Aches and Pains, due to lots of Fun!

Twas our company's annual Rounders competition last night. Four teams of 11, hitting the ball with a tiny bat, running our hearts out, trying not to be caught or stumped!
Yelling at the Ref for not counting runs, letting the other team get away with underhand tactics (which of course we didn't do), and trying not to get hurt!
Lots of puffed people, balls hitting heads, thighs and other sensitive areas, going over the fence and landing in unreachable areas!
Was interesting to see how the workmates could surprise with their sporting prowess, or lack thereof, as well as how competitive people were, and how others just didn't care. Was even great to see people on holiday come along and watch, amongst all the other spectators as well... for an office staff of about 110, at least 50, if not 60 turned up to play and watch! An awesome number really considering they were folks from every department (HR, Sales, Marketing, IT, Finance and Communications)... all like one big happy company!
The food was fabulous, as too though the drink - well considering they were company products I can't say much otherwise!
Just think I'll mention who won... team Stolichnaya, and guess who was on team Stoli? None other than myself, woooooo!
Though how sore am I today... using muscles that I haven't used in a very, very, very long time! Think it's bubble bath, soak the aches out time!

Rain, Rain, Glorious Rain!

It's official, England has had the wettest summer since records began and there's still five days of it to go!
What a contrast to last year when it was one of the hottest ever, with hose pipe restrictions, every one buying water butts and all the gardening publications telling you what plants will have to be planted to cope with the increasingly hot and dry English summers!
And it's not even the result of climate change.. just the usual weather patterns, albeit a bit later / earlier than usual - the onset of the hurricane season across the Atlantic Ocean late in August, and the arrival earlier in the season of a jet stream stretching further south than usual.
At least my garden is looking green and lush. Though having to mow the lawn nearly every weekend is a bit of a downer, and the tomatoes just aren't ripening due to lack of sun hours!
The resulting hail storms, awesome sunny days, interesting cloud shapes, electric storms and rainbows are weather incidences to remember for a while... or at least until winter when it's meant to be one of the coldest ever. Yeah right, this summer was meant to be one of the hottest!
The pictures are from the back door.. they don't do the two rainbows or storm clouds justice!

AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH

HHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Went into work today with a pink shirt on, yes, pink! Had four people say how "pretty it looked" on me, yes pretty! Pretty in Pink! Bleh! It was "my colour"!
First time I've bought a truly pink shirt in decades.. I've bought maroon, terracotta, cerise etc etc, never a truly girly pinky pink until now and I remembered why. I look like a girl! Yes, I know I'm a girl, though not a girly girl!
My fault really though... shopping for shirts on the internet... three for £75.00 when they're normally £45.00 each. Must have been rather absent minded in my colour choices and clicked pink.
That'll learn me, pretty in pink indeed, ARGH!

The Great British Government Strikes Again!

You'd think that an act bought in called Violent Crime Reduction Act (VCRA)would be a wonder in stopping violent crimes, yes?
Well from the looks of it this one is a bit of a joke! In the VCRA are banning orders called 'directions to leave'. This means that people who the police believe are going to be POTENTIAL trouble-makers can be asked to move on and stay away from an area, even if they have not touched a SINGLE DROP of alcohol!
The order can last for 48 hours and a breach punishable with a fine of up to £2,500, finger prints and DNA samples taken!
It can also mean that well behave people who refuse to stop drinking can be targeted!
Good grief, a NANNY state or what!?!
There you are, having a nice little drink with you mates in the park (still allowed here currently (probably ban that next!)) minding your own business and a police person walks pass, thinks you're going to cause some trouble and tells you to stop. So if you don't want to be banned from the park for two days, have your DNA and finger prints on a police database (isn't that for criminals?!), and possibly fined £2,500 you have to stop and drink apple juice, happy happy joy joy!

Posh Gardens

Took a drive along some woodland lined, multi-million pound houses (with those long curved driveways and touch keypad entries) roads to visit The Savill Gardens. Which are part of what is called The Royal Landscape. In other words, the land in and around Windsor - where one of the Queen's residences is.
It was a beautiful day, sun out, nearly cloudless sky, everyone in summer clothes and enjoying the day! Once through what appeared to be tricky turnstiles (all you had to do was swipe your entry pass the correct way, which no one in front of us seemed to be able to do) you entered a marvelous landscape of rolling hills, trees, ponds and river.
The mixture of planting was rather interesting - dahlias and grasses, sunflowers and roses - and also very well done.
After wondering some of the 35 acres, indulging in a sneaky picnic (not allowed in the gardens, which I found very weird as I always take my rubbish home), and being pleasantly surprised at all was seen we came to the New Zealand garden... only recently opened (April this year) with nearly 3,000 New Zealand plants! It was delightful, though in a couple of years will no doubt be more impressive once the planting has had a chance to mature.
It was then back to the entrance and the beautifully designed Savill building.. amazing architecture.. for a well deserved latte and slice of cake!
What a fabulous day!

For more info:
http://www.theroyallandscape.co.uk/landscape/savillgarden/

It's Official!

England has had a monsoon!
London Zoo has just had two Tawny Frogmouths recently lay eggs and hatched them, after nine years of none!
Apparently the two mothers laid the eggs on the same day after weeks of rain and and awesome downpour. Apparently in their native Australia they do this as after a monsoon there are just tonnes of insects for them to eat.
Amazing!
And they've named them Thunder and Storm, awww

Good Grief!

Interesting phenomenon this Facebook thing...
You get people that you haven't heard from in years, if not decades, wanting to add you as a friend. Then once you accept you never hear another word from them. Are they just trying to rack up as many 'friends' as they can (oooh, I have a zillion and one friends, I'm so popular), or are they being nosy and seeing how their life compares to yours, or are they actually going to get round to talking to you?
It also seems to have changed the dynamics of human interaction... instead of people now calling you on the phone, or even texting and at worse emailing you, they now write you messages on a 'wall' or invite you to an event or post what they're doing now and how they're feeling. So much for humans being sociable creatures that crave each others company if all that they do is use an electronic means that you may not see for a week, or month if you're not the type to check it everyday.
Heck there are even instances of workplace bans on Facebook... people getting withdrawal symptoms when it was down for two hours... let alone the fact that people are pasting their whole lives on it so any identity thief, pedophile, general nasty type person can access your details (and as it's all about networking) those of your friends and their friends and their friends (wonder if you could connect to everyone of the millions on it?!)!
Wonder if the current courst case going through in America regarding the possibility that the idea was stolen and the consequent shut down of the site would mean that they'd have to set up therapy groups for the addicts to cope?!