Wow....

The tme has finally arrived.

Final packing in progress - taking Number One Son to Uni in the morning, starting at 5am.

Catching the moment

A couple of weeks ago, one of my readers hinted that I was spending time taking photos of sunsets when I could be doing something else more interesting.

 

 

Now I must admit that I love taking photos like the one above, but not to the extent that I make special time for it - I take them while walking the dogs - my camera hangs around my neck and if I see something, CLICK, I get a pic of it.

 

The following DOES NOT HAPPEN in the RC house:

 

"Sorry lads, can't hang out with you tonight - I am taking photos of sunsets."

 

"Sorry kids, dinner will be late today - there is a great sunset out there!"

 

"Not tonight, Mrs RC...."

 

 

Autumn

You can tell it is Autumn...

Younger son is back at school with all the usual fun and games...

Daughter is a college and loving it.  Last week the class started building an enclosure for some goats.  Why wasn't college that much fun when I went?  Guess I chose the wrong subjects?

Number One Son is off to Uni on Sunday.  My brother is driving us up there so we can see him safely installed in his accommodation and make sure everything is good.  Mrs RC is trying not to panic too much...

I have started wearing gloves when cycling...

Apart from a gap which amazingly coinsided with my ride to work, it has rained continuously for the last day and a half...

Frou Frou has realised that the weather has changed and is far less enthusiastic about patrolling the garden - she gets to the step, looks out and returns to the fluffy cover on the sofa...

The birds are clearing the food from the bird table 2-3 times each day. My sack of seed is depleting rapidly, must get some more...

I am hungry all the time - I think my body wants to store up some fat so I can hybernate, which is really appealing right now.  I am sleeping well, but I have had a sort of deep-seated tiredness for the last few weeks.  I guess we have just been really busy - once Number One Son is settled and the new term at work is properly underway I think I will feel better...

It is still raining...

Waking up in the morning

A couple of colleagues and I have come up with an amazing invention that is guaranteed to get you out of bed in the morning.

The conversation went something like this.


I really struggled to get up today.  I struggle to get up MOST days...

You need a good alarm clock.

I've got one but I keep hitting snooze...

How about one of those clocks with big brass bells on top?

Those just make me angry.  I need something that sort of grabs me and shakes me.

A bed that vibrates?

NAH!

How about something that releases a smell?


It went from there.  Who has not leaped out of bed at the smell of a dog messing in the hall, or a child vomiting from the top bunk?

The SMELLARM.

It is an alarm clock with a fan attached.  At night you insert a capsule of your chosen smell, selected from a wide range.  At the set time the fan spins, breaks the capsule and blows the smell around the room.

Sample smells:

• Vomit
• Dog Poop
• Beery Burps
• The City Trash Heap
• Limited, special edition Gorilla Cage smell (yes, one of us is studying Gorillas...)

How could you stay in bed with one of these wafting around the bedroom?

Go on - tell me you are impressed!  :-)

Long weekend...

Just back from a long weekend.

 

I took Monday off because I spent Sunday in London at a wargames tournament.

 

It was an early start...

 

 

Sunrise over my local train station.

 

 

Changing onto the faster train a couple of stops down the line - the only way I was going to get to London on time!  Nice fast, posh trains...

 

 

One of my games in full swing.  This was a 2 day event, but as I could only commit to one day I had been paired up with another guy who could only attend on Saturday.  I was sort of dreading that he would have done well in his games, leaving me to ruin it all but I needn't have worried.  Of a possible 50 points he had scored 0.  I could only improve on his score.  After 2 very entertaining games, I raised our score to 21 - one game that I almost won and another that was a fairly bloodless draw.

 

The event was made even better by the availability of beer and very good Indian food at lunchtime.  I think that some of the guys were suffering, though.  For those who had attended both days, this was their 3rd Indian meal in 2 days...

 

 

This submarine (a retired Russian one, I think) is now moored in the River Medway, which the train crosses on its way to London. It always gives me a feeling of "what the heck?"

 

 

Me, on the way home after a long but very entertaining day.

 

Yesterday was a day of almost-rest - had a snooze on the sofa in the afternoon - a great way to spend Mondays, I decided.

Sunset

We have been having splendid sunsets recently:

 

 

 

 

Custard has been less enthusiastic about the time I spend taking photos...

 

 ...but he is patient and waits for me to finish...

Waking up in the mornings

Having trouble waking up in the morning?

Know someone who just can't get out of bed on time?

Watch this space for a great new invention that will solve this problem for EVER!