Ten-ten, good buddy!

Here I am chillin' for Christmas at Ma and Pa's house, where snow is
expected tonight!

I bought this wee giftie for my brother and I am taking great delight
in reading it. If you know your sci-fi, you'll recall Ace Trucking
from the comic 2000AD, and many a caper in the space hauler Speedo
Ghost!

The small boy in me is resurgent!

Festive recycling.

My brother and I must be the most uncoordinated and gangly people in
England so we ventured on to Ma and Pa's drive (icy as you like) so I
could get into the recyling bin (he's called Hikaru) . I was trying to
make space after happy wrapping paper filled it up this lunchtime!

Happy days!

Christmas Eve stew.

Today I have pitched in to make dinner.

I used stewing beef, celery, onions, carrotts, a green pepper,
sweetcorn and a little smoked bacon. Oh, and garlic, coriander and
cumin! I added liberal amounts of red wine and a stock made from a
pheasant carcas.

It smells good and we will taste it later with some mash.

BS9: rest assured I have taken enough out to freeze some for you for
next week x .

TOP smart!

Check this out! Total 27" inch Mac action, and ST: TNG.

Get in!

Home for Christmas!

I had a very snowy drive to my folks' place for Christmas today and
the last two miles saw some extremely careful driving in VX52 with
heavy flurries coming down.

Having planned my packing 48 hours in advance I remembered almost
everything, leaving only one thing at BS5, a lamb shank! That's a bit
of a pisser because it was really tasty and as well as finishing it
off, I wanted to make stock from it for a stew next week. Never mind.

On getting here I unpacked and cracked on with some festive ironing! I
did this with some Carols on via my iPhone to wireless speakers. It
really is cutting edge here.

Festive pictures of the snow to follow tomorrow.

Almost on the way!

One more sleep until I am driving home for Christmas...

A happy hour with BS9 tomorrow, and then I am away - weather and circumstance permitting!

Snow Hound.

My brother just sent this image via his Iphone (Your Iphone to my Iphone, my mind to your mind) ...

If memory serves, I think this is a road near his house at Prestwood, and just through the gate at the left is one of the regualr walks he does with the chaps, and indeed where he met Quaddie before he adopted him!

This is Dog 1 of 2, or Toby as goes his official designation.

Come rain or shine or snow this is a dog with a mania for the biggest stick he can find.

Screen life....

This is the home page on my Iphone, a device that really has been a
fantastic delight this last quarter of 2009.

Today I have sussed a few short cuts and tricks, like screen shots!

Here you can see important stuff like Speed Test, Battery %, Doom and
text messaging.

Love it!

Festive!

A smattering of snow has fallen overnight here in BS5, which is rather
nice for the last few days before Christmas!

BS5 and The Big Man.

This is a bit of a spannery video but I took this earlier tonight
prior to our Church candlelit Carol service. It was well attended and
had all the Hymns one would expect and enjoy.

I read one of the lessons and this year I landed John and 'in the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God'.

Anyhow a good sing song and a happy event just after a rather decent
roast lamb. Lamb and carols both delightfully shared with BS9.

Work tomorrow and the quietening down to Christmas eve.

Nigella comes to class..

This weekend and prior to some tv work, Nigella came to BS5 because
she heard I had some cookery on the go and she needed some tips!

I have made a great chicken stock with a carcas , some onions and a
carrot; that has now become the basis for leek and potato soup. I
knocked up a pie filling with the chicken meat and some other things I
had in the house. These will all freeze shortly for Christmas at Ma
and Pa's where I have elected to make dinner a few times. I have also
made sausage rolls as this Nigella movie makes clear!

Roast lamb today with my delightful BS9 prior to an evening carol
service, at which I am reading a lesson.

Top pointless action!

Here's a blackberry shot of my iPhone running an application! I have a
speedometer that uses gps to indicate your speed.

Now I grant you, 15 mph is no particular thrill but earlier my train
did nudge 94mph.

Most exciting and pointless!

Nice bush!

Seen this morning.....

Arf arf.

Snow Friday.

I am on a train into London and from there back to BS5 today. I've had
a pleasant couple of HQ days but here's the state of the office this
morning.

Much of the south east is like this today, so let's see if crossing
London and heading out is easy or crazy...

The night train!

When I visit my HQ I end the journey at a station that is rather
entertaining for top fast train vids as lots of express trains hurtle
through to London.

Today for the first time in my eight month tenure I arrived in the
dark.....so here's a night train.

Get in!

Larks with my bro'

Today I am blogging from the train to London. I have meetings at HQ
and my department Christmas do as well.

Before getting my train I spent the morning with my brother who had
flown HK to Heathrow during much of yesterday. He got in to BS5 after
midnight and I met him downstairs today, which was cool.

We had a morning errand of purchasing his new Mac from the Apple
store. It's a right smart bit of kit and ginormous too!

Festive BS5 .

Well now, here's Santa on an early run in BS5, and specifically ,
visiting The Rhubarb Tavern last Sunday .

He does an early visit each year but then each year my mate Trevor
disappears at about the same time and always misses it. It's a bit
like Clarke Kent never being around to catch Superman; some journalist
he must be.

Anyhow, here's a festive treat for your enjoyment.

BS5 and the big man

Advent is here and half way through, and from now on Church ( or what
my brother delights in calling my imaginary friends) dons its glad
rags and candles. It's pretty atmospheric and smart. This is St Luke's
here in BS5, my branch!

Beans!

Here I am at Bristol Temple Meads for the 0730 Edinburgh train. I take
the service as far as Derby and then hop on a small train through the
Dales to my store. It's my Christmas visit so I am taking a Christmas
pressie for the store manager because she has done a great job this
year.

No exciting through trains at BTM today, not even a slow, rumbling
goods train!

Further mobile blogging should I see anything fundamentally 'Blog BS5'
during the day.

Mother says...

This weekend I spent some time at my Mum and Dad's house and BS9 came with me, which was rather nice.

Over the Sunday breakfast boiled egg, it was my turn to read out the crossword clues and I did just that for most of the puzzle.

At one point there was a tricky clue about a camel and somehow, we happened upon a strange word in our searching that started with a Dz. I was a bit confused and had to ask three times what this meant (let alone what it had to do with Crossword appearing ungulates) .

Anyhow, Mother and BS9 became impatatient at my stupidity at the same time and shouted out in perfect unison at the top of their lungs...

"SLUT!!!"

Nice experience....I am traumatised to the point of having forgotten the word, its meaning or its relation to camels.

The Collective.

This is a new thermostat at my Mum and Dad's house. For some days now
the temperature has been unwavering and constant and if you know your
sci fi, you know that's a scary sign.

Constant temp' on deck means a Borg drone and a solar plexing beacon
are sure to follow.

Luckily this new one has remedied the issue so no assimilation here.

Phew!

Treemendous

Although I am 37 which is worryingly close to forty, I am still
excited about Christmas.

This is my folks' Christmas tree and it is having a good drink before
it comes into the house (minus the decorative bin) in a week or so.

Top smart!