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Tootsie WafflebuttOk!!! Enough already!!! June 29 From One Extreme......... To Another....... So, not a good start to the day. After a really successful day of practicing yesterday we arrived at the track today feeling good. The three lap practice session was traumatic as we failed to get Tiddler's kart started..........it has to be push started.......but we went back to our pit and by that time Pitfa and his friend Chewy had arrived and they offered to push him for his heats. In Heat 1 Tiddler was starting 3rd on the grid. He was REALLY excited. The push start went fine and he did the rolling start without any problems but sadly, as he went into the second corner, someone smacked him up the back end of his kart and that was the end of his race. He span off the track and, because his engine cuts out as soon as the kart slows below a certain speed and the rules state that he can't be re-started, that was the end of that. We had tears. Big, body wrenching, sobbing tears :o(  So, after a little attitude adjustment therapy.......which basically means that I talk to him until he gets sick to death of me at which point he puts a smile on just to shut me up.........we went into Heat 2. Push start was fine and he completed the race only dropping 2 places from his original starting position........which is very good bearing in mind that he started in the middle of the pack and it does tend to get a bit physical.  Heat 3 and I'm beginning to believe that we've got the whole push start thing well and truly sorted. Tiddler completed the heat and then it was time to play the waiting game for the final. Because Tiddler hadn't completed all three heats it meant that his starting position for the final was 18th which didn't please him much but we got up onto the grid in plenty of time and watched the Cadet final while we waited to get Tiddler onto the track. Needless to say.......you knew it was coming.......they opened the track for the rolling start and Tiddler's kart didn't immediately start. By the time we got him going, with help from an anonymous dad.......thank you, thank you, thank you....... the rest of the drivers had almost completed the rolling start lap. Fortunately for Tiddler a false start was declared because the drivers were travelling too fast on their approach to the start/finish line. This meant that they'd got to go around again and it gave Tiddler time to catch up and regain his position. He had a great start and over the next few laps gained several places. Then he got caught up, with several other drivers, behind a slower kart. There aren't many places to overtake on the track and, inevitably, the drivers were all bunched closely when, as they entered a corner, the slower driver got bogged down in the corner, someone tapped the back of Tiddler's kart which pushed him into the back of the slower driver and she span off the track. Tiddler continued on his way, leading the small group that had bunched up together, and headed for the finish.  One of the drivers overtook him, with only a few laps to go, but he was then flagged to leave the track and to Tiddler's horror so was he, both because of damage to their karts. When we got to him we were stunned to find that his rear bumper was hanging off.......and so was the other boy's. So that ended his final and he was absolutely GUTTED!! I took the kart back down to our pit and on closer inpection found that the tank tape, that we'd used to make sure that the bolt that secures the bumper to the kart doesn't shake loose, was still in place!?! I couldn't work out for the life of me how that bolt had come out. When we got home I received an email from a friend of ours to say that he had left his daughter on the grid so that he could position himself with the video camera for the final. He had checked her kart before he left her and all was well, and yet, when she came in after the final she complained that the kart hadn't performed well. He took a look at her engine and found it to be extremely hot. On further investigation he also found that her carb settings had changed and her engine had been running far too lean and the inside of her engine had consequently suffered some damage. He KNOWS that he checked the settings before he left the grid. Having read his email, warning me that someone had tampered with the kart, I started talking to our pit crew......Sparky, Pitfa, Chewy and Trash. We thought back to the grid positions and it turns out that the boy that was called in at the same time as Tiddler had started next to Tiddler on the grid. His bumper had lost a bolt on the side nearest Tiddler and vice versa. Tiddler KNOWS that he checked the bumper before he went to the grid so, putting 2 and 2 together, we have to suspect that while we were busy watching the Cadet final rather than our kart someone had undone the bolt and removed it. So, all in all it was a rather eventful day although not a very positive one. On the upside, Tiddler completed another day of racing and it's all experience.We learned some valuable lessons and the weather was great again. On that note it seems only right to wish you all a good week. I suggest large glasses of Pimms in a hammock in the garden during the forthcoming heatwave and if there's a spare glass going then give us a call ;o)  Sunshiney and Pimsy hugs Tootsie xx  June 27 Onwards and........onwardsSo,
to bring you up to speed....... At Tiddler's last race meeting, at the end of May, his newest engine, which had been rebuilt for us before we bought it, seized as he got to 8th place with less than one and a half hours use. To say that we were unimpressed is an understatement and Tiddler was devastated. We had got a spare engine with us and Tiddler managed to complete the race meeting but it certainly took the shine off the weekend. You can imagine how we felt when the guy that had sold it to us, at twice the going rate for a used engine because he'd done this great rebuild on it, said that it must be down to faulty parts from the manufacturer and that the damage was terminal. He offered to contact the manufacturer to ask them if they'd provide the replacement parts but when we rang him back he said that we'd have to buy the parts but he'd provide the labour to rebuild the engine.......as if!!!! The parts were going to cost at least what we'd originally paid for the engine so we told him to forget it and decided to take the engine down to the manufacturer's and see what they could tell us. It turned out that they could identify each and every component on the engine and tell us when each part was made. Turns out that the guy that had done the "rebuild" had lied to us and not one part had been replaced with a new part........he'd just thrown in whatever he'd got lying around his unit. Man.......I WAS MAD!!!!! We called him up when we got back and after coming up with a load of lame excuses, that we were able to disprove immediately, he offered us our money back. We offered to meet him halfway and kept all of the parts from the broken engine so that he couldn't use them to do the same thing to someone else. So.........we bought Tiddler a new engine, figured it was best to know exactly what we'd got, and headed out last weekend for Tiddler's final race meeting as a Novice driver. He has had to get his license card signed each time he's raced and once he'd got 6 signatures he could apply for his full license. All being well the race meeting would provide him with his final signature. All started well and the Friday pratice sessions went really well. Each time Tiddler went out on the track he improved his Personal Best lap time and by the end of the afternoon we were starting to see the same sort of confidence that we see on the indoor track......the confidence that we've been waiting to see since he got his own kart. By the time we got to the first Heat, on Saturday afternoon, Tiddler was raring to go. He decided that he was going to aim for a new fastest lap time and. as it was his last Novice race, he was going to try for Novice of the Day. There were 2 other novices racing and he'd got to beat them to get the Novice trophy. Novice drivers have to start at the back of the grid but Tiddler gained places in every one of his heats......even Heat 2 which went horribly wrong at one point.
In Heat 3 Tiddler set a new fastest lap time. His races were nail-bitingly exciting but he finished the heats in the bottom 8 drivers which meant that he hadn't automatically qualified for the "A Final". One of the other novices had qualified for the "A" but the other one hadn't and he and Tiddler had to race in the "B Final" and try to finish in the top four, out of 8, to get into the "A Final". Tiddler finished 2nd in the "B Final", despite dropping to 3rd at one point and having to fight his way back, and the other novice finished 4th which meant that they'd both qualified for the "A Final". At one point, whilst standing at the side of the track watching him race, I felt the need to offer the man next to me some cotton wool to block his ears cuz I have to admit that I was getting quite excited.....lmao.
So we took Tiddler's kart up to the grid ready for the Final. While we were waiting for the Cadet class to finish their race Trash happened to be standing by the kart and she noticed something in the rear tyre. It was a piece of metal and when she pointed it out to Sparky he advised her to pull it out. She did so and the tyre immediately WENT FLAT!!! With 3 minutes to go before the start of Tiddler's race we started a frantic search for a replacement. This involved finding a Scrutineer to get permission to change the tyre (the whole meeting is supposed to be done on the same set of tyres), taking the rim off the kart, finding a spare tyre, taking the old tyre off the rim, putting the replacement tyre on the rim and then fitting the rim back onto the kart. OMG it was bedlam but with seconds to spare we had Tiddler all set up and ready to go. The drivers lined up for the start and with one Novice in front of Tiddler, who started 27th, and one Novice behind him things were looking quite hopeful. The race begins with a rolling start and as Tiddler crossed the start line he lost his position to the Novice that had been behind him. He had it all to do!! During the first 5 laps the leaders opened up a gap and went on ahead, then there were a few single drivers, then came a small pack of six drivers, the last of whom was Tiddler, and then several drivers who'd been binned at the first corner and were playing catch-up. As the race progressed it became apparent that the group that Tiddler was with were all fairly evenly matched for speed and ability........but by then Tiddler had sussed them out. He overtook the novice that had passed him at the start when said novice span out and then caught up with the tail end of the group. The remaining novice was 2 karts in front of him. He followed the pack around for another lap of the circuit and then, as they approached the chicane, he took a wide line. The leader of Tiddler's small pack was in the centre of the track and someone else in the group took the inside line and as they got up to the chicane they were almost 3 abreast. The other two drivers braked to take the first corner in the chicane but Tiddler braked late and came up alongside them which gave him the inside line on the next corner. He got the power on nice and early and pulled past the other drivers, successfully completing a move that found him at the front of the pack having overtaken 4 karts in total in a single move and becoming the leading Novice.
The class that Tiddler competes in is for 11 to 16 year olds. He's just 11 and tiny compared to the other drivers. At this point I was apologising to yet another man about the almost certain damage that my overexcited cheering was causing to his hearing. The pack chased Tiddler with renewed vigour but he held them off and was the first Novice to finish the race.
MY BOY WAS NOVICE OF THE DAY!!!!! Sorry.....I was just trying to give you some idea of how tolerant other adults were of my behaviour last weekend ;o)  Tiddler receiving his trophy from Richard of Spellfame Karting, the sponsor of the meeting  Look Mom!! I can go sideways around corners ;o)  Just look at the determination. His whole body language says " I'm gonna have ya!!" In all, it was an incredible weekend. Great weather, great racing and a great result. We're off out again tomorrow and Sunday but he's mixed in with the pack now that he's off his Novice plates. I'll let you know how it goes. Have a wonderful weekend. Hugs Tootsie xx June 13 New Remedy for the Insecure.........Do you have feelings of inadequacy?
Do you suffer from shyness?
Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Sauvignon Blanc.
Sauvignon Blanc is the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions. It can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you're ready and willing to do just about anything.
You will notice the benefits of Sauvignon Blanc almost immediately and, with a regimen of regular doses, you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live. Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discover many talents you never knew you had.
Stop hiding and start living.
Sauvignon Blanc may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use it. However, women who wouldn't mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.
Side effects may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration, erotic lustfulness, loss of motor control, loss of clothing, loss of money, loss of virginity, delusions of grandeur, table dancing, headache, dehydration, dry mouth, and a desire to sing Karaoke and play all-night rounds of Strip Poker, Truth Or Dare, and Naked Twister.
WARNINGS:
* The consumption of Sauvignon Blanc may make you think you are whispering when you are not.
* The consumption of Sauvignon Blanc may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.
* The consumption of Sauvignon Blanc may cause you to think you can sing.
* The consumption of Sauvignon Blanc may make you think you can converse enthusiastically with members of the opposite sex without spitting.
* The consumption of Sauvignon Blanc may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people.
Now just imagine what you could achieve with a good Pinot Noir...
May 29 Back again! Yup! I'm still about although even with my best intentions I'm not getting on here as often as I'd like. Tiddler is racing this weekend so Pitfa and I are taking him to the track tomorrow (today!!) for a practice session. Forecast is as good as we had last weekend so the chassis is already set up and ready to go. Sparky's fitted some new hubs and lighter, magnesium wheels which should give Tiddler some extra speed but, given that we've had to add 11 kilo's of lead to bring him up to minimum weight for his class, we're going to have to make some adjustment to the ballast to make sure that he still finishes on weight. It's all very technical you know!!! I reckon that with a little more practice I'll be giving Ross Braun a run for his money :o) Hope that all is well with everyone and that you all have a wonderful weekend. Love 'n' hugs 'n' stuff Tootsie xx May 15 It's Good News!!!OMG!!!! It's all good!! Sparky's Mum got the results we were all hoping for. The surgery was a success and they managed to remove all of the cancer. They took 19 Lymph glands too........whichsounds like a helluva lot to me, although I'm no expert. I broke down and cried like a baby when I found out the news. I guess that I've been running on adrenaline and when the adrenaline levels dropped it just left me feeling completely drained. This evening we went to see Tiddler in "A Midsummer Night's Dream". IT WAS FANTASTIC!! The boys were brilliant, especially those of them that played the girl's parts, and Bottom was superb. I kicked myself (metaphorically speaking obviously, cuz if I'd REALLY kicked myself that would just have drawn attention from all the other parents.........and the teaching staff, who would have said "Aaaahhh, Tiddler's Mum.........of course," and nodded wisely whilst looking pityingly in Tiddler's direction) because I went out without my camera. Tiddler looked amazing and I wish I could have taken a picture of him. With any luck he'll have the same make-up Mum tomorrow and I'll be able to get a pic then. Trash, Sparky, Pitfa and DB sat in the audience to watch and found themselves sitting next to the Mayoress and on of the school Governors. The Governor has been a customer at Sparky's shop for years and was amazed at Tiddler's acting when he played one of the Three Musketeers a couple of years ago. The Mayor turned out to be one of Trash's regular customers when she worked at Starbucks. Apparently the Headmaster felt completely left out of it when the guests of honour spent the evening hogging my family which meant that he couldn't shmooooz them. Cool or what? **snigger** So that's it.........two whole blogs in one day........I'M SO GOOD TO YOU!!!! lmfao ;o) Hugs Tootsie xx May 14 Onwards and UpwardsSo, apart from the fact that Sparky's Mum gets the resulta of her second cancer op today things are slowly getting back to normal.......I think. Tiddler is still very upset about recent events and isn't himself at all but we're chatting, I've made arrangements for him to see a coucillor if he needs to talk to someone other than us, which he can arrange appointments for through school, and we all seem to be drifting back into comfortable, usual patterns. Tiddler is performing in the Yr 6 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream tonight and tomorrow night and then, on Saturday and Sunday, he's racing in an outdoor competition. His racing has tailed off since we got back from our holiday but he did manage to win the indoor Grand Prix.......by the skin of his teeth. He went into the final on level points with one of the other boys and they were only one point ahead of the boy in third. During the final he managed to overtake the boy that was in first and took the trophy. He was chuffed but hasn't been all that enthusiastic about going back to drive since. On the other hand, there is a three day competition, in August, for Tiddler's class of Karts and it takes place on a track that he hadn't driven before. Sparky arranged for him to have some professional training at the track and he did exceptionally well. At one point even the training instructor let excitement get the better of him and was seen to be waving his arms in encouragement in the centre of the track ;o) The instructor had given him a "target time" to aim to achieve by the end of the day. He achieved it before lunch and by the end of the day had taken a further 2 seconds off! It was a great day. The boy was happy, the sun shone all day and the instructor said he'd had a wonderful time ;o) So, I'm in school this evening to help with costumes and, although I watched the dress rehearsals, I'm really looking forward to watching the performance. It is, absolutely, my favourite Shakespearean play and watching it performed by the boys that Tiddler has grown up with for the last 4 years just makes it funnier and all the more enjoyable. I'll try to get some pics and post them up here. See you tomorrow. Hugs Tootsie xx May 02 Thanks EveryoneAwwwww......what a blog full of sweeties you all are ;o) Thanks for all the (((HUGS))) you guys. We held the funeral for Sparky's Dad yesterday (Thursday). It was very moving and, if it's possible to have a funeral that's lovely then it was just that. The grandchildren all played a part; the older boys carried him into the crematorium and Tiddler and the girls did readings. I know I shouldn't be surprised at how wonderful my kids are but they truly blew me away yesterday. Trash was doing the first reading Tiddler was doing the second reading. They went up to the lecturn together but as Trash prepared to read she became very emotional. The minister went to her side and offered to do her reading for her but she couldn't answer him. Tiddler held her hand and there was a prolonged silence as she looked completely helpless and then........from nowhere........she drew on a strength that I didn't know she had and began to speak. She delivered her reading with clarity and stunned everyone in the chapel. Meanwhile, Tiddler was standing by and who said men can't multitask. He moved forward and, while still comforting Trash, he read his poem, about his Grandad, with feeling and expression. What a little star! And, while all this was going on Pitfa, who will, excluding Dad's wife of course, be the one to miss him the most, was being a pillar of support for his younger cousins, comforting Tiddler, meeting and greeting people and providing invaluable back up to Sparky, whilst astounding us all with his calmness and composure. Tiddler finally cried, which I was relieved about.......he had barely shed a tear during the week and a half since Dad died but just kept walking up to us and laying his hand on our arm to make sure that WE were alright. However, as the kids went up to put flowers on the coffin he let himself go and had a really good cry. It sounds strange but I was pleased. I was really worried that he was just holding it all in. He has cried several times since, real heartbreaking sobs, and it's killing me that I have spent all my time trying to protect my kids from hurt and distress but this time there is nothing I can do except be there. This they have to come to terms with by themselves. All of the other Grandchildren were superb too and as we left the chapel, to Bob Marley's "Three little Birds", everyone commented on what a wonderful send off we had given Dad. It was a very special day.......which was appropriate given that he was a very special man. One of the things that will stay with me are the tributes that were written in the dozens of cards that we received. It was wonderful to read that other people held him in such high regard and very interesting to see him though the eyes of those who had known him in different capacities. Just some of the words that described him were loyal, generous, intelligent, hard-working and stubborn. We will always be grateful to those people that filled the chapel and joined us to celebrate his life. We've all had a peculiar day today. I thought it would be a little odd as we've run out of things to keep our minds occupied. We just have the ashes to lay to rest next Thursday and then we have to start a new segment of our lives. One that will undoubtably be tinged with a permanent sadness and longing for days gone by when we shared such happy times with Dad. My sincerest thanks for your good wishes and kind comments. Hugs Tootsie xx April 25 Weekly UpdateSaturday: Got back from holidays to find that Sparky's Dad had died a couple of hours before we landed. Sunday: Dog collapsed. Vet diagnosed Prostate Cancer Tuesday: Sparky's Mum got results of recent cancer op. It's not good!!! Next op scheduled in a fortnight. Wednesday: Took Sparky's Dad's wife to hospital to be admitted!! I'm wondering what life's gonna throw at me next. If you'd like to hazard a guess then please send answers on a postcard to ....... I'd sign off with me usual hugs but this could be catching RUN!!! RUN!!! RUN AWAY!!!! April 07 Still by the pool Well, not actually still by the pool...... I mean I am by the pool..... but I have moved since yesterday. I'm sitting on completely the opposite side of the pool now!!! The trouble is that we're enjoying sunny weather that's reached an astounding 17 degrees today......it's bloody freezing!!! Tiddler has been in the pool for almost the entire day, mostly because it's as warm as a bath and probably the warmest place to be today. Sparky and Trash both made a brief effort to join in with the holiday spirit..... but have both returned to their rooms to enjoy the luxury of warmth, and I.....brave and diligent mother that I am have remained on duty, poolside, to ensure the safety of my youngest offspring........BRRRRRRRRR!!!!! Having spent most of yesterday dragging the entire family around the designer shopping outlets...... oh ladies, the bargains I found ;o), Sparky seems strangely reluctant to leave the hotel today. I have tried my hardest to explain to him that he is saving a fortune by taking me shopping but he doesn't convinced.......go figure!! Anyhoodles, as I can't actually feel my fingers, now might be a good time to drag Tiddler out of the pool. Disney's Magic Kingdom is open until 1am tonight and it's always a good idea to do the most popular rides late at night, when the park starts to empty, so maybe we'll have an early dinner and then head out for the evening. Hope all is well......and if it's warmer there than it is here DON'T TELL ME, I DON'T WANNA KNOW ;o) Hugs Toots xx April 05 thinking of you all ;o)So here I am..... sitting by a pool in sunny Florida...... and thought I'd drop you all a brief blognote.
I'm coping..... just about.....
Hugs Tootsie xx
March 20 UuuurrggggggI've had a bad back since Monday. I bought it on myself really. The weather was sooooo beautiful, and had reached ROOT (Roof Off Optimum Temperature) so I decided to run off with Sparky's soft top and do a little cruisin'. All was going superbly until I got out of the car to go into the supermarket.....honestly, could Fate be sending me a clearer message? It's reasonable to assume that Fate would much rather I didn't go into supermarkets at all but should, instead, spend my time driving around in sports cars that I should get out of only for absolutely necessary bodily functions. So, it will come as no surprise that by thwarting Fate twofold I found myself on the wrong end of a back that spontaneously threw itself into a muscular spasm to the point where I could barely walk. I happened to meet a friend of mine, who struggles with back problems, as I was leaving the supermarket and when I saw her again that evening she promised to make me an appointment with her "back lady" as soon as possible. Hurrah!! Or so I thought! I spent an hour and a half, this morning, being pummelled, pinched and manipulated to within an inch of my life and what is the benefit of this torture disguised as healing? I've completely seized up and will probably never again lower myself into the seat of a sports car as long as I live!!  Very gentle hugs Tootsie xx March 11 Consider It Done! Following a request from Daffy for a fabricated blog, in the case of my life being less interesting than hers, and knowing her love of duck jokes, this is what I came up with........ Daffy Duck goes on a dirty weekend away.........he calls down to reception & asks for a packet of condoms! The receptionist asks," Shall i put them on your bill sir?" He replies,"Don't be so thuckin thtupid i'd thuffocate!!!"  BADABOOM TSSSHHHH!! Published by Tootsie Waffleblog - We Aim To Please ;o) March 02 ooooops!I feel that apologies are in order for yesterday's blog. Honestly, I don't get over here for days and then when I do finally manage to get something written down it's an emotional outpouring of self pity.......PATHETIC!!!!
So, today I have kicked myself firmly up the ass and I'm gettng on with things. We're off on our travels at the end of March and M & D are coming over to house/dog sit. The house has DEFINITELY seen tidier days (probably the last time that M &D stayed here!) so I'm on the countdown and starting my Spring Clean.......in theory. In practice perhaps I'm not as motivated as I thought......given that I've turned on the comp and am talking to you lot ;o)
Happy Monday you lovely bloggers,
Hugs Tootsie xx
March 01 March Grand Prix ResultsOoooo-errrrrrr!!!
Gosh I was right to be nervous! All went well thru the heats and as he went into the semi final Stiggler was in second place by 1 point.
The lad that was leading was starting the semi in pole, with Stiggler in 2nd place so it meant that if Stiggler could overtake him during the race then he would be tied on points BUT........Stiggler had achieved a faster lap time over the whole competition so would get 1st on the podium.
Stiggler was hot on the heels of the lad in pole for the first half of the race and the lad was more than aware that he was being tailed. Stiggler thought that he saw an opening to take the lead and took the nside line on a corner, braked late and the two of them went around the corner side by side, with Stiggler's kart making contact with the other lad's kart. Stiggler took the lead but some contact between 2nd and 3rd meant that the race had to be stopped temporarily. The 2 boys behind Stiggler were repositioned but the advantage was taken by the lad that was moving up from 3rd. The race continued and Stiggler won BUT, following a complaint, Stiggler was docked a point for making contact and a point was given to the boy that he'd overtaken.
In summary: Stiggler came second, although I felt that his challenge was fair, but we chalked it down to experience and celebrated the fact that he won more points than the lad who won cuz he got 3 extra points for being the fastest on the track!!
Truth be told, I've had the most awful day. I've spent time trying to console a heartbroken son who felt he'd been hard done by, tried to ignore the jeering and applause from onlookers as Stiggler got firmly planted into the tyre wall in the Grand Final and generally found it hard to disguise the distress that's welling up inside me.
What with Sparky's Dad in hospital, his Mum waiting for tests for breast cancer, Stiggler getting into trouble at school several times last week and then the shocking displays of venomous hatred from parents and kids alike because Stiggler is driving so well I'm kinda at the end of my tether. I've heard of parents getting over heated at football matches but the beauty of that is that it doesn't become personal. I couldn't have expected that a controversial error of judgement could have made things so very personal today. Shocking!!!
Oh well.......there's always tomorrow ;os
Hope life's treating ya well Hugs Tootsie xx
;o)March Grand Prix today!!
Nail biting and nervous breakdown are officially in full swing ;o)
So far this year we're 2 wins out of 2.......
if I haven't chewed my fingers down to the knuckles by the morning
then I'm definitely gonna have them crossed.
Hugs and best wishes to all
Tootsie xx
February 15 Oh What a Night........And what a laugh ;o)
Last week I received an email, from a local Gastro Pub, about their Valentine's Dinner. It promised a five course meal, a gift for the lady and entertainment from a singer who did Sinatra and similar. The menu included dishes that we've enjoyed before at said pub so I had no hesitation in arranging a night out for us tonight.
All started well. G & T in the bar, red rose at my place setting, beautiful starter and then came the entertainment......well........come on......you knew it couldn't all be good ;o)
The singer looked about 19....which I suppose I shouldn't hold against him.......but he wasn't great! He'd obviously bought the family out with him.......Mum, Dad, aunties, uncles and the like......who were the main fan base and I wondered if that was why he'd been booked for the event......perhaps they'd got tables to fill......lmao The poor boy couldn't hold a note to save his life.
We didn't complain cuz it was just soooo funny. Sparky actually said that he was gonna come home, put the dog up on the piano stool, put his paws up on the keyboard and then grab his balls. The sound couldn't be worse than we've experienced tonight.
The sorbet and main course were fantastic......I have to say that we couldn't fault the food. Both the Sea Bass and Sparky's Lamb Shank were cooked to perfection.
The second half consisted of the same singer, only this time he had a guitar. I heard it strum.......and that probably should have been my cue to leave. But I hadn't had me pud dammit!! He started a rendition of Brown Eyed Girl which went fine for the first few lines but then he hit a wrong chord, spent several seconds searching for the right chord and then, bless him, carried on as if it had all been totally normal. I have to say that Sparky and I had done so much clandestine giggling that it all became too much and we just rocked with laughter. ** You know what it's like when you've got a bit giggly.......it's really difficult not to find absolutely EVERYTHING hilariously funny. Well that's what we were like for the rest of the night.
I had a scrumptious chocolate and amaretto torte for desert, while Sparky enjoyed his Bread and Butter pudding and then finished off with coffee and chocolates by which time the restaurant was almost completely empty. Still giggling, like the children we are, Sparky and I bid our farewells and left a healthy tip for the poor staff who looked like they'd lost the will to live.
And the moral to the story.......
Don't book up for the Robbie Tribute Night!!!!
Hugs Tootsie xx
**I hasten to add, in case you think me heartless, that we were sitting at the furthest point away from the singer. He didn't know we were laughing at him.....unless the sight of two people enjoying each other's company on a romantic night out was just too unusual.
February 09 I'm changing my nameI was leaving a comment on someone's space this evening and committed an unintentional typo........I know........I do it all the time ;o)
Seriously tho' it did seem strangely appropriate and so........until the weather warms up and my front garden looks less like an expanse of Siberian wasteland I shall hereby and forthwith be known as
Tootskie
Hugs Tootskie xx
PS. Hope you're all keeping warm and cosy and that you're all safe x
February 07 They Did It !!! YAY!!!!The best news......
Two items of news today.....
Firstly, Trash has been in Devon, this week, with some friends. She called home on Thursday evening because she was trying to decide whether to head for home or wait until Friday morning, and she wanted to know what Sparky and I thought about it. We were concerned about her travelling on Thursday night because the forecast had warned that roads would be very dangerous due to ice. But, while I was talking to her on the phone the weather forecast came on and showed an enormous area of snow directly over the area she was staying in. DECISION MADE!!
She jumped straight in the car and set off for home but her friends decided to stay in Devon and drive back on Friday.
When Trash got home, at about 11 o'clock, she received a text from her friends to say that they'd had about a foot of snow. Friday morning they were completely trapped and although they managd to get away from the cottage at about 6pm, Friday evening, they had only managed to get as far Taunton before the roads became to icy to drive on. They ended up in a hotel for the night and are going to try for home again in the morning (Saturday)
I'm sooooo pleased that Trash made it home safely, she could soooo easily have been one of the people that got stranded on the A38. I'm just desperate to know that her friends have made it back ok now.
Item number two......
Stiggler passed the entrance exam for the Senior School. We were supposed to find out by mail today but I rang the school because we haven't had any post for the last couple of days. Unexpectedly, they were extremely helpful and were happy to tell me that Stiggler has got a place at the school for September.
Ironically, pretty much as soon as I'd put the phone down, the postman arrived and with him brought the letter from the school. I was really moved when I read it because the Headmaster had personally written words of congratulations to Stiggler across the bottom of the letter. Stiggler seems relieved that it's all over and done with and we let him chose somewhere to go out for a celebration dinner......we all went out for pizza ;o)
So, my worrying is over and we look forward to taking part in the school's pre-enrolment get togethers and buying new uniform!!
Thank you to all my bloggy chums who have offered words of comfort and support.......you're all STARS!!
Hugs Tootsie xx
February 04 2 days to goI love the snow!!!
It was great on Monday night to watch the kids in the street playing with the snow and Trash sent me a photo, from the cottage that she's staying in in Devon, of her mates with an enormous snowman that they'd made. I have to admit that I wouldn't be feeling quite so relaxed about it if we still lived in our last house. It was in the middle of nowhere and the very second the first snowflake fell from the sky the electricity supply and the phone lines would pack up. We had open fires which helped to keep us warm but we couldn't cook anything and usually the road was totally blocked by drifting snow. It was all a bit scary when the children were small but now that we live in "the burbs" things are much easier.
On Thursday afternoon the school will be sending out the results of the entrance exams. I'm feeling a bit wobbly and I think Tiddler might be too. His behaviour has been totally erratic since he took the exam. He's been in trouble at school and at home and we've had a couple of occasions where he's gone really pale and seemed to lose all his energy.......looked like he might be worrying about something ;os I' ve tried hard to convince him that he's got nothing to worry about but I don't want to count my chickens.......as the headmaster is always keen to tell us "There are no guarantees". Well, only a couple of days and then we'll be out of our misery.
Geez..........have you noticed how quickly things change around here? Only this morning I was going on about how great things were and now I seem to have taken a complete U-turn and am on a downer. Ridiculous!
I shall return to my faithful Mantra "It'll be fine" ;o)
Hope everyone out there is well and not too housebound by the remaining snow....oooooh we've had some more this evening....... bring it on!!!
Hugs Tootsie xx
February 03 Trophies Number 2 & 3What an AWESOME weekend!!
The first Sunday of the month is Junior Open Grand Prix day so we were up and out early. We had arranged to meet Stiggler's friend at an outdoor track in the afternoon so we hitched up Stiggler's trailer and took it with us to the indoor track.
The GP started with a drama when five teenage lads that hadn't been before went out for their warm up laps. Apparently, they had told the track owner that they had all previously driven karts. Only after he had seen them on the track, and tackled them about the lack of ability that they had demonstrated, did they admit that four of them had NEVER been in a kart before! They were refused permission to race and the remaining 8 Cadet Drivers and 15 Junior Drivers got under way.
Although some of the heats had more drivers than others, because we were missing the five lads, Stiggler drove in three heats that had a full compliment of drivers and two heats that were one driver short. He won 2 of his heats and by the end of all the heats Stiggler was in 8th place overall, tied on points with the boy in 7th place but with a slower lap time than the 18.66 that the other lad had put in.
Then came the semi-finals. There are four semi's, with the top four point scorers from the heats each taking pole position in one of them. Then the next four highest scoring drivers each take second position on the grid in one of the semi's.....and so on. This meant that both Stiggler and the boy that he was tied on points with were starting in second, in different races. Stiggler kept his place to finish 2nd but the other boy dropped down to 3rd and so Stiggler took a 1 point lead (nail biting innit ;o)).
At the end of the semi's the six drivers with the most points go into the Grand Final. At this point Stiggler and the other boy, both in the Cadet Karts, were in fifth and sixth place respectively. The top four drivers were older boys in the Junior Karts.The drivers walked down the grid and got into their karts, the crowd hushed, the lights changed to from red to green........and they shot off the grid for a 20 lap final.
I could barely watch! Stiggler got a good start and, despite the fact that the Junior drivers had initially opened up a good lead from Stiggler and the other Cadet driver, he quickly settled and was soon closing the gap. He fell in behind the driver in 4th and waited for the right opportunity to present itself and as they raced up the straight he slipped out from behind the 4th place kart and shot up the inside of him........Stiggler was in 4th!!! Oooh I was jumping up and down and, it has to be said, going slightly blue in the face cuz I'd forgotten to breath ;o) Stiggler, meanwhile, was happily sitting RIGHT on the tail on the 3rd place driver......and pulled the same move again. Stiggler finished 3rd.
We all went onto the track to watch the presentations and Sparky, Trash and I were thrilled that Stiggler had won. We listened to the organiser saying that the Dad's that choose the Driver of the Day for each class hadn't chosen a Cadet Driver of the Day because they didn't think that any one driver had stood out from the crowd..........until the FINAL, when they thought that Stiggler had driven a brilliant race, overtaking 2 of the fastest Junior drivers to move up 2 places. YAY!!!! It also turned out that, during the final, Stiggler had beaten the lap time of the other Cadet driver, putting in an 18.52 lap. YAY!!!
So Stiggler had a clean sweep. He won a trophy for 1st Place, a trophy and 3 bonus points for Driver of the Day and a further 3 bonus points for the fastest Cadet lap.
He finished the day on a HUGE 48 points and has a lead of 10 points in the championship standings. GooooooOOOOO STIGGLER!!!
Hugs Tootsie xx
January 30 Watching this just makes me sooooo happy ;o)
I just love the idea of the rat race coming to a complete standstill for an event that puts a smile on everyone's face FANTASTIC!!!
Hugs Tootsie xx
January 29 We found the tiger skin in a cycle shop in Cairo..........How is it that I've managed to get to my 41st year without watching Monty Python's "Meaning of Life"?
Well, worry not my bloggy friends for this oversight has been corrected this very evening, courtesy of ITV4. The hand of God reached down from the heavens, picked up the remote and turned the telly over, well, actually, I think it was Sparky's hand!!
I have giggled like a loony, it is sooooooo on my level. Trash, however, is having great difficulty coping with the "Puking Scene"...... hahaahahaha. I can easily see the inspiration for acts like Harry and Paul and Matt Lucas and David Walliams.
Stiggler Update: This evening Stiggler has taken the Theory part of his ARKS test.
The Association of Racing Kart Schools have a 2 part test that drivers must pass before they can race competitively at most kart tracks. The Test consists of a Multiple Choice Theory paper and a driving competence test.
I'm thrilled to report that Stiggler passed the theory and is one step nearer to his ambition of racing. On Feb 19 he will take the driving section of the test and once he has passed that he can then go on to do his Novice races. When he has driven 6 races, as a Novice, to a standard that is recognised as being safe and competent, and providing that he has had his card signed after each one, he can apply for his MSA (Motor Sport Association) license. Once this is achieved he can race anywhere in the UK. So there you go! Easy Innit? ;o)
On the subject of Stiggler......
Whilst out on the football pitch, this afternoon, the Games teacher was asking the boys which football player they wished they could be. When asked the question Stiggler replied that he didn't want to be a footballer, he wanted to be an F1 driver. Having paused slightly at the unexpected response the teacher stated that if Stiggler wanted to be an F1 driver he would need to be very fit...... and immediately sent him to run a lap of the field!
Fortunately Stiggler was amused by this and ran his lap with good grace. (He does so enjoy winding adults up) WARPED sense of humour.......can't think where he gets it from. Lmao
My dear Trash started a weeks holiday on Monday. She got a phone call last night, from her manager, to say that her workmate hadn't turned up for work on Monday and didn't come in on Tuesday either. The Manager had to phone the woman, because she didn't bother ringing in, and apparently she's ill. She has done this before when Trash has been on a day off. So, bless her, Trash's week off has been postponed because she has agreed to go into work because they can't run the department with just one member of staff, but it's weird how things work out....... after agreeing to go into work Trash had a call from some friends who've decided to head off down to Devon next week and wondered if she wanted to go with them. She has arranged some time off next week and is going on holiday. It's just what she needs. Yay!! ;o)
And so to Pitfa, who has resurrected his Disco equipment and is, with the help of a friend, preparing to set up in business once again. My dining room was completely taken over when I got in on Sunday evening and was missing a foam machine......thank GOD!...... but otherwise closely resembled a nightclub in Ibiza.........NO! Correct that........there were no drunken girls with their boobs out either so maybe it more closely resembled a Butlins dancehall.......presuming they haven't changed much in the last 30 years.......they haven't have they?
Right, time for bed. I have my delightful great-nephew coming around to play tomorrow and I'm gonna need lots of energy.....and possibly a couple of valium.......in order to keep up with him ;o) Awwwwww bless
Hugs to all Tootsie xx
January 23 Ho HumThe life and times of a seriously bored housewife!......
Last week I was invited to attend a meeting, at our new local pub, regarding the formation of a Residents Association.
"A Residents Association? What a brilliant idea.......to have a meeting at the pub!! Make mine a double!" lmfao
Hugs Tootsie xx
January 21 HOORAY!!!It's all over........
Thank goodness we can finally put it all behind us.
Stiggler had his BIG exam today. He's been working amazingly hard since September and I'm sure that I've already mentioned how brilliant his School Report was at Christmas. Sparky and I had told him that we would buy him a go-kart of his own if he passed the exam but I hadn't got the heart to wait a fortnight for the results. I know that he couldn't have tried any harder or put more effort into his school work so I spoke to the school yesterday and, as the boys were only timetabled to play football or watch a film after the exam, I arranged for us to be able to collect Stiggler at 1pm so that we could give him his kart and take him to a track for a practice session ;o)
This morning we decorated our trailer with stickers that said
(insert Stiggler's name) Racing
and picked up his kart from the track where it had been serviced and had the pedals adjusted so that his feet could reach them........awwwww.........bless.........
As we drove into the school car park he watched us from the reception area and his face was an absolute picture. He came running out of school and started leaping up and down and, having already resolved not to grill him about the exam, I laughed and asked him if he was excited about his name being on the trailer. He said "NO MUM!!! I'm excited because the exam went REALLY WELL!!!!"
Bless him ;o) I was, of course, thrilled and we had a big hug. Then he asked whether there was a kart in the trailer ;o) Both Sparky and I told him that there wasn't but, of course, he insisted on looking in the trailer. You wouldn't believe the look on his face when he saw his kart. What's more, he was stunned when we told him that it was the same Kart that the lads at the track had been asking him for help with. Because we needed to alter it to fit him the lads at the track had been telling him that they were preparing it for someone else who was roughly Stiggler's size.
OH THE LIES!!!!
The poor boy had probably sat in the Kart half a dozen times without even realising that it was his. On one hand I feel dreadful that we deceived him, but on the other it was totally worth it because he was absolutely over the moon.
This afternoon, with the help of one of the lads from our usual track, we took him to an outdoor track, where you can take your own kart, and spent 4 happy hours getting to grips with a new chassis and a more powerful engine.
There were several young men there, that were testing their mini-moto bikes, and I'm pleased to say that not only did I make Stiggler a happy chap but I provided an afternoon's entertainment for the bikers, who thought that my motherly concern for my son was hilarious. Even more funny was the fact that I had to keep covering my eyes when he went zooming past at speeds up to 65-70 mph.
I'm wrapping him up in cotton wool the next time he goes out......lmfao
Hugs to all
Tootsie xx
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