We're off to a theme park tomorrow! I'm so excited because we're taking my lil' brother in laws who have NEVER been to a theme park or a fair before...EVER. So we're keeping it as a big surprise and can't wait to see their faces when they see this whole park full of stuff where they get to go on everything.
I'm slightly worried since they've never been on any rides they'll be lightweights but there are plenty of shows which we can see too.
We've specially picked a kids/family park so we should be able to go on almost everything either together or the boys themselves. -chickens or not-
The only problem is that I'm going to have to be the brave one now who holds hands and has courage....when I'm usually the one screaming my head off on a pirate ship....
You may be thinking ... "Holly it's a kid's park there is nothing scary."
Well let me take you back to Disneyland 2003.
*tinkly flash-back music*
We'd gone to Disneyland for a course I was doing at college where we spend mornings and evenings learning how Disneyland works as a "for profit" organization and then the day time playing in the park - BEST. CLASS. EVER.
My friend Bee and I had free rein so we'd decided to hit the "fairytale" park area. We got on the Snow White ride (and were the only people who did) crammed ourselves into the kiddie seating and set off. We began making fun of the ride and pretending to be scared letting out little shrieks at the evil queen etc. Then the ride picked up speed and we began to scream....interjected with laughter while clinging to each other....and after a short while screaming wasn't a "game" any more, we were genuinely being spooked. When we exited the ride, there were twelve park staff stood waiting for us.
I don't know what they thought had happened......so we went on the ride again to avoid the looks of "what the HELL is wrong with you" and of course....screamed even louder this time.
Not to mention when Pluto ACCOSTED me and wouldn't let me go until I kissed him (and all I could think was ewwwwwwww kid germs on his face) and don't forget that Mickey Mouse tried to RUN ME OVER in his little car.
Yeah....I'm sure there is nothing to worry about since I got that "Disney Characters Restraining Order" which kinda keeps me out of Disneyland.
Friday, 29 July 2011
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Theory Test Time
I vanished for the last 24 hours because I'd suddenly realised that I had my driving theory booked for TODAY and I hadn't revised at.all.
In the last 24 hours I have read 946 pages of the theory test book - joy - practised my hazard perceptions test.......and then panicked because it turns out I'm not very perceptive of hazards. But all in all.....
WOOHOOO! I got 50/50 on my theory (hehe) and then mainly 5 and 4 points per hazard (5 is max) but i did mess up and score 2x 3points and 1x 2points so I really am pretty weak on them.
The stupid thing is that some hazards were ridiculous. People were literally throwing themselves into on-coming traffic and giant lorries were trying to u-turn in front of me when I was on a dual carriageway etc. It was all slightly farcical. I also found I was leaning back in my chair trying to not get hit by the stupid people. But now I am ONE STEP CLOSER to completing my dream of passing my driving test. My lessons start in a week and are of the intensive kind, so I can be taking my test before mid-September!!
Finally I'd like to thank all the "actors" who threw themselves in front of on-coming traffic just so I could take and pass my test.
And if anyone else in the UK is taking theirs soon the 'Driving Test Success' CD ROM set was a GODSEND!
In the last 24 hours I have read 946 pages of the theory test book - joy - practised my hazard perceptions test.......and then panicked because it turns out I'm not very perceptive of hazards. But all in all.....
WOOHOOO! I got 50/50 on my theory (hehe) and then mainly 5 and 4 points per hazard (5 is max) but i did mess up and score 2x 3points and 1x 2points so I really am pretty weak on them.
The stupid thing is that some hazards were ridiculous. People were literally throwing themselves into on-coming traffic and giant lorries were trying to u-turn in front of me when I was on a dual carriageway etc. It was all slightly farcical. I also found I was leaning back in my chair trying to not get hit by the stupid people. But now I am ONE STEP CLOSER to completing my dream of passing my driving test. My lessons start in a week and are of the intensive kind, so I can be taking my test before mid-September!!
Finally I'd like to thank all the "actors" who threw themselves in front of on-coming traffic just so I could take and pass my test.
And if anyone else in the UK is taking theirs soon the 'Driving Test Success' CD ROM set was a GODSEND!
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Introducing my Arch Nemesis
A few weeks ago I launched an application to become my Arch Nemesis. If you didn't get change to read that post you can do so here. There was one applicant that was too brilliantly planned out not to accept.
Now I can nowproudly, horrifyingly, angrily, evilly present my Arch Nemesis.
Now I can now
Who I imagine looks a little something like Captain Black from from Captain Scarlet and the Mysterones
Captain Black is also potentially half Zombie - given the photographic evidence......oh yes....and possibly also a puppet.
He/She also has "qualifications in Fencing and Martial Arts so I am apt in combat. I am also English so I have the accent to go with the "Evil Arch Nemesis" role."
And is, of course, totally evil.
Apparently he/she also holds the ability to alter my font mid-blog so my posts look bizarre. (and I have no idea how to fix it)
Captain Black's location (other than England) is unknown, please note the image above is a photograph of A Captain Black but possibly not THE Captain Black and may or may not represent Captain Black's true likeness.
Tune in again, SAME time, SAME blog, NEXT WEEK for any updates on Captain Black's evil doings.
Because you know he/she is out there......being evil.
Saturday, 23 July 2011
Fitting Room Madness
Yesterday I'd headed out of town to run some errands and decided to pop into a cheap-ish clothes store to try find some green cloth trousers to lounge around in. I picked up my size in trousers (12 in this country) and toddled off to the fitting room. When I got there (dragging my big noisy trolley) there was no attendant stood waiting, but one of the cubicles had the door shut...
Person in Cubicle, possibly attendant: HELLO?
Me : Hello
PINPA: HELLO?
ME: HELLO?
PINPA: Can you hear me?
ME: YES
PINPA ...... continues talking loudly.........on her mobile....
In which I realise I'm an idiot and get all embarrassed.
But our shouted conversation at least gets the attention of an ACTUAL attendant who grants me access to the magical shape-altering changing room.
I tried on the size 12 and it was like a pregnancy pant. I could fit both my hands in and pull it a good way away from my tummy. Then when I went to put MY jeans back on - they also wouldn't fit and kept slipping off.....which is odd as they fit just fine before the magical changing room. In the end I had to buy a size lower and probably could have gone down another size, but since I want them for lounging (lounging also involves eating junk food while sprawled like afat pig Greek goddess) I figured the extra bit of give couldn't hurt.
My conclusion: just walking into the magical cubicle lost me 1/2 a stone. I'm SO going back next week :P
Person in Cubicle, possibly attendant: HELLO?
Me : Hello
PINPA: HELLO?
ME: HELLO?
PINPA: Can you hear me?
ME: YES
PINPA ...... continues talking loudly.........on her mobile....
In which I realise I'm an idiot and get all embarrassed.
But our shouted conversation at least gets the attention of an ACTUAL attendant who grants me access to the magical shape-altering changing room.
I tried on the size 12 and it was like a pregnancy pant. I could fit both my hands in and pull it a good way away from my tummy. Then when I went to put MY jeans back on - they also wouldn't fit and kept slipping off.....which is odd as they fit just fine before the magical changing room. In the end I had to buy a size lower and probably could have gone down another size, but since I want them for lounging (lounging also involves eating junk food while sprawled like a
My conclusion: just walking into the magical cubicle lost me 1/2 a stone. I'm SO going back next week :P
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Cookie Recipe or 'baking this makes so-so biscuits'
Today's blog is short and effortless (because I'm feeling lazy and I need to be out all day) I promise it will be long and better tomorrow (but I'm lying because I'm lazy and out of town tomorrow too) unless something awesome happens when I'm out today.
I was asked for the recipe for the cookies so here it is.
Maybe someone else want's to try it and spare my feelings and tell me it's terrible!
I found it by googling "easy cookie recipe."
And last night while I was in bed I considered that perhaps that was the problem.....so I got up today and first thing I did was to Google "hardest cookie recipe."
If I'm gonna suck at something let's suck at a 'mans game.'
Hazzah, sugar cookie failure here I come!!!
(or at least in a bit when I'm not solazy I mean.....busy...yeah...busy)
I was asked for the recipe for the cookies so here it is.
Maybe someone else want's to try it and spare my feelings and tell me it's terrible!
I found it by googling "easy cookie recipe."
And last night while I was in bed I considered that perhaps that was the problem.....so I got up today and first thing I did was to Google "hardest cookie recipe."
If I'm gonna suck at something let's suck at a 'mans game.'
Hazzah, sugar cookie failure here I come!!!
(or at least in a bit when I'm not so
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Need a chef, or at least a half decent kitchen assistant
Today I suddenly decided, mid accounting and mid listings that I really fancied some cookies. But we don't have any in. So in an attempt to kill two birds with one stone (get cookies and clean kitchen) I decided to start baking.
Now I'm sure you all recall my secret cookie war. For some unknown reason I can make roast joints, bake cakes, serve rare delicacies and they are scrumptious, but try my hand at cookies, biscuits and brownies and it's a TOTAL fail.
Today I was SO hopeful.
The recipe was so basic that a child could do it, supposedly.
And I was comforted by other people's comments like;
"Hi Rachel,
thank you so much for the recipe. i always thought cookie baking was the most complicated thing in the whole world. you made it soo easy, no baking powder and no eggs is the kind of cooking that we dig and now possible all because of you."
So I was pretty certain I couldn't mess up.
I was wrong.
I tell you now I FOLLOWED the RECIPE. I did honestly I did, it was so basic not even I could screw it up. But when I reached my 13-15 minutes cooking time.....they still weren't done. In fact a whole 45 minutes later they still weren't looking done either, they were squidgy still, so not being a quitter I flipped them over like pancakes and put them back in.
It's been an hour and they still don't look too great. I haven't tried one yet, and D's not around as a test subject so I keep poking them on the cooling rack and giving them dubious looks.
If anyone has a fool-proof (and trust me it needs to be fool-proof) recipe I can try leave it below. I'll try out every recipe I get and post all the results and who-ever can finally get me making a successful batch gets......um.....I don't know what, a trophy or something.
Help.
Now I'm sure you all recall my secret cookie war. For some unknown reason I can make roast joints, bake cakes, serve rare delicacies and they are scrumptious, but try my hand at cookies, biscuits and brownies and it's a TOTAL fail.
Today I was SO hopeful.
The recipe was so basic that a child could do it, supposedly.
And I was comforted by other people's comments like;
"Hi Rachel,
thank you so much for the recipe. i always thought cookie baking was the most complicated thing in the whole world. you made it soo easy, no baking powder and no eggs is the kind of cooking that we dig and now possible all because of you."
So I was pretty certain I couldn't mess up.
I was wrong.
I tell you now I FOLLOWED the RECIPE. I did honestly I did, it was so basic not even I could screw it up. But when I reached my 13-15 minutes cooking time.....they still weren't done. In fact a whole 45 minutes later they still weren't looking done either, they were squidgy still, so not being a quitter I flipped them over like pancakes and put them back in.
It's been an hour and they still don't look too great. I haven't tried one yet, and D's not around as a test subject so I keep poking them on the cooling rack and giving them dubious looks.
If anyone has a fool-proof (and trust me it needs to be fool-proof) recipe I can try leave it below. I'll try out every recipe I get and post all the results and who-ever can finally get me making a successful batch gets......um.....I don't know what, a trophy or something.
Help.
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Hell YEAH!
Wowza! I found this while strolling across the interweb!
Elephant Mahout Training
Four Seasons Tented Camp, Northern Thailand
You can do anything from half a day to three days depending just how much of an elephant fan you are, working side-by-side with local mahouts - expert trainers in the 2,000-year-old Thai tradition of elephant care. Guests interact directly with the rescued elephants, learning about the animals and their well-being from the mahouts, who also demonstrate the fundamentals of elephant driving. Which brings us to the best bit. Pachyderm trekking through the jungle. The camp also includes bathing and feeding the elephants and collecting them from their night-time feeding grounds.
OMG SIgn me up, and show me how! This would completely tick off the FIRST item on my 100 by 100 list, methinks it's time to beat D into submission, or just plain ol' take my girlfriends and go, after all it's only three days so we could fly out, do it, and then fly home. Hell yeah, MINIBREAK, whose with me!
Elephant Mahout Training
Four Seasons Tented Camp, Northern Thailand
You can do anything from half a day to three days depending just how much of an elephant fan you are, working side-by-side with local mahouts - expert trainers in the 2,000-year-old Thai tradition of elephant care. Guests interact directly with the rescued elephants, learning about the animals and their well-being from the mahouts, who also demonstrate the fundamentals of elephant driving. Which brings us to the best bit. Pachyderm trekking through the jungle. The camp also includes bathing and feeding the elephants and collecting them from their night-time feeding grounds.
OMG SIgn me up, and show me how! This would completely tick off the FIRST item on my 100 by 100 list, methinks it's time to beat D into submission, or just plain ol' take my girlfriends and go, after all it's only three days so we could fly out, do it, and then fly home. Hell yeah, MINIBREAK, whose with me!
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