Lost ring

I can't believe it's been over a year since I lost my wedding ring. Yes, those of you who did not read about the saga here is a refresher....

Sat 7th July 2007, took off ring to make dinner. Put it on top of fridge. Two hours later it is gone. Whole flat searched by me, Alex, family. Everything pulled out, lifted, opened, poked...no ring. We did not leave the flat so it cannot physically have gone. Yet despite a thorough search it never materialised. (yes we did check in the fridge, the lining of the fridge, the mechanics of the fridge and in the rubbish bin!)

So I got a new - very different -ring made which I love. In many ways it was more special as I got it made from my engagement ring, using the gold and diamond from that.

But it's still not the same as having the original and equally beautiful and diamondelicious ring.

Makes me sad :-(

This and That

Feeling rather odd at the moment - oddly excited!

Coming nearer to the end of the PhD (still LOADS to do though). Going to start a new job on Sept 1st and moving to Kent. I am really, really starting to get excited about things
BUT
I need to focus on my work and make sure I finish it! It's very difficult to maintain a good work pattern when I want to move on to the next stage.

Rosie the hamster, is doing really well! She won't survive wet tail but is still going strong, 1 week later and although she is hobbling round in a hunched way and making strange noises she is still very perky and has regained her apetite. I love her determination - if only I was like that.

On an unrelated note, I have been following "Baldy's Blog" - I mentioned it ages ago, a young guy who is dying from leukaemia. He now only has weeks to live and I would urge you to read his blog - of course it is a sad read but also oddly uplifting too. He just went on "desert island discs" on BBC Sheffield and it got me thinking about what songs I would choose. You can only have 6.....

1) Beatles - In my life

2) The White Stripes - Seven nation army

3) Etta James - At Last

4) Billy Joel - Honesty

5) John Mayer - Waiting for the World to Change

6) Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come

Thought for the day

Max Mosley is Chairman of the FIA - governing body of Formula 1.

In March the News of the World reports that he has been involved with a sex scandal. He had engaged in "Sado-masochistic" acts with 5 prostitutes, allegedly with some Nazi role playing.

He was outraged - how dare they suggest that there had been a Nazi element to his actions! He sued the NOTW and another paper in France.

Yesterday the Judge awarded him £60,000 damages for breach of privacy. Mosley was delighted because the "Nazi lie was completely invented". The Judge ruled that if there had been a Nazi theme, then it WOULD be in the public interest. But engaging in sex acts with 5 prostitutes is not.

Now whether or not you agree with the public's right to know is one thing. But what I find so curious is that we now appear to live in a country where being perceived to be a Nazi is less socially acceptable than cheating on your wife (and 2 sons) with FIVE prostitutes! He seemed only concerned that the public would view him as a fascist. Nice guy

A Brief Hiatus

Ooh I haven't blogged for a while. But like Veggie Carrie, it's because my daily life is spent typing lots of words on a computer - so writing a blog is the last thing on my mind. I have also been totally consumed by my PhD which is slowly stumbling towards its conclusion. So what's new with me?

-My hamster Rosie is very ill. Lots of people take the piss because she is "only" a hamster, as if her size or short life span means I shouldn't give a damn about her. That really irritates me. She is no less important than if I had a cat or other animal. Working at home a lot means I go a bit crazy and its nice to see the hamsters when they are awake. They give me comfort! Rosie is over 2 years old and went to the vets last week to have her teeth trimmed. Since then she has really gone down hill and can't seem to eat anything, she is just hobbling round her cage. So I am spoon feeding her soft things and cat food. Yes hamsters can have cat food, it really helps when they are ill. But for Rosie it might be too late.

-We are looking around for places to rent when we move to Kent in September. We thought about buying but with the market as it is right now, the property would definitely go down in value. We also aren't sure if we will like it there, so renting is less of a risk. I just can't wait - although can't do anything about it until I finish the PhD.

-I have gone a little mad with the pressure of finishing a PhD in time to start my exciting new job which begins in September. It's very daunting and means we won't have a holiday until December or January. But it's great for me to have got a job - a good one - so easily when many of my colleagues spend months or years looking for academic work.

-Talking of going mad, after having food poisoning I was struck down by terrible headache caused by my own stupidity. I got dehydrated which bought on a migraine and I took painkillers which made me sick. I do feel constantly tired, which is probably a symptom of the things I'm dealing with right now. I hope to have found some "serenity" by the end of the year.

-Alex, as always is completely mad but totally amazing. Thank God for him!

Scores on the Doors

There is a way that you can check the health and safety standards of restaurants and cafes. Your local council will do a random check and award a number of stars for hygiene standards. 3 stars and above is good - below is dodgy. I just discovered that my local eaterie where my food poisoning emerged got 1 star.

So look up your local favourite restaurant and be shocked....

http://www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk/index.php

Going veggie

going veggie seems like a great idea right now after I had food poisoning on Sunday night. Violent sickness, a trip to the hospital, a drip and now I just feel crap. All because of some beef.

Yes, it's definitely time to ditch meat