two years

'...for me the kumquat taken whole

best fruit, and metaphor, to fit the soul...'

I have just noticed that the anniversary of my blog has passed me by twice now. Kumquat's blog has been entertaining and educating the world at large for over two years and I think a celebration is called for.

Where else to look but to Tony Harrison?

'...a fruit an older poet might substitute

for the grape John Keats thought fit to be Joy's fruit...'

Let me tell you about the men in my life. HBH introduced me to Alexander Pope, JA introduced me to Camus and GD introduced me to Iris Murdoch and Tony Harrison.

'The new day dawns. O days! My spirit greets

the kumquat with the spirit of John Keats.

O kumquat, comfort for not dying young,

both sweet and bitter, bless the poet's tongue!'

Tony for poet laureate!

Here's to another two years. By that time I will have a 16 year old and be more than half way to my three score years and ten.

'Then it's the kumquat fruit expresses best

how days have darkness round them like a rind,

life has a skin of death that keeps its zest.'

Roux's pumpkin

Neither a philosophical tenet such as Pascal's wager nor a scientific brainteaser such as Schrodinger's cat. This is in fact, none other than a rather yumptious soup I made yesterday that I'm enjoying second helpings of this evening. I served it out of the hollowed out pumpkin with the lid back on and a ladel sticking out. Aww, yeah, dead rustic I am. So rustic me camera's batteries ran out so i can't post a picture for you. Bloomin' nice. Shallots and nutmeg and creammmm.

walla-walla:

the unintelligible sound made by many people talking at once.

Please try to use this delightful expression in the next 24 hours and report back here on the response you received.

pam's chicken

a thousand blessings upon the head of a friend and colleague's mother's friend i don't know called pam. and her chicken. don't be put off by the lurid ingredients, it tastes amazing.

* Fry off 4 x chicken breasts and put in an ovenproof dish
* Add a good helping of cooked broccoli
* Mix 1 x tin condensed mushroom soup, 4-5 dollops of mayo, 4 tbsps double cream and enough curry powder to colour and flavour.
* Top the chicken and broc. with the creamy mix
* Blend 2 slices of bread and cover the sauce
* Add some grated parmesan if you have any
* Cook for 40 minutes. (I put it on 6 but you might want to change the times depending on whether you decide to chop the chicken into big chunks, as I did, before putting it in the oven.)


I'm sure this would translate into a great veggie dish because the sauce on the broc. was really tasty.

The Junction, Cambridge.

disappointing

I thought 'STRANGERS' by Yamada was amazing so I picked up his (her?) second novel 'IN SEARCH OF A DISTANT VOICE'. I finished it today and found it to be a wholly unsatisfying read despite a well driven plot and an intriguing main character .

The TBR shelf groans.

too dark

I so know Jem is gunna check up on me tonight and no, I didn't run. By the time I got home after being in a long traffic jam, it was too dark to go out. I don't know how I'm going to run in the winter. Bring on the badminton / swimming / running buddy evenings!

In other news:

Work continues to be a laugh a minute with customers ringing us up to tell us that women are inferior men and shout at us because the vans that take our deliveries are German and all the drivers are foreign.

And then of course there are the interviewees who come for Christmas jobs, get to the end of the interview and when asked if they have any questions, offer; 'Do I have to work over Christmas?'

Oh yes, we attract an altogether classier kind of job-seeker.

you are going to get so tired of this

Trainers managed to take me all the way round the lake this morning. I only needed to stop once for about 5 seconds to shout "MONTY".

Am trying to choose a charity to run for. I want to run for Oxfam but they have a largish initial contribution to get me started that I don't have but they're still my favourite. I have sent an email to Christian Aid to find out the deal there. The other charity I'd be interested in is Leukaemia Research. They have no minimum amount to raise but somehow, despite how close this is to my heart, I still feel that clean water for everyone is more important than anything.

what a malarkey

my legs hurt

h

ma·lar·key also ma·lar·ky (m?-lär'k?) n. Slang.
Exaggerated or foolish talk, usually intended to deceive

Back to Asics

Dunno if these are the actual ones I have but they look pretty much like this. Asics as recommended by Alimal. I was at the 4th shop before I found any women's running shoes that weren't by Nike. I actually told one assistant that I was 'outraged of milton keynes'. heh. Anyway, work and other sweat shops aside, I am rather chuffed with these little babies.

That is, I was impressed until I went running. I don't know whether I should take them back or not but I got about 3/4 of the way round the lake that I've been able to run round easily before and they stopped. They would only let me walk in them. I don't understand.

So I've done my first day of running. A pitiful 15 minutes but I've got til April right? And there's only Christmas standing between me and svelt athleticism. Piece of cake! (I mean......)

mind control, mass hysteria and powers of suggestion

i might be about to agree to run the london marathon. and all because one of my team is doing it and asked me so nicely to join her. am i out of my mind?? my first question, quite shamefullly, was whether i would have to sacrifice eating blueberry muffins from the wild bean cafe. seriously, they are unrivalled. in second place i would vote the apple and cinnamon muffins at starbucks. also top ranking muffins come from a place called 'kooki'. I would always go for the raspberry and white chocolate there. now don't get me wrong, i'm not a fool for every muffin i see. the double chocolate muffin at M&S is a big disappointment. They used to do a fabulous lemon and white chocolate but it has been changed and honestly, it was a big time player on the muffin front. do you see why i was concerned about committing to a marathon?

Day out in London

Spent an interesting morning in Hounslow, revisiting Phillie's youth.

Had lunch at Bistro 1 on Southampton Street. I had a very good sea bream topped with salmon and something yellow that was probably a hollandaise sauce. Served with mash. Very tasty.

Spent the rest of the day walking to numerous underground stations that were all closed for engineering work.

Finally got to see the pokemon card collection. Quite underwhelming but the B.S.S made up for the disappointment.

(Spent a good while debating if K and G had spent much time at the C.C discussing L and A)

ethical question of the lowest order

SO.

Should I blog an extract from someone's application form? I'd be in a hell of a lot of trouble if I was caught. However, it is staggeringly funny. I am horribly torn. I'm a shameless tart for getting a laugh but should a booksellers equivalent of the hypocratic oath override my urge to tell you how someone answered; 'Describe a time when you have worked as part of a team. What was your part in its success.'

Would it sway your decision if I told you it involved mice?

what's the verdict?

Went to the hairdressers on the spur of the moment and had about a foot taken off my hair!

concert pianist or thug? choices, choices!

This evening I joined in with Bedford Film Society and watched what has to be the most awkwardly translated title of 'The Beat that my Heart Skipped'. I think it may be better translated as 'The Beat that Stopped my Heart' but anyway....

...twas a diverting evening and full of everything that you'd expect from a french film - sex, revenge, adultery and two hours of achingly beautiful Bach piano pieces.

ambrosia!

http://www.knifeandcleaver.com/

we ate like gods.

~o~

clam chowder soup with potato shavings

steamed chicken, bacon and tarragon pudding

creme brulee with redcurrants

~o~

found this gorgeous, sumptuous place in the foodie guide

and it really is worth the drive wherever you live!

tree huggers

http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/

a nifty website that saves some trees and gets rids of stacks of junk mail. spread the word!

lovely extended weekend with sunshine, dinner out with some of my favourite people, lots of lounging around, egg custard tart milkshakes, playing cards over coffee and cake out with mini me, painting the walls, great company staying over and booking tickets to see The Stranglers next month!

The Rota Almighty

Rang work today to check that I was working a late and apparantly - in the words of my colleague - no one would mind if I just turned round and went home. Translated that means the rota says I'm not due back til Monday. I'm sure it's wrong but who am I to stand in the way of a higher authority?

close shave

Monty is just out hospital after being hit by a car. All is well. He had a miraculous escape but has a few stitches and is getting over the sedation which makes him even more affectionate and cute if such a thing were possible. He looks like he's done a few rounds with the worst wound being under his right eye which is split below the lid. Precious critter.

Other breaking news of staggering importance:

I am drinking Floc de Gascogne an aperitif brought back from holiday.
I did my first oil painting today it was lousy but i had fun.
I've joined the amazon dvd rental scheme and my first film, 'Delicatessen' is on its way. Anyone is free to make recommendations if you have half an idea of my taste.
Only 2 precious days before I have to go back to work. I love my job but at this current stage in my life I'm struggling to give a credible performance of someone who gives a damn.