Time flies ...
Jun. 18th, 2006 11:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
themis1Well, there went another weekend - a three day one at that - over too fast, with far too little done! Still, it was Phoebesmum's birthday which is as good an excuse as any for having a fun weekend instead of getting all the jobs done that needed doing.
Friday opened with courtesy visit to member of team who's just had a baby. Me with baby is an unusual sight, but I managed not to drop it or anything. Actually despite my complete lack of anything even vaguely resembling a maternal instinct, babies always seem to like me.
Onward, after a daring escape from a grandmother who talked non stop from the moment we walked in the door until the moment we last saw her (NOT as we left the door, as I shall recount) we hastened to Waddesdon Manor, the main raison d'etre for being in Waddesdon on a Friday, since I suspected parking might be interesting on weekends. Turned out it's pretty interesting on a Friday, as well, but we were fortunate to find an empty space right by the steps. A pleasant stroll ensued, taking in house (exterior only), cellar (it's where the loos were), aviary, and our main reason for rushing to go at this time of year, the rose garden. This was suitably fragrant and could be scented from some distance away. A pleasant amble around such beauties as Jude the Obscure followed, after which we headed for home, as an hour in the sun is a bit much for either of us. Stopping only at the plant shop (disappointing) where we encountered mother, baby, and grandmother again (see? I said she would pop up again!).
After lunch, next stop Bicester Village, where I bought two books (we actually only go there for the shoe outlet and the book shop, and still can't figure out why people come all the way from Japan JUST to go there and nowhere else in England - !) we stopped by the local Blooms garden centre, which is in the process of transforming itself into the biggest garden centre in the country but currently comprises miles of mud and the skeletons of new buildings. It still has more plants than anywhere else we've tried around here.
Back home to collapse and do some gardening, at least until Phoebesmum wandered out into the garden and informed me my scalp was an interesting shade of pink and if I HAD to be out in the sun I should probably adopt a sunhat. She proceeded to snigger when I did, mind you, which is why I don't often wear one.
Criminal Minds, followed by season close of NCIS (he just resigned, guys - that's isn't a precursor to him returning, now is it?!) rounded up Friday, so on to Saturday.
Actually, we didn't do much Saturday. The sun shone, and I gardened (with hat on). We had Chinese take-out and wine for dinner, and Phoebesmum chose Mirrormask as birthday entertainment (and something called Sports Night, oddly enough). And so, to bed, slightly tipsy.
Sunday dawned - well, I expect it did, but I was having a lie in. Anyway, the day passed pleasantly with a visit from Hilary's brother, Meg and the blonde. They eventually whisked Hilary away for a birthday meal, and I had a very nice stir fry followed by ice cream and a banana which the blonde had been sketching but hadn't got around to eating, and watched Code Name: Phoenix, the movie of Jeff's I'd been saving for the right moment. And thoroughly enjoyed it, although the script wasn't exactly, er, original. But Jeff looked cute, was convincing (he usually is) and got to be the hero, which doesn't happen all that often. No complaints at all, she smirked. I confidently predict pleasant dreams tonight :-)
Hilary got back in time for the Supernatural season closer, which ended with a bang, and there went the weekend ...
No, I didn't watch Doctor Who. I was going to, but when I read the write-up in the Radio Times I decided against. An hour about sappy Dr Who fans? Too much real life like that to want to watch it on TV!!! (Somebody tell me it wasn't so bad ... huh?)
Tomorrow, a small lie in before heading out to Chiltern to talk about consulting young people. Because, you know, somebody has to.
Friday opened with courtesy visit to member of team who's just had a baby. Me with baby is an unusual sight, but I managed not to drop it or anything. Actually despite my complete lack of anything even vaguely resembling a maternal instinct, babies always seem to like me.
Onward, after a daring escape from a grandmother who talked non stop from the moment we walked in the door until the moment we last saw her (NOT as we left the door, as I shall recount) we hastened to Waddesdon Manor, the main raison d'etre for being in Waddesdon on a Friday, since I suspected parking might be interesting on weekends. Turned out it's pretty interesting on a Friday, as well, but we were fortunate to find an empty space right by the steps. A pleasant stroll ensued, taking in house (exterior only), cellar (it's where the loos were), aviary, and our main reason for rushing to go at this time of year, the rose garden. This was suitably fragrant and could be scented from some distance away. A pleasant amble around such beauties as Jude the Obscure followed, after which we headed for home, as an hour in the sun is a bit much for either of us. Stopping only at the plant shop (disappointing) where we encountered mother, baby, and grandmother again (see? I said she would pop up again!).
After lunch, next stop Bicester Village, where I bought two books (we actually only go there for the shoe outlet and the book shop, and still can't figure out why people come all the way from Japan JUST to go there and nowhere else in England - !) we stopped by the local Blooms garden centre, which is in the process of transforming itself into the biggest garden centre in the country but currently comprises miles of mud and the skeletons of new buildings. It still has more plants than anywhere else we've tried around here.
Back home to collapse and do some gardening, at least until Phoebesmum wandered out into the garden and informed me my scalp was an interesting shade of pink and if I HAD to be out in the sun I should probably adopt a sunhat. She proceeded to snigger when I did, mind you, which is why I don't often wear one.
Criminal Minds, followed by season close of NCIS (he just resigned, guys - that's isn't a precursor to him returning, now is it?!) rounded up Friday, so on to Saturday.
Actually, we didn't do much Saturday. The sun shone, and I gardened (with hat on). We had Chinese take-out and wine for dinner, and Phoebesmum chose Mirrormask as birthday entertainment (and something called Sports Night, oddly enough). And so, to bed, slightly tipsy.
Sunday dawned - well, I expect it did, but I was having a lie in. Anyway, the day passed pleasantly with a visit from Hilary's brother, Meg and the blonde. They eventually whisked Hilary away for a birthday meal, and I had a very nice stir fry followed by ice cream and a banana which the blonde had been sketching but hadn't got around to eating, and watched Code Name: Phoenix, the movie of Jeff's I'd been saving for the right moment. And thoroughly enjoyed it, although the script wasn't exactly, er, original. But Jeff looked cute, was convincing (he usually is) and got to be the hero, which doesn't happen all that often. No complaints at all, she smirked. I confidently predict pleasant dreams tonight :-)
Hilary got back in time for the Supernatural season closer, which ended with a bang, and there went the weekend ...
No, I didn't watch Doctor Who. I was going to, but when I read the write-up in the Radio Times I decided against. An hour about sappy Dr Who fans? Too much real life like that to want to watch it on TV!!! (Somebody tell me it wasn't so bad ... huh?)
Tomorrow, a small lie in before heading out to Chiltern to talk about consulting young people. Because, you know, somebody has to.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-18 11:35 pm (UTC)I would, but it was totally bad, complete with the monster designed by a Blue Peter viewer and played by Peter Kaye!
Not helped by RT Davies saying (in the confidential that followed) that he deliberately wrote 'Who' to attract the female audience because 'they don't watch Science fiction.' Apparently only men do.
Didn't go to many ST conventions, did we Russell ....
(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-19 08:05 am (UTC)Have to agree with you. It was totally bad, mainly because they played it as a sitcom with sitcom actors. Saying it was Whedonesque (another phrase used) was an insult to Joss Whedon.
You have to do send-ups with love (like 'Galaxy Quest') and this had no love at all.
Glad you and
Incidently, my theory about babies is that they sense the fear...
Who again?
Date: 2006-06-19 05:15 pm (UTC)I exect I'll get to watch it some time, but on the whole I'm glad I skipped it. I think I was still reeling from the previous week's episode, which implied that God knew man would come along and do his dirty work and get rid of that pesky devil ... and a 12 year old told me how daft it was that the spaceship turned round to fall into the black hole - !
Re: Who again?
Date: 2006-06-20 08:06 am (UTC)Oddly enough, no, though I'm sure he would have agreed! This was a fellow member of the Sheffield Science Fiction Group back in the mid to late 70s - blowed if I can remember his name.
"which implied that God knew man would come along and do his dirty work and get rid of that pesky devil ... and a 12 year old told me how daft it was that the spaceship turned round to fall into the black hole - !"
Not to mention the spaceship (a ringer for Thunderbird 3) "windscreen" that could be blown out with a bolt gun - and which retained enough air for people to talk and put the shields up... Shields?? And why weren't they up in the first place.
Re: Who again?
Date: 2006-06-20 09:16 pm (UTC)RTD must *know* fans are picky ... or does he think Who fans just won't notice?
Re: Who again?
Date: 2006-06-21 12:44 pm (UTC)A lot of pros do have the idea that we take everything they throw at us as manna from heaven, and that we have no critical faculties at all. (As my old encounters with one Mr C Boucher proved conculsively.)
Who?
Date: 2006-06-19 05:12 pm (UTC)Davies had better get round to our house, we have several thousand SF books and hey, we've read them all, too. Some of them more than once. And yes, we're definitely both girls.
I do remember the days when male fans went to SF or Who conventions and the girls were at the Trek or Blakes 7 ones, but each knew the other existed. Or so I fondly thought!!!