Su's watching "Mad Men" ...

...and feeling tired, so I'm doing a sneaky blog post while she's not looking.

Tonight we went for a curry down the road at out local pub and talked about next Summer's extended trip, so today we're toying with the idea of living on a Greek island for a month.  We also talked abut the possibility of my taking voluntary severance from UWE and drawing my occupational pension (while it still exists under this Government, after today's news of Lord Hutton's forthcoming report..), applying for other jobs in the UK for a year or two, and then thinking what to do after that.  So many possibilities!

We went to see the disappointing film "Made in Dagenham" last night,  which attempted to be feel-good about the dispute at Fords. On the way out back to the car, we saw these roadworks (at night!).  Note the gaggle of men standing around.

Su's now cycling around Africa...

... at least in her bedtime reading!  She has finished and passed on for my bedtime reading "It's All Greek to Me", about someone going to live in Greece.

This afternoon I've been a bit less adventurous and had the joy of driving to Melksham (where Dyson vacuum cleaners used to be assembled before that was moved to Malaysia)  to visit a Knowledge Transfer Associate working there.  Actually, every time I drive to Melksham it is really nice weather - and today was no exception, having started off like this in Bath's Victoria Park

Another good thing about driving is that I get a chance to catch up on my iPod listening backlog.  I always have a queue of programmes I have recorded from the BBC to listen to - I am currently nearing the end of a 2+ years' catch up on Radio 4's "The Film Programme".  Seeing as I teach a module called Moving Image Technology, this is quite a good way of taking in loads of really relevant stuff (and really interesting, as well!).


 Su has also got "Driving in Europe" and "Rail Travel in Europe" (or similar titles) from the library, as part of our preparation for next Summer's extended trip.  Long before then, we'll soon be off to Lisbon for a short trip, so may decide that is where we want to live!  


Still no clarity about what Su &/or I might actually do.  I think that whatever it is must be location- independent, and Internet-able.  I am toying with consultancy services online, using email, websites and Skype.  Or maybe I should set up a business showing people how to do it!  All bright ideas gratefully received :-)!!

Itchy feet cont'd..........

The Bath Little Theatre has what they delicately call "Silver Screen" twice a week for the over 55's. It's only £3.75 including coffee or tea and a biscuit. I always feel a bit guilty going to these showings as I feel I ought to be doing something more productive in daylight hours. Anyway, today I succumbed and sat in the front seat with my earl grey and a custard cream to watch Eat, Pray, Love starring Julia Roberts who plays part of middle-class, 30-something New Yorker doing some navel-gazing in Rome, "India" and Bali. She spent most of the film crying and hugging people but I couldn't feel the remotest bit of sympathy as she obviously has loads of dosh to be able to take a year out and stay in such fantastic places! Envious? Just a bit - the travelling that is, not just the gorgeous Spanish bloke she lands up with!

But it's pretty fantastic here too this afternoon as the cloud has cleared, the sun is out and everything I can see through my window is golden and deep, deep green.

(Not the above pic - just thought you'd like to see it)

"I See You Haven't Done The Blog Yet..."

.. said Su as she poked her head round the door of my office/spare room just now.  And I thought she was coming in to say she hadn't heard "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun" in a long while!


Well, since last I wrote we have entertained the thought of selling everything an buying a camper van,  living in Uruguay, spending winter months in Goa and a few other things I am sure I have forgotten....  This afternoon, after a lovely walk on an idyllic afternoon at Westonbirt, we decided that we will chuck the tent in the car and go and investigate Western France and Northern Spain this Summer for 4 weeks.


The day started off really misty, as this morning picture shows. 

I spent the morning in the garage getting my car serviced (and ran my laptop down to 1% charge in the process).  I had noticed the day getting better and better, so thought that walking in the afternoon and walking in the evening was a good idea.  Hers's just one tree in its glory from today:-

And now I'm writing a lecture about ringtones (in which I will tell students to switch on their mobiles and to play their ringtones!).  I get paid for this, so I "I can't complain but sometimes I still do" (in the words of Joe Walsh's "Life's Been Good To Me)

CATS!

Sorry to harp on about pets but not only am I being stalked by Randall - see pic of him keeping an eye on me while I'm reading - but we are also surrounded by other people's moggies. On our terrace (19 houses) there are at least 20 of them - 5 of them (see above) just in one house! (the three pictured above + two others probably pooing in my flower beds). This feline frenzy is a constant source of irritation and conversation. Not a day goes by when I'm doorstepped by someone complaining or cooing about one or more of the little darlings. We only planned to have one cat as a sort of replacement for our beloved collie (Tempo) who died suddenly....but our cat would only move in if it could bring it's sister and then we decided to get another dog anyway - tra, la! So back to my being stalked. For the last few days Randall has been following me around everywhere, meowing and mewling like one demented. Every time I move he moves. I sit, he sits......on me! M thinks it might be something to do with the rain!!!!!

It's the Weekend!

I promise not to moan about work today (apart from replying to Greg's comment of two days ago, when he asked."Sounds grim. But do you really want to be paid enough to go away quite yet?" I am not ready to leave yet, unless they offer me far more than they will!)

Today has been really relaxing - Su went off to have lunch with her sister while I stayed in bed and read the paper all morning, not getting downstairs until 1.30! Some of the time upstairs, I was following up some links that Su sent me about people spending a year in a camper van driving around Europe, with details of how they funded it, while I reciprocated with links about de-cluttering life.

I watched a bit of "Never Say Never Again" on the TV, before taking Bella out for a walk at one of my favourite places near Bath - up on Lansdown, past the racecourse and golf course, looking over towards Keynsham (K-E-Y-N-S-H-A-M for all you former Radio Luxembourg listeners!).  Up there you can see over to the Bristol Channel and to Wales, and see the foul weather coming at you from miles away!  Today I saw the old Severn bridge, but the new one wasn't visible.

Autumn is on its way, even though dandelions are still flowering up there.  I found this mushroom, and wondered does anyone know what it is?:-)

Belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Patsi, my friend the dancer!

This is Marcus reading outside hotel room in Mathes nr. Rethymnon in Crete. The room itself was a bit seedy but outside was heaven with wonderful views of the sea on one side and mountains on the other! I really must try and "live in the now" but it's raining today and I always cheer myself up on days like this by digging through travel pics.....

Not very exciting day ahead - food shopping and finishing an indoor carpentry project (yes it's me, Su, speaking for those readers who for some misguided reason think it's a "man" job). We decided about 6 months ago to utilise the tallest space under the stairs as a "cloakroom" rather than a cupboard where things get chucked and forgotten - we've already got one of those. I've now filled all the holes in the walls, sanded down the wood panelling and put thin coat of emulsion on to give me some idea what it will look like. Today I'm putting in skirting boards and gap filling, followed by fixing wooden boards on walls for coat hooks to be attached to. Finally - paint all surfaces. Finally, finally - screw on hooks. Leave to admire (and dry) before loading up with coats, hats, dog leads, bags, boots etc. etc.....

In case you think I've forgotten that I'm supposed to be planning our escape, am currently reading "It's All Greek to Me!" by John Mole - an hilarious tale of one man and his family deciding to renovate a house on a Greek island. Also reading "Best Women's Travel Tales" and "The Ukimwi Road" by Dervla Murphy who at the age of 60 cycled on her own from Kenya to Zimbabwe just for the crack!! Now that's what I call escaping......