’t understand classical sculpture – what’s with the obsession with male beauty, I thought to myself. Yes, yes – muscles, form etc, but, really, let’s be honest here…women’s bodies – lush curves and delicate frames – are so much more, well, aesthetic.It’s not that I didn’t like the male of the species, I did, I just didn’t think their physiques were

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-14009640437753412282007-02-27T00:54:00.000+11:002007-02-27T00:55:12.454+11:00

back to blackI’ve started judging my weekends by the number of buses I catch. By any measure, this weekend – with two social engagements – was going to be a bit more energetic than our usual routine, but I hadn’t quite prepared myself for just how frenetic it turned out to be.Saturday, I woke up with a big attack of the bleaks: an overwhelming, leaden inertia. TA knows better than to try to pull

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-41031498946087477342007-02-24T02:58:00.000+11:002007-02-24T03:14:24.711+11:00

a rose by any other nameAfter a two-hour bus journey, I reach Tropea. I speak no Greek, only graduated a month ago, have spent a weekend on a course learning how to “teach” and am here to start teaching English. I am shepherded into the classroom by an old lady dressed head to toe in black, the grandmother of the school owner. I’m standing in front of my first ever class of students – I have no

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-13131803891876071832007-02-22T01:04:00.000+11:002007-02-22T01:06:21.340+11:00

holidayWe walked, we gambolled, we breathed deeply of fresh sea air, we completed a jigsaw (a picture of pupsters, would you believe), went to a car boot sale and sampled the delights of country pubs. We ate good home cooking and drank fine French wines. We read the newspapers, sipped coffee and enjoyed long breakfasts. We read good books and enjoyed aperitifs. We got caught in the tide and had

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-29307980851961663432007-02-21T00:10:00.001+11:002007-02-21T00:10:53.190+11:00

expensive tastesWe knew Skye would cost us dear, the purchase price was just the beginning, but there are also many unexpected expenses associated with the pupster. For example, I had bargained for the cost of a collar and lead, but didn’t realise he would also “need” a fur-trimmed coat (think Biggles), a harness and a special Italian “Jet Set” carry bag. I knew we’d need to feed him (obviously)

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-18640441340209430922007-02-09T03:59:00.001+11:002007-02-09T03:59:58.917+11:00

diet of wormsImagine the scene — I am just tucking in to my treasured bowl of gorgeous, steaming porridge (I call it a Nova Scotia breakfast – Scots oats and maple syrup*), the only thing that persuades me it is worth getting out of bed and braving the sub-zero day, when TA asks me to inspect the newspaper. Not a newspaper he is reading, by the way, the newspaper on which Skye has just proudly

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-53300540801766737932007-02-08T00:31:00.000+11:002007-02-08T00:32:47.281+11:00

tearing off tights with my teethLast night I had insomnia. My mind was freewheeling down country lanes of thought to an internal soundtrack of Faithless and generic country noises (Essential Sounds of Ambridge CD BBC Audio Collection – yes, it really exists). I was trying to think happy, de-stressing thoughts to decompress and relax after an intensely long and stressful urban worker day, but

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-71314482774226862852007-02-06T21:59:00.000+11:002007-02-06T22:00:36.635+11:00

bloody rootsJ, TA’s sister, came over for roast chicken last night and ended up in a bone-picking session with TA. Families, eh? Motives, patterns, events, emotions, “facts”, unintended consequences – it’s a boiling cauldron of spicy gumbo even in the most straight-forward, “normal” families – and who has one of those? Throw in religion, sibling rivalry, financial struggle, business failure,

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-27976570294780978712007-02-05T22:02:00.000+11:002007-02-05T22:03:32.958+11:00

performance anxietyI’ve been thinking about this and I think I can honestly say that helping my detail-obsessive, immaculate, gay (sort of manager) co-worker to decorate his new apartment is the most nerve-wracking thing I’ve ever done in the name of friendship. And I don’t say this lightly, for want of other things I’ve done in the name of friendship with gay men that might have led to paranoia,

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-58820688370854835712007-02-02T23:08:00.000+11:002007-02-02T23:10:32.921+11:00

quarter crossThe sun is in the sky for longer, the days are noticeably longer and today is Imbolc: traditionally a celebration featuring candles and badgers. It’s not supposed to be about Bill Murray, although perhaps it is about learning from our mistakes and the erosion of sour worldliness.Despite my best efforts, I’ve still got paint under my nails and probably in my hair. I’m wearing a red

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-84675722889545645082007-02-01T01:17:00.000+11:002007-02-01T01:18:25.989+11:00

(Two posts today: scroll down for pupster pics)puncture woundI’m not a big jewellery wearer. I had my ears pierced like all the other girls at school, but only occasionally – then or now – can I be bothered to wear earrings. Necklaces, rings, bracelets – not really my thing; I rarely wear my engagement ring and even my wedding ring sometimes annoys me by feeling heavy or odd.I remember as a

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-90694342541360633862007-01-31T23:28:00.000+11:002007-01-31T23:37:11.930+11:00

picture post

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-64370771249581782542007-01-31T00:45:00.000+11:002007-01-31T00:55:45.968+11:00

training day“Heel” is the command of the day. “Heel, Skye. Well done,” says TA and hands him a rice cake crumb as we walk past Guy’s Hospital. I’m holding the lead firmly, using it to ensure that the pupster doesn’t stray in front of traffic or under the feet of passing pedestrians. “Heel…good boy!” [rice cake] as we approach Borough Market. “Heel…good boy!” [rice cake] as we walk through Borough

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-25192272872004611292007-01-30T00:52:00.000+11:002007-01-30T01:03:43.149+11:00

we are familyWe walk hand in hand with four paws trotting at our ankles; the pupster wakes us up wagging his tail and licking our faces. He’s not a child, of course, but he almost may as well be. The dynamic between us has changed: we are three now. I love it, although having a furry morning bedfellow has its downsides – I heard TA say to Skye yesterday, “where are you going? Don’t eat that! It’s

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-66917280327327047352007-01-27T04:35:00.001+11:002007-01-27T04:41:06.995+11:00

something for the weekendHere’s my plan of attack. Tonight I’m going to rub down the woodwork, pull up the hall carpet and put the first coat of gloss on the all the woodwork (hall and kitchen). On Saturday – first thing, while TA and the pupster are enjoying a leisurely coffee in Covent Garden – I will wash the kitchen walls, rub down the woodwork and put on a second coat of gloss. By the time

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-12856462761074720632007-01-27T04:35:00.000+11:002007-01-27T04:41:06.213+11:00

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713056.post-80527346115569781752007-01-26T01:27:00.000+11:002007-01-26T01:29:44.366+11:00

love isI call TA every lunch time, just to check in, blow a kiss to the pupster and hear how TA’s day is going. Today he sounded extra happy.TA: How much do you love me?Me: A really big amount. Why?TA: I bought you some Jerusalem artichokes! I found them in the evil empire on special.Me: How much do you love me?TA: A lot. Why?Me: You must do to buy me a vegetable that I love but that is famed for

Lisa Wnoreply@blogger.com0