Cricketing and Thanksgiving

You know, I have had another weird day. Not unusually for me I suppose. Will blog more later or at the weekend when I've got everything done, but today I was at a conference at the Oval cricket ground near Vauxhall station in London. Interesting day and made me think about how much is achievable if I could just cut through a lot of the (necessary and probably rightly so) faff that goes along with my work. Quite inspiring in other words. Also used those voting pads like they have on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? That was fun. More in another blog. Then want to my second Thanksgiving held by Joel and Adriel. Amazing. 32 people and great food. Photos up later. Great to have a laugh, eat, and catch up with friends; and above all to be thankful for our lucky lucky selves.

77 days!

That's it.

Marketing overkill/cleverness

Today I attended a rather grandly titled 'roadshow' about a thing called Local Area Agreements. It was in a Holiday Inn in London. I had rather a range of emotions when I noticed that the drinks available were from Starbucks! Big dispensers with 'brewed by Starbucks' written on, and cookies and stuff, a la a mini-coffee station. Some thoughts I went through in my mind: 'ooo, coffee', 'oh my goodness I can't believe Starbucks have an arrangement to provide coffee to Holiday Inns', 'biscuits!', 'I really shouldn't have such a big cup', 'ooo real mugs', 'we look like a big coffee advert'.


As well as lots of information, one of the speakers did suggest repeatedly that the way to develop partnership plans is to take everyone to a tapas restaurant and get them to choose dishes together, as a rather yummy extended metaphor.



Word Watch: there was a good smattering of 'drilling down' and a guy trying to create the word 'innovational', which surely is 'innovative'?

I alos have a huge new bruise on my leg from falling off a chair. Not at the roadshow. Don't ask. Can't feel any bone sticking out...but it's going a very dodgy purpley colour...

Tips on annoying Ruth

I will not be held responsible for my reaction if one more person says to me 'New Zealand? Ooo perhaps you'll meet a man out there!'. Because clearly I have no other option than to move continents as I have dried up the spring of potential in the whole of Europe? How rude. And because clearly the only thing on my mind must be husband-hunting? Living in another country. and more specifically NZ since I went there and found how great it was, has been planned in my head generally for about 10 years and more clearly for about 4. I have bigger plans for my life and I am certainly not waiting for it start. Thank you.

And one more thing, yes I am planning on coming back. I have 12 months off work and a moral duty to go back as Natalie has been extremely good about me taking the time off when some significant stuff needs to be done. However, if Gill (who is already in my team and hopefully
taking over) proves to be good at it and enjoys it, that certainly gives me more leeway. But HELL I DON"T KNOW!! It's freaking months away. Please let me get there before I think about coming back again.

Rant over. 115 days.

I [heart] Hever Castle

For a mini-reunion of our Easter holiday at Word Alive, Mark and Sarah invited us up to Sutton!-Yay! Having got totally lost trying to get there (I BLOODY HATE DRIVING IN LONDON), I arrived at exactly the same time as Kathleen and Anna, so it worked out well :)

Today we lazed around in the morning eating breakfast and talking, then we went to Hever Castle in Kent www.hever-castle.co.uk. It's not National Heritage or National Trust so we didn't know what it would be like, but it is the most beautiful castle and grounds I have ever been to. I totally recommend it to anyone, especially just to see the grounds but the castle is really well set out too (not too much info to be boring, but what was there was really interesting). One of the best things for people of all ages is that there are three mazes in the grounds, one normal hedges, one sort of 3-d climbingy one, and one with water where you have to get to the centre across stones in the water but if you step on some they spray water etc (rocking brill fun). Utterly beautiful Italian garden and gorgeous rose gardens. Will definitely be going back.

Cappucino and prayers anyone? Or, CafeChurch

My church, which frequent readers will know I am quite fond of, has now devoted an entire side of the building to cafe seating and tables! It's great :) My church rocks. Everyone loves it and we sit there after services drinking coffee and chatting. In theory it is meant to be more attractive to students, but pah, the rest of us love it whatever, and there are a couple of sofas coming. Who said church wasn't a place to relax and have a chat? Surely that is What Jesus Would Have Done with random uninviting C of E buildings??

Bank holiday weekend

I took Friday off work and headed down to a village near St Austell with Anne and James. We stayed with my aunt and uncle Margaret and Jim on my Dad's side of the family. They were extremely welcoming and made wonderful food for us all weekend.

As we were basically surfing a lot of the time, I didn't have my camera, so most of the pictures are of us sitting around! But check the shot of me actually standing up on the surfboard (damn hard)! Couldn't say with fairness that I showed a lot of natural talent, and Anne labelled our group 'remedial paddling', but I loved it. I will definitely be doing it again, possibly not before I leave but I hear the surfing is excellent in NZ.

We had lessons and went to Fistrall and Town beaches. It was certainly useful having lessons in surfing technique, although we did just seem a constant disappointment to our instructor Augusto, who would give us an extra push onto the wave, tell us to 'paddle, paddle, paddle', and then just give you a look when you fell off sideways. Now that's what I call helpful instruction. And he only told us on the second day how to protect your head from being whacked but your or another's board when you fall off. Too late for James who has an inch-long scar on his head! I have got an amazing bruise from someone's stray board as well, but on my thigh.