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!

More News Of Vinnie

As you know Vinnie is going to be working as a Games Maker at the London 2012 Olympic Games with Auntie Jan, however as security is of the utmost he has to be very careful about any of the information he is allowed to divulge and what pictures he is allowed to share, so naturally, for this update we have to abide by the rules of the Games Makers too.

Let us just say that he has begun his robust Olympiad training …. going down to London and the Olympic Park to acclimatize and have a mooch around.

He said that a lovely lady called Dawn had given him a badge that said  '200 days to go' to wear dated 11.2.2012  which he said that he would treasure for ever and ever and ever!

As Darrell was hanging on Vinnie’s every word and snippet of information I could see that he was musing ….. and having deep thoughts (for Darrell) of a very meaningful nature …..

“You know what Vinnie, if you were a food I’d describe you as roast beef and Yorkshire pudding followed by apple pie and custard ……. because you are traditional good honest fayre through and through!!!!” and then followed that thought by  “ ...... and if you were a  smell you would reek of Team Spirit!”

Oh Darrell, what is he like? But I know it was just his way of showing Vinnie how immensely proud we are of him and of what he has and will achieve in the coming months.  Goooooooo Vinnie, Gooooooo Vinnie, Goooooooo Vinnie! 

Heaven help us if Darrell starts to liken Vinnie to a musical instrument or piece of foliage etc. the possibilities and reasoning's could be positively endless!

Can’t Cook … Shouldn’t Cook!

Well, we finally had our pancakes at eight o’clock last night, so it was more like a pancake supper!  Things started out well, but I think Darrell was tired and his powers of concentration slightly lacking after a days rush laminating, because his pancake tossing skills left a lot to be desired…..

….. and Nigel was, to be honest, more of a hindrance than a help.
However, though most of the pancakes looked a little dodgy holey they tasted almost delicious.

We let Nigel have the first one, which he proceeded to cover with a mahoooosive mountain of squirty cream, which hid his blueberries!

We all agreed the pancakes were worthy of six noms, but that there was room for improvement, and at least we have another year for Darrell to perfect his art!

It’s Pancake Day!

Darrell and Nigel were up at 6.30 this morning making pancake batter for our tea tonight. We are all going to be late home (due to a hectic work schedule)  and they thought that if they prepared our Lent Tide repast ahead of time it would mean that frying pans could be akimbo as soon as our keys were in the door later tonight!

Their batter mix of choice this Pancake Day is Betty Crocker “Shake to Make Pancakes” mix, again to save time…..

However there had been robust discussion about how many pancakes we each thought we could eat ….. Darrell decided we hadn’t got enough of said mix so Nigel was duly sent to get another one ….

…. and then he, in turn, decided to get yet another one “to fill in any gaps we had left!” …….. he is definitely getting as bad as Darrell!

Next followed the stringent following of instructions ……

…… add water and shake ……

……. for about 30 seconds ………..

…… but trust those two to shake for so long that they both went all dizzy and faint! What are they like?  Anyway the mix is now in the fridge, shaken and not stirred, and awaits our return!

Choose A Chunky Champion …..

We would very much like to make an highly informed decision before we finally choose our KitKat Chunky Champion through a full and robust sampling process of all four new chunky bars BUT…..

…. though we have obtained the orange and double choc varieties, the peanut butter and the white chocolate ones remain very much an enigma to us.  We have even sent Auntie Jan on a mission to find them for us …. and even she can’t find them. We only have till the 24th February to vote, quelle dommage, we may have to withhold our vote!

Vinnie–Dancing On Ice

Vinnie The Volunteer has such a romantic life, far more romantic that the world of rush photocopying and laminating.  Recently he came back from volunteering at the European Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield.

He said it was very cold and was thankful of his thermal undies and the  small hot water bottle that he had secreted about his person.  He surprised us a bit by saying that he wasn’t in the least bit tempted to don a pair skates, a lycra all in one and do a “Robin Cousins”, saying that with London 2012 so close he could almost taste it, he couldn’t risk a broken leg or any other such ice bound injury.

Talking of Robin Cousins, Vinnie said that he had brushed past him several times in the corridor each day and what a pleasant gentleman he was. He also said that he had to show Linda Barker, Sue Barker where she could erm … powder her nose.  What romantic encounters and bless him, Vinnie doesn’t allow himself to get at all starry eyed but remains the consummate professional at all times

Vinnie said that as this was his first “Ice Event” watching how they maintain the ice was almost as fascinating as watching the dancing.

Vinnie also remarked that the merchandise was very nice, but once you’ve seen one range of sporting t-shirts, back packs and mugs you’ve pretty much seen them  all, but as he got a very nice fleece, polo shirt and accreditation as part of his uniform it was little wonder he wasn’t tempted