The First Snowdrops of 2015

Nigel stands at the same bus stop, every morning, at exactly the same time  and believe me he notices EVERYTHING.

But yesterday morning he saw something very special that he swears he absolutley, catagorically, knew, hadn’t been there the morning before ……

…….. because he would have seen them ……

…… and it was a very, very, special poignant something ………. the snowdrops were out

…… and snowdrops were Granny Shelia’s very favourite, flower of choice and we  always gave her a bunch or pot of them for her birthday, on February 8th.

Needless to say it was a wonderful awe and wonder moment for Nigel……..

……. especially, as I said at the start, he swears they weren’t there yesterday.……. !!!! He says it’s a sign.  Perhaps he’s right, perhaps it’s Granny Shelia’s way of saying she is still watching over us.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

Yesterday,  it snowed …….
…… sadly, it was but a short lived, fleeting flurry…….

………. but the snowflakes were of such robust size and magnitude …….  …… that it bought our office to a momentary standstill and Nigel rushing excitedly from the kitchen and his sauce rotational duties to share a brief moment of awe and wonder with Darrell………..

……. sat sitting ooooooing and ahhhhhing on the office step, hoping it would snow, and snow, and snow ……. and afford Nigel the snowily romantic pleasure of ……….

…… “doing” a proper snow angel!!!

Holiday Inn Earplugs

Oh good grief …. one of Nigel’s plundered treasures from his and Darrell’s Holiday Inn adventure (apart from his assorted the door signs) was a set of earplugs!

Simple things …… but for someone like Nigel they hold a very great allure and not a little intrigue.

However, Nigel doesn’t really have the ears for earplugs, the earplugs being sizably larger than his actual ears ……

……. but,  since when has the impossible ever eluded Nigel …..

…… even when he has to wear the outside his ears!!!  What is he like?

Taking An Absolute Liberty

I think that perhaps Nigel may now be on the verge of robustly pushing all my buttons of a patience type nature …………….

Nigel………………………!!!!!!!

Don’t Push It Nigel!

One night in a Holiday Inn, a returning suitcase containing a few “acquired” souvenirs of choice ……………… and Nigel is trying his luck ……

I have told him in no uncertain terms that breakfast will be available at the  the kitchen table as per usual chez Castle Greysquirrell………

He can sit up in bed in an expectant type nature ‘till the cows come home,…because breakfast in bed just aint happening!!!  And when he does eventually come down, he may well find he’s missed out completely, as I might have already cleared the table away!!!  What is he like?

Despite their very frustrating disappointment at the weekend,  Darrell and Nigel did manage, upon their return to Castle Greysquirrel, to retrieve these tiny snippets from their phones of their memorable Queen and Adam Lambert experience ..... before their batteries died ......

Not the best recordings I know, you might just about hear Darrell's enthusiast, audience participation "warbling" in the background if you listen very carefully, but, if you can't, perhaps that isn't a bad thing!  At least he had the good sense not to wave his phone in time to the music or we wouldn't even be able to give you what little we have!

However .....always looking on the brighter and more philosophical side of life, Nigel has mused that they might just have to do the weekend again, but minus the concert, which would mean that they would be able to do a proper comestible reviews on their morning after, mahooooooosive Breakfast Bap that they very much enjoyed at the Holiday Inn, featuring two sausages, three slices of bacon with a fried egg on top ... plus their pre-concert Pizza Express Pizzas and not forgetting the awe and wonder of the Birmingham Library ...... I have told him that I will have think about it!!!

Darrell and Nigel See Queen and Adam Lambert

From all accounts Darrell and Nigel’s long felt want to see Queen and Adam Lambert in Birmingham with overnight stay at the Holiday Inn was a wonderful and at times MOST emotional occasion

  …….. they arrived home yesterday afternoon in a very tired (and the aforementioned emotional)state ...... but starkly lacking in any of our usual meticulous and robust photographic evidence!!!

According to a very disappointed Darrell, it was a total, malfunctional digital breakdown of ridiculous proportion, that just seem to conspire again us …. the first being that he found that “someone” had omitted to put the memory card back in the camera after downloading, other less important pictures.

However,  not wishing to be defeatist,  he and Nigel thought that at least they had their the cameras on their phones, as back up, or so they thought ……. but due to other weird and spooky factors beyond their control, both their phones went into melt down …. and battery power of both seemed to deplete in seconds, within minutes of each other!!!  In all our time of globetrotting, home and abroad this combination of disasters has never happened to us, but a trip to Brum just defeated them!

And, to make things worse, neither of them packed their phone charger (after all, they were barely away from home for 24hrs so who thought they would need them?  So obviously, now, they have nothing to show of their hotel stay, shopping expedition, trip to the new Birmingham Library or the many considered snacks and meals they nommed ………!!!

Unless you include their midnight feast of a family pack of Nik Naks après concert ……

Still, as a said, very emotional Darrell mused, all the music and pictures are firmly in his head and will remain there for always, he didn’t need photos  …… he had seen Queen ……. he had sung with unfettered gusto along to every single song and his air clapping to Radio Gaga, according to Nigel was “memorable” ……

An Unexpected Tea Time Bonus Treat For Nigel and I!

Yesterday, Darrell was invited to afternoon tea by one of his ladies what lunches …….

……… but who fancied a spot of afternoon tea instead!!!

Now, Darrell generally prides himself on having an appetite of a particularly robust type nature, but even he was a little taken aback, as this was an afternoon tea that just kept on giving!

There were hot and cold savouries, assorted sandwiches with the most romantic fillings, as well as dainty crisps, coleslaw and tiny hot sausages pieces, he said, served in the most wonderful spicy sauce.

And the cakes …… poor Darrell….. there a choice of such full and ample sufficiency, that it made his mind reel and a considered decision almost impossible! Plus, there were mahooooooosive scones with cream and mini meringues also included, all served on a mixture of vintage plates and as many pots of tea as Darrell and his lady friend could sip from dainty mis-matched cups and saucers.

After a most valiant effort of much nomming Darrell had to admit to being well and truly defeated and apologising profusely had to ask if it it would be possible to have perhaps a doggy bag, or two, or three  …….

…… as he knew two people who would greatly appreciate what he couldn’t manage…..

…….. to wit Nigel and my good self!!

Let’s just say “the nomming was thronging” throughout Castle Greyskull ……when Darrell began to open his boxes and profer his comestible leftovers.

And, Darrell noted in his little black book that his afternoon rendezvous might also be a most excellent place to entertain Hugh on his next State Visit ……..

…… as Hugh is exceedingly partial to a well filled finger sandwich and muffin combo …… accompanied by an Oreo milkshake!

http://www.gluttonstettenhall.co.uk/

January 22nd Glitch

Our apologies ….. an undiscovered glitch in our scheduling programme prevented yesterdays post from appearing …….i.e someone forgot to set the time for 00.00!!!  Doh!

Nigel Starts To Compile His Valentine’s Day Wish List ………. ?????

Valentines Day is fast approaching, to which Nigel has been giving much considered thought there of!!!!

……. pondering as to what  he might ask Cupid for this year??????!!!!!!!  Goodness only knows where he has got the idea that Cupid brings gifts of a heart type nature on Valentines Day, but I strongly suspect that Darrell may be involved somewhere along the line!!!

However, I can categorically state here and now that there will be no realistic, squelchy, beating hearts or body exploration kits delivered to Castle Greysquirrel on February 14th!!!!! Sometimes, I just despair!!!!

May Contain Adult Language And Robust Offensiveness

A couple of people have e-mailed us asking if we are watching Celebrity Big Brother this time round. Well, yes we are, but ONLY when we know Nigel is firmly ensconced and safely asleep upstairs ……. at it has been very strong meat …….

……. certainly not for the faint hearted ……

……. and very robustly far removed from our own sedate lives Chez Castle Greysquirrel!

Yes, we like the occasional lively and pertinent debate, but never of an overheated, sweary and unsavoury type nature.

And as for adult language or chat,  well, we very rarely go beyond the odd poo or bum,  and only when things get a totally overwrought does a random “willy” get thrown in ……but these, I have to stress, would only be used in the most exceptional of circumstances.

If we should ever be invited to enter the Celebrity Big Brother House I think we would prove to be the most boring, untattooed, fully clothed, housemates ever, who would just mutter the words “nom nom nom” to drown out all the fall outs or as a response on being asked our opinion on peoples questionable behaviour  …… but would try to be very polite and amusing in the diary room!!!

At the moment, our much considered one vote per week is being used wisely in an effort to get Perez out …… to put it as politely as possible, he is just not our sort of person!

And Still In Ikea

Look ……. Ikea have named an oven glove after our Baby Iris …..

We are soooooooo proud and robustly blessed in a Hello Magazine, special issue type way!!!!!

Ikea Pencil Amnesty

I am not very pleased with Nigel at all  ….. and we have had words!
Unbeknownst to me, as we were going around Ikea on Saturday …………
………. Nigel was availing himself of several pencils from every pencil box he passed …….

…… and I did wonder why he rattled slightly as he headed towards the exit a bit sharpish, as I paid for our items at the self service checkout.

However, it was not until we got home and he asked if I happened to have a spare, plastic box that he could put things in ………..

………. that I found the full extent of his erm ……….. misdemeanour.
One or two pencils I wouldn’t have minded, but this was wayyyyyyyyy too many!  What on earth was he thinking of?

He said he had thought they would be very useful in the kitchen at work for ticking things off with …… as no one could ever seem to find a pencil.  A noble intention, but I told him that no doubt, his actions, though of innocent intent, would no doubt have been spotted on the CCTV.Poor Nigel, his expression was one of complete horror, picturing himself standing in the dock, before a judge passing sentence and condemning him sternly with the immortal words “Take him down”. 

“They had so many,” he said “I didn’t think they would miss a few!  I promise, promise, promise to return them all next time we go or even post them back to them! I don’t want to go to prison…..I am too young!!!!!!! ”

I told him that I doubted any harm had been done and Ikea did have a lot of said pencils but it might be wise in the future not to make a habit of helping himself to more than one ….. per visit! 

…..http://metro.co.uk/2004/07/30/have-you-got-an-ikea-pencil-585775/