RANDOM JOTTINGS


A blog about music, sports, theatre and rants





As per I have been really busy this week and apologies again for lack of posts. Was expecting to put my feet up when I received email from daughter 'Mum you ARE coming to Ealing this Thursday aren't you?'   AAAGH had got dates mixed up and panic set in.   I was visiting a friend in Peasenhall and could not get there until Thursday afternoon so other grandma stepped in while I quietly tore my hair out. Friday was the important day as Helen had to supervise a Viva and needed Florence to be taken care of (Beatrice is at nursery) so I got there late Thursday afternoon.

Horrible hot and sticky day and I have to say that a drive along the North Circular was not particularly high on my list of things to do, but hey ho it is off we go. I decided to hell with it and put on shorts, flip flops and an old t-shirt to drive in. I would normally not go out in an outfit like this, there are some things ladies of a certain age should not wear in public and shorts is one of them as far as I am concerned. Feel free to disagree.

Anyway, off I went and very glad I was dressed down. I always drive in bare feet as well so I had the minimum amount of clothing on that decorum required and spent a lot of the time stuck in traffic pouring cold water down my back to keep me cool. Getting used to the journey now and it gets easier as the route becomes more familiar.

Lovely time with the girls as always but Florence, who disliked sleeping on her own and gets scared of the dark even though she has a night light, decided to come through in the middle of the night and sleep with me. I have no problem with this, it is wonderful to wake up with her curled up next to me, but the main problem is she flings her arms and legs around and now and then clonks me on the nose. I also wake up and find, that though we are in a double bed, that I am clinging to the edge while she is spread out like a starfish.   But I cherish the first hour of the day when Beatrice and Helen come through and we are all in bed together laughing and chatting.

I am home now for five days and have little to do and am going to keep it that way. Too hot to do anything energetic. Spent most of today watching the Test March and Alistair Cook has finally made a decent score. Of course this has been regarded as the Second Coming and all of us who have doubted his captaincy are being castigated and attacked on Twitter and elsewhere. I am pleased that Cook the batsman is back but Cook the captain is still with us and his captaincy is pretty poor. But of course the journalists are falling over themselves to say Yah boo sucks as they have all toed the ECB line for months.   Anyway, enough of that else I will be here for hours.

Have been watching DVDs tonight as I am filled with indifference about the Commonwealth Games and the schedules are pretty drenched in that so first of all I watched The Grand Budapest Hotel which I simply loved. It was witty, funny and moving all at once and the acting of the collective group of thesps, most of whom had a tiny part, was spot on and excellent.  Ralph Fiennes excelled in the main role of the Concierge and I loved every minute of it.

And then, in complete contrast, I watched The Hunger Games which I did not think might be my kind of film, but I simply loved that too in a totally different way.   The way the crowds watched the 'live' show reminded Woman-ironingme of one of my favourite films, the Truman Show, and I thought it was excellent and had me on the edge of my seat. It had a fairly open ending and I gather that there is a series of books so presume there will be another in the franchise.

While I was watching all of this I decided to catch up on my ironing. Yes I know but really it was a huge pile and it was cooler in the evening and it had to be done and yaddy yaddy ….. Well I did it all but the sweat was absolutely dripping off me by the time I had finished but I decided to get it done in one go and get the suffering out of the way for another month or so.   Felt pleased when it was all done.

So an exciting time as you can see. By the way my iron is brand new, courtesy of Amazon as I had it to use and review and then keep.   Fantastic iron. If my old iron was a battered Mini this one was a Mercedes. Irons amazingly well.   But do you know it costs £90. Yes £90!!! I mean WHO would pay that for an iron? 

Not me that's for sure.

Have done some reading as well so back soon.

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18 responses to “Random Ramble”

  1. Elaine Avatar

    It is a Philips GC4900 series and takes tap water in the tank. It really is an excellent iron and irons my linen shirts beautifully

  2. Elaine Avatar

    I mean Harvey Kietal was in in and had one line! Amazing that he got such a starry group together.
    I shall check out Catching Fire. Ta for the tip

  3. Margaret Powling Avatar
    Margaret Powling

    Everything in our house gets ironed.
    My husband does it.
    Says she, somewhat smugly, har, har!
    Seriously, I hate ironing, but I like the white bed linen beautifully pressed (even if it’s crumpled right away), ditto tea towels and handkerchiefs.
    I wonder what make the iron is? Would you be permitted to say? I’ve had so many duff irons, considering the amount of ironing they have to do here!
    It’s not one of those things with a durt great water tank, is it? No idea where I’d store that!

  4. Joanna Avatar
    Joanna

    Totally agree with you about The Grand Budapest Hotel – it was quirky and surprising and had such a great cast.
    And yes you are right, there is a sequel to The Hunger Games, you should be able to find the next one on DVD already, it’s called Catching Fire. They are based off a trilogy of Young Adult books – although I think the dystopian themes are frankly pretty adult and grim. (My daughter gave them to me to read before the first film came out) The books and films have made boatloads of money so the final book is being split into two movies – the next one should be out later this year. I really enjoyed both movies and the casting has been superb so far.

  5. Elaine Avatar

    It has a cooling system which I had on for most of the way but it is not a full super cold air conditioning. My car is not posh enough for that.
    Ironing. Now this is one household chore I quite like. I have always do e ironing when watching a trash movie or TV. I rather enjoy producing beautifully ironed clothes. I used to,iron nearly everything but now I just do what is necessary. I had a huge pile to do the other night but that will be it for another mo th or so.
    Will email you re your trip

  6. Diana Birchall Avatar

    Not meaning to critize the Methods of Others, but from an American perspective I cannot help saying:
    1) Why does your car not come with air conditioning? I thought they ALL do!
    2) Why. Do. You. IRON? I have never even OWNED an iron ever in my entire existence!
    Gutted I’m not going to get to see you this trip…oh dear oh dear

  7. Elaine Avatar

    Oh I love that poem. I will admit that one of my good points is nice legs but I have seen so many women walking around in shorts and bulging in all directions that I will not do it. Knee length shorts, yes I will wear those out, but short ones, no!

  8. Elaine Avatar

    I love ironing handkerchiefs! I dont iron very often but it is mostly blouses, trousers etc. I will admit this time to ironing my sheets etc as I had changed the bed and this new iron does them beautifully

  9. Elaine Avatar

    I find Fiennes a fascinating actor and he seems to be able to turn his hand to anything. I was amazed at the starry cast list, most of whom had only one line!

  10. Elaine Avatar

    I found it delightful and rather touching

  11. Elaine Avatar

    I found the coverage of the Olympics far less intrusive somehow but have just spent the time catching up on movies recorded or watching DVDs or just had nothing on at all but just read. After I have returned from the grandchildren I find this quite restful

  12. JudyD Avatar
    JudyD

    I think we’re different! I’m 65 and just love this weather for wearing shorts all the time. I’m following this poem’s message “When I am an old woman I shall wear purple with a red hat that doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me………..” Although, of course, 65 isn’t old!
    And I only iron my lovely white linen napkins!

  13. Susan D Avatar

    By the way, that’s a stunning pic of you ironing. But — what do you iron?? I haven’t bought clothes that need ironing in decades. Well, maybe one or two for very special occasions. The only ironing I do these days is when I’m creating quilts. Oh, and handkerchiefs. Yes, I know, most people use tissues, but I’ve recently started retroing to handkerchiefs, many of them my father’s old stash and my mother’s old dainty things with embroidery. There’s something very nice about a smoothly ironed linen square.

  14. Susan D Avatar

    I really enjoyed The Grand Budapest Hotel. (But there were some cruel and painful scenes too that made me clench my whole body — you know the ones I mean). Ralph was excellent, and I think I managed to keep track of the story within a story within a story within a story layers. I may have to watch it again to appreciate all the richness of detail.
    Yes, the joy of being there for the grandkids is like nothing else on earth, regardless of the time and distance it sometimes requires. And it will pass so fast. Already my oldest is 9. NINE???!!!

  15. Pam Avatar
    Pam

    I’m glad to see that you enjoyed The Grand Budapest Hotel as it is on my list of movies I want to see.

  16. Margaret Powling Avatar
    Margaret Powling

    Yes, and after the Martini that the iron has mixed (shaken or stirred) it produces some lovely olives, too … and then proceeds to sing a medley of Cole Porter/Irving Berlin songs for you …
    I am sick to death of the Commonwealth Games on TV. Talk about blanket coverage, this isn’t blanket coverage, it’s duvet and eiderdown and counterpane coverage from dawn to midnight on BBC1. Even BBC3 (normally only on from 7 pm) has been roped in as well, and there are even highlights on BBC2. Furthemore, every time I switch on 24 hour News, it’s invariably on there as well, as if sport is news? Well, if someone keeled over and died, yes, that would be news, or if the track became waterlogged and lifeboats were launched to rescue competitors, that would be news, but just seeing people running around and jumping up and down isn’t news. And if it’ snot sport on the News, then it’s the Weather! Can’t we all just look out of the window and see if it’s sunny or raining?

  17. Elaine Avatar

    I know!!! unbelievable. It has an automatic control so no dial for settings at different heats which threw me a bit at first but it irons superbly, particularly linen which is a pretty difficult thing to deal with if it is too dry.
    But £90…..I can think of better things to spend that amount on
    And sadly it does not even make me a cup of tea let alone a martini…

  18. Aparatchick Avatar
    Aparatchick

    £90???? Please tell me that iron mixes you a martini when you’re done ironing.

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