Nigel Embraces Fairtrade Fortnight.

It’s Fairtrade Fortnight at work and Nigel has had a robust yen to try the recipes that the young ladies have come up with using Fairtrade products, of which the best two have been made by Cook and will be on sale, in the Ref, for the next two weeks.

It was a tough decision on the first day of production for Nigel as he would have liked to have tried both Amy’s Apple Spiced Muffin and Navenna’s Easy Peesy Lemon Squeezie Slice at the same time so he could compare and contrast, but unfortunately he only had a pound left on his account.

So after much umming and errrring Nigel eventually plumped for an apple muffin

……. and the sigh from the queue of girls that had banked up behind him was tangible!

We have now made sure that Nigel’s account is well topped up because Cook is very strict and won't put anything on tick ….

…. and hopefully tomorrow the queue will move much faster because Nigel has already decided that his morning snack of choice will be the Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezie

Darrell Goes To See Billy Connolly And Develops Temporary Tourette's Syndrome

Lucy treated Darrell to tickets to see Billy Connolly in Wolverhampton  on Friday Night, he was like a bottle of fizzy pop all day.

……. but unfortunately he has now developed a rather fragrant vocabulary, and I have been forced to take robust action of an avoidance and damage limitation type nature!!!

Lucy said he NEVER stopped laughing for the entire evening  and at several junctures she had worried as to whether he would be able to catch his breathe and start breathing normally again …… but now we have got to  stop him slipping in the odd unsavoury word ….. I have told him it’s OK for Billy Connolly …….. he is a professional ……

…… but in the world of rush photocopying and laminating and in front of Nigel it is not clever and it is not funny!!!!!

What is he like???!!!!

Microwavable Popcorn

Heaven help me, Darrell and Nigel have discovered microwave popcorn and now it is their televisual snack of choice while watching amongst other programmes Coach Trip, Come Dine With Me and Time Team.

“Each box contains three packets, which each produce a mahoooosive amount of popcorn” Darrell told me … “So that’s …..  three evenings worth for 99p …… so that’s 33p a night …… so it’s all very economical!” which I think is his justification for us now having a cupboard full of the stuff!

When they are preparing their evening snackette Darrell and Nigel put their ears right up close to the microwave door (which I don’t think is an entirely safe thing to do) waiting for the last pop!

Sweet is their favourite variety at the moment …..

…….. but I am not too happy about finding “bits” on the floor in the lounge ……..

because I know the little blighters have spat them out at high velocity across the room when they have taken a whole handful of the said popcorn and have found unpopped bits in their mouths, absolutely disgusting!

Chillin’

When I want a little time to myself away from the brouhaha …

I like to go up to my room and play a little patience.

It helps to clear my head!

Good Grief!

Nigel has found a little place in the garden to muse and reflect  ….

….. and Darrell is trying his best to persuade him to wear a beard and pointy hat …..and hold a fishing rod!  How many times have I told Darrell that Nigel DOES NOT need to be encouraged??!!

29th February 2012 – Leap Day?

We are very excited because 2012 is a Leap Year (or intercalary/ bissextile year, if you want to be posh) and it’s something we have never experienced before, so our excitement is both palpable and tangible at the same time!

However we are not really sure what to expect, all we know is that it only happens every four years and we get an extra day rush photocopying and laminating, which is always good! We understand too that we could be proposed to at any second by a young lady, but since we now have a mutual understanding with Tallulah, that seems unlikely to happen!

…. But do we give and receive cards and presents and stuff  …… or do we feast greatly? There doesn’t seem to be any 29th February protocol for us to follow, though we have searched the subject robustly on the internet.

So we have made decided to make up our own traditions, …… we are celebrating with the exchanging small ornamental frogs and having a  tea which will include Leap Cakes ….. they are only really misshaped chocolate teacakes, but judging from the shop Darrell bought them from and the closeness of the sell by date we are taking a Leap of Faith by eating them!!!!!!

HAPPY LEAP DAY 2012!

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to everyone who’s birthday it is today, it must be lovely to have an extra special nativity, but we much prefer having our birthdays (and presents) every year!

From Russia With Love

None of us, in the Rush Photocopying and Laminating Crew are scheduled to go on any school trips this year, but Darrell’s friend The Luvvvverly Stephanie, has just got back from “The Russian Trip” and had secreted a little present for him amongst her luggage.

It was a bar of Russian chocolate, very romantically packaged, embellished heavily in gold and with equally romantic Russian writing on it, though we don’t have a clue what it says …. however we have deduced that as there was a picture of a cognac glass on it some alcohol may be included amongst it’s ingredients ….

Needless to say Darrell was thrilled and we shall conduct a very robust confectionary review in the next day or two, though Nigel will not be allowed to take part.

Stephanie also said that she had missed Darrell awfully while she was away and had in fact pined for him a little.  What is she like???  And what has Darrell got that makes the ladies love him so much????

Some Me Time - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Andy has been collecting a lot tokens from the Esso garage lately for free cinema tickets and asked me if there was a film I would like to go and see, so I perused the local paper and said that I quite fancied The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel as I very much admired Dame Judi Dench and Bill Nighy and that it looked like a gentle comedy for a Sunday afternoon.

With that Andy presented me with my free ticket, dropped me off at the Showcase Cinema and told me to enjoy some “Me Time” and that he’d see me when it finished….

I had got there in plenty of time and availed myself of a latte ….. but bypassed the popcorn and pick n’mix ….. and tried to look inauspicious unsuspicious …..

…… because secreted upon my person I had a big bag of Butterkist. Please don’t dob me in …. I am trying to save my money for some special things …

The film was most excellent, I laughed aloud and it made me feel all fuzzy inside in a mature sort of way….

But, I would pay extra, even with a free ticket, if they would do away with the Pearl and Dean ads and trailers …… although, saying that, The Muppets also looks like an excellent film, very suitable for Darrell and Nigel

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1412386/reviews

For Safe Keeping ….

Did this picture of Darrell put you in mind of a young Sean Connery doing a bit of cheeky safe cracking ....... ?

....... and now, perhaps, you  are worrying that Darrell has taken up nefarious acts of wrong doing?

No …… he’s just locking his lunch box away for safe keeping ….

He says his Marmite and Dairy Lea Triangle baps are very precious to him and a source of temptation to others !  What is he like?

Good Grief!

Oh Darrell ……. he thinks it would be a good idea to keep an eye on our individual blood pressures in the privacy of our own home and fun to see how mine in particular goes up and down during various situations of a domestic and stressful type nature!

I told him in no uncertain terms that this sort of device was not to be looked upon as some sort of computer game for the amusement of family and friends……. ……. he says he has arranged for a free demonstration, I despair!

Amaryllis …. Amaryllis …

Poor Nigel, after a promising start with his amaryllis,  the half term holiday unfortunately put paid to any horticultural dream that he had been harbouring…..

Despite a robust beginning,  the plant decided to bloom while Nigel wasn’t there to tend it, as a result  it’s flowers became so heavy that both stems simply keeled over, and someone on the caretaking staff decided to lob them off, stem and all,  to prevent any further suffering ….. without Nigel ever seeing the flowers,  he was devastated!

Even Darrell was visibly upset for Nigel and the plant …… it all seemed so final!.

There was also no way of softening the blow for Nigel that Darrell’s amaryllis had continued to thrive during the holiday, and had also blossomed but without any of the aforesaid dire consequences.

But though proud, Darrell did not gloat, and underplayed his joy and pride in his plant …….

…… and said that Nigel could take care of the second shoot that was now thriving…. and should look upon it as his own.

Poor Nigel ….. nature can be a cruel mistress!