To have and to hold...

Till death us do part???

Who's bloody stupid idea was that??

On this day 10 years ago (24th June 2000) I married my rock star hubby.. doo dah.. what's his name? Rich!! thats right.. sorry.. I only ever really call him "Twat"...or "Shit bag" or some other equally scathing but scarily accurately descriptive swear word..LOL.

Yes 10 years.. or 120 months.. or 3652 days ago (shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!!!!! thats a LONG time!!!) I, momentarily blinded by love, rushed in and said "I do".. shortly after I realised I probably should have paused and first asked... "is this one of my better ideas?" or "what's in it for me?".

Ten years of washing Savage socks.. and .. well actually I don't think I need to go any further down the list of "OH MY GOD!! I didn't sign up for this?!?!?" reasons of why I should have backed out that day cos 10 years of washing Savage socks would be enough to turn a lesser woman to divorce...lol.

So what was in it for me?

Well..it wasn't diamonds... which is a bugger really cos I do like a nice diamond...lol

and it wasn't for the money.. cos its only the past couple of years that we've actually had any..lol

it wasn't for the rock and roll lifestyle at all really cos we're not exactly turning down the boys from MTV Cribs yet are we?? lol

So really.. the last 10 years.. in short..

Well to be honest, at times..there've been a few of these...



but there was a whole lot of this..



a lil bit of this too.. ;)



which in turn caused this.. LOL



yep.. that was one of our finest moments..and these too..



(Angelina on the left and Heather on the right.)

So it's not been all bad.. and we're still smiling.. guess I could wash those socks for a wee while longer...

Happy Anniversary Mr S... love u. xx

We're gonna score one more than yooooooooooo!!!!!!!

or maybe not...

The World Cup 2010 is in full swing now and England have played 2 of their 3 group matches...

so far we haven't won either. I am reliably informed by the football lovers in the house that this is NOT good.

It's a shame really cos things started off so well..hahah

Englands first game was Saturday 12th and although we knew the USA were no push over it was widely expected that we'd win..

kids got excited, Rich got excited out came the England shirts and the face paint... it was going great.

Rich decided we'd watch the match in HD so there we are all singing and laughing and happy and a few minutes in the channel cut to a commercial.. oops think I, someone's head'll roll for that one.. fancy cutting to commercial in the middle of the game! What happened if someone had scored?? wait a minute... oh its back on.. why is Steven Gerrard running around with a big grin on his face...wtf is all that cheering...? WHERE DID THE BALL GO?!?!?! Oooh For F*@&'s sake!!!!!!!!!

yeah.. we missed the goal. The air in our house was blue.. and that was from Jake..LOL just kidding ;)

SO needless to say it wasn't a great start to our World Cup. The match finished with 1-1 draw too.. (yes a DRAW, its not a TIE for my US friends..lol)

so whilst we're on the subject of draws and the USA.. the next day this was splashed across the headlines.. you'll have to hit the link cos I can't reprint the pic. lol

"USA wins 1-1"

o_O I think something went wrong somewhere... anyway, fair play to the USA, they've had a couple of good games so far, good luck to them.. but its a draw ffs.. not a tie and you didnt win. lol.

Then we wake up next morning and Rich has a big scab on his nose and some nice blotches on his forehead and cheeks.. he wouldn't let me take pictures but I can tell you I think he has an allergy to face paint.. this does not impress him as he wanted to dress up as Ace Freeley (sp?) later ;) heh. He also had to go play an open air gig with his band infront of lots of people.. poor blotchy faced git. lol.

Moving on... then we come to this weekend and Friday's match with Algeria in which England were abysmal..basically but I felt for the poor lads, it wasnt going their way at all and I knew that they all knew they'd be slated in tomorrow's press and then some.. which has to be horrible really, the British tabloids can be sooooooo bitchy...lol

So just as I'm feeling all soft and sorry for them I also have to cheer up a crushed 8 year old and talk down an irrate 39 yr old..but then..to top it all off as the match finishes our beloved striker Wayne Rooney just can't help gobbing off at camera with this little nugget.



er... excuse me Wayne?

and all of a sudden I have very little sympathy for the man that's paid millions to put a itty bitty ball in the back of a big net... something that has so far escaped him on 2 nights running now despite him supposedly being a footballer of the highest quality.

So... now I feel that maybe Mr Wayne "Paddy Pants" Rooney needs a swift kick up the arse or a hairy hand around his windpipe as someone reminds him of the job at hand here...

So what's gone wrong? Well.. apparently some of the players don't like the way the manager, Fabio Capello who I am told hails originally from Italy, doesn't bond with his players properly.. yes apparently he sometimes walks past them and doesnt talk to them...

all together now... "awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww".. pass me the worlds smallest violin pleeeeease.. how ridiculous. The man is Italian and his English isn't very good and quite frankly if faced with a bunch of petuant overpaid morons like the England Squad moaning about how their wives just don't understand the need for them to have a skank mistress over my morning coffee I'm not sure I'd say "hi" very often either.

Next complaint is.. he wont let the WAGs go to South Africa to be with their men.

and rightly bloody so!!!!! They're WORKING!!! I don't get to go and stand in Richard's kitchen all day looking pretty and being distracting do I?? noooooooooo. Do I get my bus fare to Saltaire paid by the British Tax payer to do some shoe shopping whilst he's at work? no.. stupid people... leave the women at home and play football... thats why you're there.

Next.. they have to relax in their hotel rooms for at least 5 hours a day... well bugger me lads life's a bitch isn't it?

Next.. they dont like that Capello doesn't announce his game team until 2 hours before the game.. now I dont see whats so bad about this, in fact I think its a good idea.. it means that everyone is prepared to play.. there is no late change to the team, no last minute panics from the players, they're all fit and wound up to do the job because they have to be as they're told who is playing and then they play.. simple as. Job done.
But they're whining.. cos they don't like it... probably cos they cant go get drunk the night before the match if they don't know whether they're playing or not..hmm.. thats not a bad thing believe me.

Next...they dont like the formation 4-4-2.
Well tough boys, these are management decisions and you're not management. Feel free to air your grievances and say how you think it should be dont (doesn't every other man in the country have something to say about the England managers job?) but at the end of the day you're their to play the game and you're supposed to be top quality professional players - you should be able to play in any formation your manager see's fit. 4-4-2 has seen you ok so far so stop whining, get your boots on and off you go play.

Whats wrong with them?

Well they're spoilt and overpaid and they think that have earned the right to have it their own way.. well no sorry.. but you didn't. Bring home that trophy and then we'll talk about your way..

There are a number of ways to fix this.. performance related pay. I'm not sure if they actually get paid to play for England but I know if they had prp at the clubs then we'd soon see a difference in the game.

I think instead of being torn apart by the press - which he will be if England lose this next match with Slovenia - Capello should be supported in his efforts to bring these petulant 5 yr olds back down to earth and if that means that John Terry doesn't get to play this Wednesday because he's still having a hissy fit and stamping his feet because he lost his position as Captain then tough.. or maybe Rooney should be reminded that no one is indispensible and actually there'll be other world cups and other top strikers that actually score goals...

Personally I'd shuffle the team and make it impossible for them to win and sod them all...teach them a lesson but he won't.. because this is football and the thought that we might actually win is more important.

Well now we HAVE to win the next match tomorrow to go through..but Rooney and the boys aren't happy, the team haven't been named yet and Capello's still giving them nothing, and nor should he imo... unless its a slap.. yeah he can give them one of those each..lol

It'll be a hard job and the nation will sit with our hearts in our mouths at 3pm tomorrow afternoon..but we'll still believe, because we're England.. and thats what we do.



Good luck boys. x

Old...much?

So I had ANOTHER birthday...

I thought they were supposed to stop when a girl hit 29?

I mean really.. what girl needs reminding of her age and the impending doom of all that goes with it??

Wrinkles..grey hair.. sagging..well..everything actually!!!

Who needs it??? Not me.. so why celebrate the ageing process?

err... whilst we're on the subject, I would just like to take this opportunity to inform you all that I do not have a single grey hair (YAY ME!!) and its not because I haven't dyed my hair lately (as some tw*t suggested the other day. lol) because I'm a lazy bitch and I haven't dyed my hair for months ..haha.
Nor do I have wrinkles.. (shut up.. they're laughter lines), everything is hanging south however.. oh pfft.. yours would be too if you'd breast-fed twins!!!

So.. old age. I am officially 'middle-aged' according to my Mother who took great pleasure in sharing this with me, yes she enjoyed this fact very much until I reminded her of what my middle age-dom made her. heh.

35 apparently is half of the average life span, that being 70 yrs of age.. now we all know this is rubbish really because its not an exact science and you never know how long you're gonna get but as approximations go its not bad.. lol if I get to 70 then I've had 13 yrs more than my Dad so I guess I would be winning at that.

Of course if I die on my 70th birthday I'm gonna be pissed off. I read somewhere that Gwyneth Paltrow gave up smoking on the condition that she could start again on her 70th birthday as it wouldn't make much difference to her life span at that point.. and that sounds like a reasonable thing to do to me and if its good enough for Gwyneth.. who am I to argue with a Hollywood legend? So by the time I get my next smoke I will have lived my whole life again... wow.. that's kind of mind-blowing really..lol

So.. In addition to a well-deserved smoke (hey.. if I live the next 35 years with Rich without burying him under the patio it will be way beyond 'well deserved'..) I have what to look forward to over the next 35 years?? Ooooh!!!! let's make a list!!!

• Grey hair.. as you know.. I have none currently, so I have this joy to look forward too.
• false teeth - don't joke about it.. I broke one the other week.. it's just a matter of time now.
• Old lady beard - ew... I will NEVER have one of those.. I'm armed with tweezers scouting for chin pubes as I type!!!
• Tena lady - no.. just no.. if I start to smell like pee then SHOOT ME.. I refuse to be Grandma sitting in the corner smelling of pee..
  
• Purple rinse.. I'm actually secretly looking forward to this one..I'm having purple and Ali's getting blue and we're gonna sit on a bench in the Memorial park in Cleck moaning about "the youth of today!!" - LOVE IT.
• Upon reaching 50 I will have spent approx 5 years of my life "queuing" for various things.. 5 YEARS waiting in a bloody queue!!! To know this will completely piss me off.. avoid me on 3 June 2025 cos I'll be really grumpy that day..lol
• Arthritis, plastic hips & knee joints, pace makers, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, senility, dementia, senility, menopause, senility... lol

The list is endless and I haven't even thought further than 40 yet.. Rich must be shitting himself!!! HAHAHA

ohhhhhh.. why do we bother? See in ye olden years gone by we didn't. Life was short with many people not living past their 30's and its easy to see why now with all the things that are yet to befall me. It's hard to imagine though, I can't begin to think that I've seen it all or done it all at this age (although I've done quite a lot of things.. and not all good too!! lol) I remember many years ago (see? old I am) my Mother telling me that she still felt 17 in her head..
Well I do too but then I open my eyes and look down at where my tits used to be and yeah.. I'm feeling 35 again pretty quick.. I can't imagine how I'll feel when I'm tucking them in to my pants..LOL ew.. sorry.. wrong on soooooooooooooooo many levels.

So.. I decree that from henceforth and doo dah jobby whatsits that birthdays should count backwards from 30 starting now and I shall be 29 again...

hmmm... what was I doing at 29??

oh... I was just about to give birth to twins.. aw crap...lol

I might need to re-think this..

xx

Welcome to the twiglet zone...

Ok I think that most of you that visit here know me quite well right?

Well then you'll know that although I've never been the most "sensible" person at times my feet are usually quite firmly planted on the ground right? hmmm.. or are they?

Well I like to think I have a nice strong hold of my mind... all marbles are present and correct and currently intact too (YAY!! I'm winning!!) and although I sometimes have to juggle them (usually the waking hours or when my children are present..lol), they are still all there after my (almost) 35 years.. and I don't think thats too bad really.. I mean I do live with Richard for a start..lol

Anyway.. I being me, I figured I'd seen pretty much everything.. or I'd heard about it at least heh ;)

I have most things covered too.. I'm a good judge of character and I'm not exactly known for taking prisoners should the occasion for a vulgar display of temper arise.. I don't suffer fools much these days.. oh come on..why should I? Some people are just plain stupid lol.

I know who I am, who my friends are, what I want from them and they from me..and that's ok.

Yep I am truly displaying all the traits of a proper grown up.. I am who I am and not only that but I am now accepting of this too and feel zero need to change for anyone - which is novel for a start..lol

Ok.. so why has 30 minutes in a little room with short, skinny woman turned me upside down and left me re evaluating everything I thought I already knew?




Well.. this woman is no ordinary woman.. this woman is a psychic medium. *enter strange 'noo noo noo noo' twiglet zone music*.

One thing I've never been sure of is all things spiritual. The whole paranormal activity thing gives me the chills and I'm not afraid to admit that I avoid spooky supernatural type movies due largely to fact that they scare the crap out of me and I also avoid Tarot cards and Ouija boards and the like with an absolute "no way" stance at all times.. so why? Why would I even think of entertaining the idea of a visit to a psychic?

Well the opportunity arose...the thought that I may find some much needed answers ate away at me and well, have you ever known me to not do something just because I was scared?? no.. thats what I thought too.. I did however take my Mum.. purely as back up - obviously, she's a reet double 'ard bitch my Mum... LOL

So off we went to and being as I'm such a polite and well brought up kinda girl I made her go first.. lol.
Well when she came out she was crying (my Mum - not the medium.. haha), not balling her eyes out but weeping a little anyway.. most unusual for my double 'ard Mum.

So then I had to go in because my Grandpa wouldn't leave until he'd said hello.. my first reaction was to laugh.. it'd been many years since Nick and I had been close and although I did love him v much I had spent along time angry with him for various things and we hadn't really spoken for quite a while before his death and so the little pendulum of belief inside me swung towards the non believing/skeptic part of me.. because I wasn't convinced he would have wanted to speak to me I suppose.

So I sit and she tells me various bits and pieces and I'm not convinced at all.. at first I feel like I'm giving her maybe too much information... like you do when you meet a new person and you talk.. I'm very conscious of the things she is asking without actually asking if you see what I mean.. I know 'these people' can gleam information from anything and I am acutely aware of the fact that I can be an 'open book' at times (I have that kind of face..lol) and so I shut my mouth and concentrate on giving basic answers and little info.

She tells me my Grandad (who is my mums Dad) doesn't understand why he's there with my father.. which is understandable really.. my Grandad died in January aged 80-something and my father 5 months later aged 57, it would be reasonable for him to be confused by the very early death of my Dad.

She gives me names...

John (my Dad's father) and George which was his second/middle name (John George),
M.. "Is it Mary??" - yes it is she's my Dad's Mum..
"Jane.." my Mum's mum and the Grandad (Mum's Dad) who is very well spoken... yes he was and "he has another wife ... W?"

er... bugger me yes.. Wendy

Wendy, she tells me.. isn't in spirit but is very poorly... (remember this..its important later..lol)

then my Dad.. who she said was smiling and came in close to me and just like that the tears fill my eyes immediately.

I have to say at this part I figured she'd spoken of my Dad with my mum before so she'd known he'd passed but as it happens she hadn't.. my Mum told of her current husband but not my Dad...

There was much talk of my Dad, the usual things such as "he's very proud of you.. he loves you very much.. thinks you're a great mum" etc etc.. all the things that a father would say to his daughter that anyone could say psychic or not..and there are the other bits..

"your Dad goes to the caravan with you" - we didn't start going to the caravan until the summer he died so that threw me a bit..Then she said something about only having a few photos and were some of them copied? I have to say I did almost fall off my chair there.

if we go back to here, this is the letter I wrote to my Dad the night before his funeral. scroll down to the bottom to the p.s...I had originally written the letter on paper and copied/scanned some special photos of us all and put it in an envelope and then in his casket to take with him to read on his journey so to speak.. and everytime I write another letter to him here on his birthday or the anniversary etc, I always spend ages choosing and scanning photos to put with it.. there is no way she could have known that. She also said that he wished I'd picked a better one when his hair looked better..lol bless him..

and so it went on.. there were bits that made me laugh like "Have you been looking at shoes lately?" heh.. duh.. when am I not? "Dad says 'Get em'" - er.. yes.. I undoubtedly will and at this point my pendulum of belief is firmly swinging towards the big sign saying "I'm a believer!!!" lol.. I'm soooooooooooo shallow..hehehe

Then there were various things about the kids, our family, the presence of an old dog with Dad (we did have a dog many years ago..) and I continued to swing between believing and not.. it's a strange feeling, that moment that she pulls something out of no where and floors you with it.

"your Dad said 'when you're dead you're dead but bugger me if I can find a way to come back and haunt you then I will" is that right?"

wtf?!?! and I pick myself up off the floor, nod my head and thinking yeah.. thats right.. and virtually word for word too.

I can't explain it.. can you?

After I felt better. I slept like a baby that evening and although I'm not completely convinced there were definitely some things said that she couldn't possibly have known.. I'll definitely go again though..

A few days later, Mum and I were comparing notes and we both brought up Grandad's second wife Wendy.. if you've been paying attention you will remember I mentioned earlier that our psychic friend mentioned Wendy was ill to me, well she had told us to get in touch with her and so as we know she's fairly old we figured it was probably guess work - I mean anyone can say someone old is sick right? But to be safe we decided Mum should ring her anyway.

this is over a week ago.. Mum wasn't getting an answer from Wendy's phone number and had been leaving messages... last night she finally managed to get through.

Wendy's in the hospital.



ya.. freaked me out too..

noo noo noo noooooooooooooo!!!!!!




p.s. I'm looking on google for the crystal ball pic and I type in "psychic medium" and click images and it gives me this...



WTF IS THAT?!?!?!?!?!?! o_O

can't stop laughing... gonna pee my pants.. gotta go!! xxx

Dear Dad...

How's the weather up there on your big hill??

It's here again... that day.. I want to say "hateful day" but how can it be the fault of a day? That doesn't make sense... So I change it to read "hurtful" day but the day itself is not hurtful.. indeed its been a beautiful day so far, the sun woke me at the crack of sparrows fart shining softly through the curtains as the birds sang a happy tune... a beautiful morning in May, a morning you would have loved I'm sure.. so "hurtful" isn't the word either..

So I settled on "hurt-filled" I believe.. for that is how I think of today.. filled with hurt and sadness.. as last year and the year before.

Yes.. we're 2 years in.. it doesn't feel any different, it doesn't hurt any less and for that I feel pity.. pity for all who are to find themselves here where I sit.. in my "shoes" so to speak (although you know I'm not wearing any cos you used to always tell me to put some slippers on..lol) in years to come.

They who said it would end were wrong. They who comforted with words of "it gets easier" were kindly hiding the truth at a time when the truth needs to be hidden...

It doesn't end and it doesn't get easier and I can't imagine it ever will. Somethings in life are just wrong, somethings are just unfair and some people are just unlucky..

There is something to be said for the realisation of this - its actually quite liberating in a way. I guess I finally grew up lol.. yeah yeah I know.. its about bloody time right??

ok ok enough with the philosophising... here's what you want to know right?

well... it's been a while now, your grandson is at least a foot taller and is mouthier than ever... but he's so soft and gentle with it too.. I've recently been unwell (don't worry its only tonsillitis I'm not coming up there just yet..lol) and he's been taking care of me.. yes.. apparently what I really need is lots and lots of watching him play video games, copious amounts of his favourite ice cream (I'm allowed one too occasionally) and absolutely ZERO homework for at least 2 weeks... if all this happens I'll be juuuuuuuuuuust fine apparently..lol

He's doing ok.. he avoids schoolwork as often as possible and plays out as much and as late as possible and is generally a proper boy.. he even farts on my leg and invites me to "smmmmell iiiiiiiit!!!!!" .. ahhhh he'd make you soooooooo proud..lol. At the moment he's gearing up for his first world cup tournament (well its actually his second but he was a bit little to remember the last one) and he's got his little panini sticker book and he's spending all my money on stickers.. yeah.. so I'm sick AND skint.. this week is GREAT.

Heather and Angelina are doing brilliantly at school.. Heather is scarily advanced with her reading.. she's reading books on a higher level than some of the kids in Jake's class.. he's convinced she'll catch him up eventually.. she probably will..lol
She's still a Princess.. still wants to be a butterfly - loves all things pink and is currently obsessed with the Wizard of Oz.. yes I blame you for this, you bought the dvd. lol. She sings constantly and reads everything and sings everything she's reading.. lol it's funny. she's a joy to be near actually..

Angelina is in some ways similar (the singing) and in others a polar opposite.. not at all shy she's got a mouth bigger than mine and an attitude to match.. ohhh how much fun will I have when they hit their teens? She's hilariously funny.. she says what she thinks and if you don't like it?? well tough..and yet it's all front and bravado and she likes a nice cuddle as much as anyone.. of course she'd get many more if she'd just shut up for a second!!!! lol They're all mad...

As for the rest of us we're all still here.. Fran and Rosie got big!! and James is the tallest person in the world I'm sure.. Simon is still.. Simon lol and Phil is himself as ever.. lol Shona is smart.. which is good cos she's gonna need to be to go do all that marine biology stuff she wants to do and Zakk is like a mini version of Phil.. right down to the grunt bless him.. Little Albie is so gorgeous.. I wish you could see him..what am I thinking.. I'm sure you probably have..lol

I am 2 years (yes count them 1...2.. T-W-O!!) into my no smoking thing.. can't believe it myself and this year will be celebrating my 10th wedding anniversary.. can't believe it!! SOOOOOOO I went out and you bought me a present... cos I'm 35 this year too.. yeah you bought me a car (thank you very much btw) I still can't drive the damn thing but it sure looks pretty on my driveway...lol. I really should correct that.. I CAN drive it.. just not when there's an examiner sat next to me it appears... I know I know.. I'm trying.. I CAN... I WILL... I MUST.... I think i just lost my nerve a little.. I'll get it back.

And so the world still turns and long summer days loom once more...More memories to make, only this time I'm the grown up behind the camera, taking the photos and not the subject standing sulkily in them lol.. remember this?




I did smile sometimes too though...lol



There are days Dad, when all I seem to do is miss you, sometimes I smile and others I cry.. and I think I'm finally accepting that this is the norm now.. but that's ok too.. I know I like the fact that I still think of you everyday.. I don't want to forget.. not that I ever could forget this face?? lol



"I love you in a place where there's no space or time..
I love you for in my life you are a friend of mine
And when my life is over remember when we were together
We were alone and I was singing this song for you"


See...I remember all kinds of things..

I love you Dad. Miss you always...and then some.

JenJen

xxxxx

Dark days...

I never did like May.. it's too expensive for a start..lol . There are lots of birthdays in May, lots of family members, lots of friends.. wedding anniversaries etc..

I have problems with May for my own reasons, it's not a good month for me.. it's tinged with pain and sadness and haunted with memories of those that are lost that shouldn't be...

Well a few days ago I heard a friend was suffering her own loss...her friend passed quite suddenly from complications of an illness that they had in common. The loss of a friend is so hard to bear... and especially difficult when that friend is not "old enough" to be lost. So to my old friend Lou I offer my most sincere sympathies for the loss of your friend, Charlie. I'll be keeping you both (and Charlie's family) in my thoughts.

It reminded me of my own sadness (as if I need reminding) of what is to come. Next week will be the 2 year anniversary of the death of my father who was 57 at the time and also way too young to leave us.. I have dark days to come.. anniversaries bring a different kind of sadness.. a reminder of what might have been... of what should have been.

We should have been celebrating big things this year.. I'm 35 in a few weeks.. Richard will be 40 in August (how the hell did THAT happen??), we will be celebrating being married for TEN YEARS (!! o_O ) in June and in September my Dad would have been 60.. a few milestones worthy of a few parties indeed.
Instead what we're left with is 2 big birthdays and an impressive (these days..) anniversary with a big Peter shaped hole in them.. and a day in September that I'll climb into a big hole to avoid no doubt.

and yet in some ways still I feel lucky because things may have been very very different..

On this day (11th) in May 1985 a terrible thing happened in my home town. The main stand in the ground at Valley Parade, home of Bradford Football Club caught fire. 11076 fans were in attendance that day and my Dad and little brother (7 at the time) were 2 of them.

Over 3000 were in the stand, thankfully most got out alive but 56 were not so lucky and lost their lives and 100's more were horrifically injured both physically and mentally.

My Dad and brother were very very lucky and got out quickly and safely. I'm not sure what my kid brother remembers.. thankfully I don't think its much - if anything but I'll never forget my Dad's face, blackened from smoke and shaken with fear.. or the relief on my mum's as both of them realised the enormity of what had occured.. I'm sure my Mum will remember it well.. she might even make a post!!

He never mentioned it but I know it affected him... quite strongly too. It affected a lot of people here in Bradford and today, 25 years after that fateful day the people that lost their lives were remembered in a memorial service in the city centre.

So why do I feel lucky?? Well.. 25 years ago if my Dad had been able to get the seats he wanted that day he and my brother would have been right there in the middle of it and maybe they wouldn't have been so lucky.. I got to keep my Dad for another 23 years longer than some people who's Dad's went to a football match one Saturday afternoon in May 1985...

For the 56 that were lost and the countless others that were injured on 11th May 1985...25 years on, we remember you. Rest in peace, you may be gone but you will never
be forgotten.

"We're off to see the Wizard!!!"

Bloody Andrew Lloyd Webber has a lot to answer for these days..

Our house has been all about Dorothy lately... and all because of this..


Hmmm.. yes, his search for a new Dorothy to star in the West End stage version of the Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium this summer.

(For my friends abroad you can find out all about it by clicking this here linky-poo -----> BBC's "Dorothy".)

So.. my daughter's love it, like all little girls of this age musical's are THE thing of the moment and Dorothy is the dog's dangly bits.. basically.

EVERY Saturday evening we don our PJ's and sit down to watch... well ... Doctor Who actually but AFTER that we continue with Auntie Beeb for the evening and squeal with delight as our favourite "friend of Dorothy" ;) the one and only Graham Norton introduces the remaining girls that are vying for the prestigious prize of being her, in the new production penned by our most excellent show tune writer Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber.. (is he a Lord or a Baron? or a Sir?? Ooh.. I dunno actually.. I seem to remember Norton calling him Lord so thats what I'm going with..lol).

Last week we even had floods of tears from Heather when her favourite Dorothy-to-be was voted off the show.. it took her days to get over it bless her.. and this week we lose two more and will be down to just 4 girls left.. goodness knows what will happen when they actually choose a new Dorothy and the show finishes.. all hell will break loose I think..

Lord Andrew is a bit of a national treasure these days.. writing many of the great musicals such as "Phantom of the Opera", "Evita", "Joseph and his funny-coloured coat-thingy" (and many more!! LOL) aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand he's becoming a bit of a pain in my arse now.

I mean really.. I changed my name to "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" the other day (if you're on my facebook friends list you'll have seen my status change) which was great cos the kids couldn't say it and then Jessica (who wants to be Dorothy) sang that very song on Saturdays show and now they can all say it and I need a new name again.. how rude.

Both children want Dorothy dresses, Toto dogs, flying houses, a scarecrow, a tin man and a pet lion each, an emerald city AND ruby-encrusted slippers for Christmas which quite frankly will cost me a small fortune and not only that but we have had to sit through the Judy Garland version today and I suspect will probably have to watch it everyday now until something new takes its place.. and if I hear "Somewhere over the Rainbow" sung by a very pretty but slightly out of tune Heather once more I might cry.. for real too.

So.. MR Lloyd Webber (a Lord can't cut off my head for giving him lip can he?) I'm a bit bloody fed up now and I think you should furnish my 5 year olds with all the above presents and some tickets to opening night would be nice too hahahah... what??? if you don't ask, you don't get do you??

and in exchange I will provide the amended script as written by my youngest child - Angelina.

For as we were sitting today, watching the film it occured to her that the cowardly lion was not such a coward after all and was infact just a bit hungry.. and she told her "still-giggling-like-a-schoolgirl" father all about it...

ACT 'Something', SCENE 'whatever'

Mummy and girls watching movie.. enter Daddy, sits next to Angelina

Daddy: "Ooh.. are we watching Wizard of Oz?"

Heather: "Yeah it's brilliant!"

Daddy: "What's happening then?"

Angelina: "Well... the scarecrow thingy wants a brain and the tin-man wants a heart.. that girl there, she wants to go home and the Lion wants some porridge."

Daddy (stifling the giggles): "Some porridge? Are you sure?? Like Ready Brek?"

Angelina: "Yeeeeeeeeeep!"


So Andrew...I think this will fit in perfectly to the story... don't you? I await your response.

xx

P.S. Those ruby-encrusted slippers... do they come in a UK size 6 too??? ;)