How are you today?

[blue]

Awe, poor little starling! Glad it was rescued, even if they are one of the more annoying birds of this planet.

The racket they make can be annoying I suppose, but if you pay close attention it can also be hilarious. Have you heard them mimicking phones?

The one Angel brought in last night was a female, lovely little thing - her poor little heart was going like the clappers with fright, but she stayed quite still in my hands, didn't struggle at all and just waited for me to let her go. I do hope she was OK. The thing I always worry about with birds is shock, I know they can die from it even if they're not physically injured.

I can't imagine where Angel got her at that time of night. Unless she climbed a tree and plucked her right off a nest or something? [:xx]

Though not as bad as wild parrots. I hate them, sitting in the trees outside my house screaming like mad hags at each other at 5am!!!

OMG, you have PARROTS?! I love parrots, please don't throw anything at them!!

[RobB]

My brother was working around his daughters house last week when one of her cats brought in a two foot long grass snake.
He got the snake away from the cat and was examining it,thinking that it was probably dead as it was completely motionless. There was no obvious sign of injury though. And then he spotted its tongue flicking out every now and again.
So,knowing that snakes do tend to 'play dead' when attacked,he dropped the snake over the fence at the bottom of the garden where there is a woodland and meadow behind. When he checked a couple of minutes later it had gone,having no doubt slithered away to fight another day.

[blue]

Funnily enough I just read a post on @ last night, an American member saying that her cats tend to bring in snakes and lizards. Good lord. I couldn't cope with that, I'd be hysterical. It's bad enough finding bits of dead frogs and mice about the place.

I think the weirdest thing was my oldest cat, who is an absolutely useless hunter, bolting in one day with something making a strange buzzing sound. Terrified it was a bee, I screamed at her and she deposited her catch on the floor. Turned out to be two beautiful dragonflies who had quite obviously been in the throes of love when she grabbed them up!

I put them back outside and they were gone when I checked, presumably living another day to make dragonfly babies.

[sound world]

My cat has developed a propensity for catching bats. How,I have no idea. Cats are extraordinary.

[RobB]

My cat has developed a propensity for catching bats. How,I have no idea. Cats are extraordinary.

Must be when they're roosting surely? The speed they move,to catch a bat in flight would take some doing.

[blue]

Oh my god, poor Andy Roddick!!

What a fight he put up - I really thought he might just win it. Your damn record could have waited another year, Roger.

Amazing final.

[RobB]

Hey,can i start watching tv again then?

[blue]

Tomorrow, Rob. There'll be highlights on tonight.

That's sort of how I feel when it's Big Brother season again.

[sound world]

Is Big Brother ever not on?
Yes,we were all rooting for Roddick....
Mind you he comes out with 125 grand or somesuch. All those old champs/characters who were oggled by the Beeb (Borg,Sampras,Nastase etc) looked like they were pretty healthy from the fortunes made in their youths. And they get to queue-jump-I mean Sampras flew in specially from California when his record was under threat. Some people will have scrimped and saved and queued for their Centre Court tickets (moan,moan,gossip,ctd next Summer ).

[RobB]

That's sort of how I feel when it's Big Brother season again.

Oh I don't mind Big Brother ......... I'm in bed fast asleep by the time its on.

[blue]

Mind you he comes out with 125 grand or somesuch.

Actually I think it was quite a bit more than that, but still, all the money in the world is probably not compensating him at this moment - all he'll be thinking about is that he was 6-2 up in the second set tie-break and let it go. Probably his best chance to win Wimbledon.

He was close to tears in the little interview afterwards. Aww.

All those old champs/characters who were oggled by the Beeb (Borg,Sampras,Nastase etc) looked like they were pretty healthy from the fortunes made in their youths.

So lovely to see Borg. Still a beautiful man. Gah. Another of my childhood lusts.

[blue]

God, I have so much to do today. I feel exhausted already and I've only just woken up.

I decided to re-decorate my living room over the weekend, seeing as I was off for a change. I've done it mostly in cream, but bought this fab deep red for the back wall and the fireplace sticky-out bit. Did the first coat of the red yesterday and I LOVE it, but it's going to take about three or four coats to get it consistent. Ugh. I hate that I'm such an utterly crap painter.

*feels tired*

[RobB]

It'll darken as it dries but each coat should be consistant in colour,unless you're painting over a multi-coloured wall and the first coat was too thin.

I painted my bathroom the other week and was pleased with the end result. Having had the walls floribunda in colour for several years,I opted for a Dulux soft vanilla and its come out really well. Its like ice cream walls.

[blue]

It'll darken as it dries but each coat should be consistant in colour,unless you're painting over a multi-coloured wall and the first coat was too thin.

The second coat is drying now and it's starting to look better, but yeah, I think the problem with me as a painter is that I don't put enough paint on the roller for the first coat. I'm always worried that I won't have enough paint to do it. I need to get over that because I'm just making more work for myself, having to do extra coats to make it look OK.

It was a mid-green before, which was a bit of a nightmare with the cream paint on the rest of the room - I put three coats on and I'm still convinced I can see green.

I painted my bathroom the other week and was pleased with the end result. Having had the walls floribunda in colour for several years,I opted for a Dulux soft vanilla and its come out really well. Its like ice cream walls.

I did my bathroom at the beginning of the week, with what I *thought* was a nice light minty green. That's what it looked like on the tub. It actually came out a startlingly vivid turquoise on the wall, which gave me a bit of a fright at first. I've got used to it now though, it looks very fresh and clean at least. I did the door and skirting board in cream gloss rather than white, which calms it all down a bit.

I've yet to go over all the bits I've splashed everywhere with turps, though. I'll do that my next day off. I dread having to use the turps because it seems to trigger my asthma.

I think I shall have some lunch while the fabulous deep red is drying, before I do the next coat. Or shall I just start in on those Del Monte Smoothie ice creams in the freezer? *ponders*

[RobB]

I reckon you'll be able to start up your own painting and decorating business by the time you've finished.
The smoothie ice creams sound nice.

When it came to the kitchen I couldn't be bothered to do the walls which were only done a few years ago and still looked fine. A nice bright yellow.
However,where my nephew fitted the new gas boiler (which was smaller than the original) it meant papering the wll now exposed and trying to find the right shade of yellow to match.(I'd long forgotten what shade it was let alone the brand).

So,tearing off a piece of painted wallpaper from behind the radiator as a sample,I took it around Homebase who scanned it and came up with a near perfect match. It wasn't exactly the same but like Ernie Wise's hair, you can't see the join.