I made it to work today.
The main roads are fine here now (for now). However, driving at a not unreasonable 40 mph I was overtaken (!!!- in these conditions) by a moron at a place in the road where the slush was at least 6 inches high in the middle of the road, and my car is now completely covered in filthy slush. I was completely blinded by the muck.
Really dangerous.
On the plus side he didn't get in front of the car in front of me, so he was only 10 yards or so ahead of me all the way to Barry.
Brian has arrived. Hooray!
It started to snow in Pembs and the forecast was bad. As Llandeloy is a long way from a main road, if he got snowed in he would be snowed in for a while, so he decided to travel today. Just as well, because there is lots of snow there now judging by the pictures on the news.
Kate is coming tomorrow. Hooray again.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Yet more snow
It has snowed again!
I set off for work this morning and made it to Barry, driving at a very sedate 25 miles an hour and made it there but the road was really bad and the snow was falling again, the traffic was stationary so I turned round and drove back very slowly. Then went to work in Llantwit library for the day. It was very quiet in there, but I had taken some work home which meant that there were some things I could do while I was there, which was fortunate.
Whether or not I will be there tomorrow is up to the gods of snow - whoever they are. Someone Scandanavian I expect.
I set off for work this morning and made it to Barry, driving at a very sedate 25 miles an hour and made it there but the road was really bad and the snow was falling again, the traffic was stationary so I turned round and drove back very slowly. Then went to work in Llantwit library for the day. It was very quiet in there, but I had taken some work home which meant that there were some things I could do while I was there, which was fortunate.
Whether or not I will be there tomorrow is up to the gods of snow - whoever they are. Someone Scandanavian I expect.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Clean up time and more snow
We have - in common with most of the UK - got lots of snow. We have about 6 inches, but thankfully we don't have plans to go anywhere much today, so we aren't too concerned. As my plans for today were to clean the house prior to Christmas bad weather has had no impression at all on my plans for the day.
I have done downstairs today, and will attack upstairs tomorrow.
I have the feeling that my life is lacking a certain amount of excitement just at the moment. I seem to go to work, come home and watch tv, go to work. My new year resolution will be to do something a bit more interesting I think.
Unfortunately the snow has made them cancel our carol concert which was to have taken place tomorrow. But as the church is down a narrow little lane with dreadful parking in good weather, they have decided that it is safer to call it off. That is disappointing as we have worked quite hard at the pieces we were singing in addition to the carols. Here is the church. Ewenny Priory is an early medieval priory, though the parish church we sing in (in the picture) is later. The monastic church is the other side of that glass screen and has the most fantastic acoustic for acapella singing. Anyone would sound fabulous in there. Sadly we won't this year. We have been singing in the ceremony of lessons and carols there for about 15 years now, so it is a shame to have broken the run.
I have done downstairs today, and will attack upstairs tomorrow.
I have the feeling that my life is lacking a certain amount of excitement just at the moment. I seem to go to work, come home and watch tv, go to work. My new year resolution will be to do something a bit more interesting I think.
Unfortunately the snow has made them cancel our carol concert which was to have taken place tomorrow. But as the church is down a narrow little lane with dreadful parking in good weather, they have decided that it is safer to call it off. That is disappointing as we have worked quite hard at the pieces we were singing in addition to the carols. Here is the church. Ewenny Priory is an early medieval priory, though the parish church we sing in (in the picture) is later. The monastic church is the other side of that glass screen and has the most fantastic acoustic for acapella singing. Anyone would sound fabulous in there. Sadly we won't this year. We have been singing in the ceremony of lessons and carols there for about 15 years now, so it is a shame to have broken the run.
Friday, December 17, 2010
3D OR NOT 3D?
Nic and I went to see 'The Voyage of the Dawn treader' in 3D. I have a corrected squint so have never been able to see things in 3D before. All those puzzle books, and the red/green cardboard glasses things etc were useless for me, just a mess or a blur, so I thought the new version of 3D would be the same.
But no! It works. I bought the glasses for £1 which was cheap because you can keep them and use them again, and was thrilled to bits by the effects. One of the trailers had a bird which flew out of the screen at you, it was really effective. The film titles seem to be floating in mid air with an astonishing amount of depth.
I enjoyed the film too. The changed the plot a bit, but as the book is very linear without much ongoing plot what they did generally added to it, and gave it a greater narrative strength than the original novel had. They used the original Pauline Baynes illustrations during the closing credits which was a nice touch, but also showed how closely they had stuck to many of the concepts in the original - the Dawn Treader herself was great and just like I imagined her. The boy who played Eustace was brilliant - very much a stuck up pain at the beginning, just as he should be, but improved as the film progressed. We both thoroughly enjoyed it.
I will also make a point of seeing future films in 3D if it is available. We only went to this one because the time suited us, and didn't realise it was in 3D till we got there - serendipity strikes.
But no! It works. I bought the glasses for £1 which was cheap because you can keep them and use them again, and was thrilled to bits by the effects. One of the trailers had a bird which flew out of the screen at you, it was really effective. The film titles seem to be floating in mid air with an astonishing amount of depth.
I enjoyed the film too. The changed the plot a bit, but as the book is very linear without much ongoing plot what they did generally added to it, and gave it a greater narrative strength than the original novel had. They used the original Pauline Baynes illustrations during the closing credits which was a nice touch, but also showed how closely they had stuck to many of the concepts in the original - the Dawn Treader herself was great and just like I imagined her. The boy who played Eustace was brilliant - very much a stuck up pain at the beginning, just as he should be, but improved as the film progressed. We both thoroughly enjoyed it.
I will also make a point of seeing future films in 3D if it is available. We only went to this one because the time suited us, and didn't realise it was in 3D till we got there - serendipity strikes.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Feeling festive
I am in Pembs this weekend and am now feeling very Christmassy. We went to Haverfordwest today and visited the new Marks & Spencers. This is very exciting. For M&S to come here, this far west is really putting H'west on the map! They had a brass band playing carols, and lots of nice young people trying to get you to buy half priced champagne (no thanks) and giving away chocolates (yes please). We got a 'dine in for £10' dinner and felt pleased with things.
We then looked round the shops and B got a bargain pair of leather shoes for £10 and I got 2 jumpers for £10, so we both felt we had done well.
We also went to the library. B is doing Welsh classes and feels he would like to try reading a book. We asked about simple books and came away with some children's picture books, which are about the right level. The chap said to look for patterns and particular parts of speech or grammar as he looks at the books.
After lunch we got out all the Christmas decorations and did the trees, spread out the tinsel and put up the crib. It is looking lovely in here now, very festive with the lights on the tree.
We then looked round the shops and B got a bargain pair of leather shoes for £10 and I got 2 jumpers for £10, so we both felt we had done well.
We also went to the library. B is doing Welsh classes and feels he would like to try reading a book. We asked about simple books and came away with some children's picture books, which are about the right level. The chap said to look for patterns and particular parts of speech or grammar as he looks at the books.
After lunch we got out all the Christmas decorations and did the trees, spread out the tinsel and put up the crib. It is looking lovely in here now, very festive with the lights on the tree.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
It is better to give......
Today at work we had 22 boxes of books delivered.
Then we had a single box delivered from another courier.
Then we had the loo roll, hand towels (lots and lots for 9 libraries) delivered.
Then we had 24 boxes of photocopier paper delivered.
Then we had 3 more large boxes delivered.
Then we had the stray box from the previous delivery but from a different courier (can't work that one out)
Then we had a box of dvds delivered.
Then we had another box of books delivered.
Then we had 2 pallets of dvd and cd cases delivered!!!! (approx 70 boxes) which had to be loaded off the pallets and put into the container in the car park.
I now really, really, really appreciate the phrase that it is better to give than to receive.
Then we had a single box delivered from another courier.
Then we had the loo roll, hand towels (lots and lots for 9 libraries) delivered.
Then we had 24 boxes of photocopier paper delivered.
Then we had 3 more large boxes delivered.
Then we had the stray box from the previous delivery but from a different courier (can't work that one out)
Then we had a box of dvds delivered.
Then we had another box of books delivered.
Then we had 2 pallets of dvd and cd cases delivered!!!! (approx 70 boxes) which had to be loaded off the pallets and put into the container in the car park.
I now really, really, really appreciate the phrase that it is better to give than to receive.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Holiday planning
We had long discussions (ie B and I) about holidays for 2011. I had 20 days to plan, and B of course has no fixed dates to plan round these days. It is odd because up till now we have had our holidays very firmly planned by B's job. We had June and July, December, and - if there was a tour with the choir - a week to ten days in March. The rest of the year was not holiday time because of academic timetables.
It is odd to have the whole year to chose from, and is a bit disconcerting.
May was out because one of my colleagues has most of May off already.
We were only looking up to the end of July, because our leave years run from birthday to birthday, and my birthday is in July. If I want to book holidays after the end of July it comes out of next year's holidays.
Money of course is a bit of a limitation, and the long list of possible holidays were somewhat restricted (unless we win the lottery significantly in the near future).
After much discussion we narrowed it down and have gone for a city break in Cordoba in March. We were looking at April, but the flights in March are a lot cheaper, and actually go from our local airport which is really, really unusual. We have found a little flat for the 4 nights which has also come in at a reasonable price, and is very convenient for all the sites we are hoping to see. Originally we thought we would try to see Seville as well, but I think there is going to be enough to see in Cordoba to keep us busy for 3 days. The temperature should be very pleasant, neither cold nor hot, and though we may get rain it should be (I hope) not too wet.
The two weeks we will go to Pembrokeshire in June, and hope to go to the John Clare annual meeting in Helpston at the beginning of July for the rest of the time. We hope to visit family and friends at the same time .
It is lovely now that the weather is so horrible - we have had a permanent freezing fog all day today - to have things to look forward to.
It is odd to have the whole year to chose from, and is a bit disconcerting.
May was out because one of my colleagues has most of May off already.
We were only looking up to the end of July, because our leave years run from birthday to birthday, and my birthday is in July. If I want to book holidays after the end of July it comes out of next year's holidays.
Money of course is a bit of a limitation, and the long list of possible holidays were somewhat restricted (unless we win the lottery significantly in the near future).
After much discussion we narrowed it down and have gone for a city break in Cordoba in March. We were looking at April, but the flights in March are a lot cheaper, and actually go from our local airport which is really, really unusual. We have found a little flat for the 4 nights which has also come in at a reasonable price, and is very convenient for all the sites we are hoping to see. Originally we thought we would try to see Seville as well, but I think there is going to be enough to see in Cordoba to keep us busy for 3 days. The temperature should be very pleasant, neither cold nor hot, and though we may get rain it should be (I hope) not too wet.
The two weeks we will go to Pembrokeshire in June, and hope to go to the John Clare annual meeting in Helpston at the beginning of July for the rest of the time. We hope to visit family and friends at the same time .
It is lovely now that the weather is so horrible - we have had a permanent freezing fog all day today - to have things to look forward to.
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