How are you today?

[blue]

Happy Birthday Robin! [bday]

Goodness, I went to the hospital for a couple of hours yesterday, stayed till Kate was allowed home, then came back here and lay on the sofa just to shut my eyes for a little while. Woke up at seven this morning! Opened my eyes and all three cats were sitting looking at me like OMG YOU DIDN'T GIVE US OUR DINNER.

Poor Kate was completely exhausted when I got there yesterday, she's got that hyper-alertness to evey miniscule sound from baby that all new mothers get, she hadn't slept at all since giving birth the night before. Hopefully now she's home she'll have been able to sleep. I'm really surprised the hospital let her go considering she'd had an operation as well, but she was desperate to get back to her own place. I just hope she gets enough rest.

Rocco is still being an angel, I watched his mum feeding him yesterday then rocked him off to sleep myself. Such an adorable little boy.

[blue]

If any of you guys are friends with Witchy on Facebook, can you let her know about Rocco? I'm dying to tell her but she obviously hasn't visited the board for a while.

I have a blissful ten days or so off work now thank god, finally get to take some of the holiday I'm owed. I've so had enough of that job, I think I'll use the time off to find another one.

[RobB]

Life's too short to be doing something you don't want to do so i don't blame you for looking for pastures new.
Ten days isn't a long time but hopefully you'll spot something that appeals. Good luck with the job hunting.

[blue]

Thanks Rob, I've noticed a few jobs cropping up around town recently so hopefully I'll find something else soon. From the way things are going at work I have a feeling we'll either be closing or converting to a Holland and Barret in the new year, and I definitely don't want to work for them.

Just spent a couple of hours over at my daughter's, once again rocking her son off to sleep after she'd fed him. I seem to have some sort of magic touch.

[RobB]

Sounds like the time is right to jump ship rather than go down with it.

Glad you are able to spend some quality time with your daughter and grandson.

[blue]

I'm without internet at home again, so I won't be able to post regularly for a while. I'm at my daughter's today so I'm on her laptop while she has a bath. Hopefully I'll get my access back soon.

Looks like my grandson is stirring so grandmotherly duties call.

[sound world]

Oh well looks like you have plenty to occupy you, Beth. Look forward to seeing you back here when you can.
Did you find another job?

[RobB]

Beth,
sounds like a good deal to me. You babysit junior in return for free usage of Kate's laptop.

Dave,
hope you enjoyed your holiday in York?
Did you have the opportunity to visit that viking centre?

[sound world]

It's funny, even though they started doing the Viking dig when I first moved to York in 1976, and the Jorvik centre opened a few years later, I never went there in all the 15 years I lived there. Partly because the queues were (and still are) immense, and partly because it was the one Museum in York that didn't offer free admission to the City residents.
So I finally got in there the other day. It's really good. It was lovely being back in my old home town, seeing old friends, visiting the old familiar sights and showing my family around.

[RobB]

Glad you had such a great time.
I went to the Jorvik centre last year and it was quite quiet. Certainly no queuing that i remember.
I thought it was really well laid out and very atmosphereic with the 'smells' and lighting.

It was only one day in York but i also got to take a ferry boat trip on the river and a quick visit to the cathedral.
I made the most of the day anyway.

[Angie]

Beth, congratulations! Your story made my eyes sting, in a good way. I hope you are enjoying your gradson to the fullest and that your daughter is recovering nicely. Welcome, little Rocco!

[blue]

Thanks Angie, mum and baby are both doing well - Kate's gone off for her first physiotherapy appointment this morning so I'm at hers looking after Rocco, who is currently lying on his playmat listening to frogs croaking and such, while I warm his bottle. He's reduced his poor mum to tears last night by being awake for hours, but right now he's got that angelic thing going on.

[blue]

Just popping in to say hi, still no internet at home but am at Kate's again today minding Rocco. Hope everyone is well!

[RobB]

I'm well thanks, Beth....and just as importantly.... warm.

Just had a couple of quiet days indoors doing family history stuff whilst watching the snow accumulate.
Been out a few times in the garden to keep topping up the bird feeders and clearing the bathing water of ice but that as far as i've got.

Tomorrow i have the shop though so i'll have to brave the snow and cold then.

[blue]

The snow has finally cleared here today, but I guess there's more on the way. We seem to be returning to old-school British winters, which is actually rather reassuring given all the talk of irrevocable climate change. Terrible for the heating bills, mind.

It's nice to be back here for a little while, another couple of weeks anyway. Whenever I get back online this is always the first place I check, just to see everyone's still here, even if nothing much is happening. I've been musing on the strange connection I feel to you all, despite never having met or even spoken to most of you. Today I went to check a Tori board for the first time since October, and was stunned to read of the death of a regular poster I've talked to for maybe ten years online. Rob, I'm sure you'll know Rachel, aka KundaVega, from the Kate Bush boards? I simply cannot believe she's gone, it seems completely unreal. And it's got me thinking about this weird way of communicating, that makes us feel we know so intimately people we've never met. The internet is truly a strange and wonderful creature, bringing so many people into direct and sometimes meaningful communication all around the world. People can touch your life without ever being physically in it.

I'm pretty sure you all know how much our little community here has meant to me over the years, but I just wanted to say so, because you never know what life will bring.