Gordon's 40th and Drinking with Austrians - 27th June

On Friday was Gordon's 40th birthday bash and an opportunity for everyone to meet up with the Austrians in town.

Gordon, Lisa, Caroline, Adam, Lucy, Ali, me and Tim started the evening at La Porchetta, for pizza and beer. After Calzones, Florentinas, and a few weissbiers are quaffed we then headed up to Steeles to meet up everyone else for more drinking.

It was good to see all the old gang, Mark, Katharina, Jerry, Jamie, Sarah and more all at Steeles.

As kicking out time comes round at Steeles, we decide we can make it to the Mixer for one drink before it too calls time. And we entered just as the first bell rang, and quickly ordered. Yay!

During the evening I was told about Beedogs.com. A website which proclaims to be the premier online repository for pictures of dogs in bee costumes.

You may say the only repository from dogs in bee costumes....

A quick internet search and we find you can dress them as more than just bees.

Darth vader

School Fête - 13th June 2009

My mum came down for the weekend, to coincide with Tim's School Fête. We had a fairly lazy weekend, watching the one time Mighty Boosh Producer Danny Wallace's "Yes Man." I say Danny's, it's obviously had the Hollywood treatment, with Jim Carey in the starring role,but it was alright.

On Saturday we went to the Fête. We bought flower plants, raffle tickets and put money on where a cork would land after it had been opened with a sabre, sabrage. Then after a pit stop at home for a cool pear cider and homemade pizza, we headed back for the main event.

A highlight for the school kids, the watery stocks for the teachers and staff; with one particular "highlight" for me.

Someone enjoying themselves a little too much, as Tim is put in the stocks.

Well I couldn't pass up the opportunity. It was all for charity afterall. So I paid £1 for 3 sponges.
Whilst I missed on the first throw, I got a perfect hit on the 2nd and 3rd.

Me in action.

Then just to round off the day, we were drawn out 4th in the raffle, just missing out on the money, we instead one a Harrods Luxury Hampers worth £90, with a nice seagrass basket.

We are ok to launch

With Springwatch showing on telly this week, I had my own little bit of wildlife action in the back of our garden today.

I'd been outside watering the chilli plants and had gone back in the house, leaving the patio door open for some fresh evening air, but there were 100's midges were circling under the trees, I was worried they'd come in the house. So I went to shut the patio door. Just as I did so, out of nowhere, in a panic of feathers and squeaking, 8 little blue tits came crashing into the patio window right in front of me. Several plopping to the floor, the rest flapping landed on near by plant pots and chairs.

They spent the next few minutes getting used to their wings and on-board, built-in navigation systems, before making back over the fence and out of our garden.