a Dave Gorman kind of day

Funny old day today; I went for an interview and when I gave my name to the receptionist she became a bit flustered - It turned out that someone with exactly the same name as me had also just reported their presence for the same interview......
Apparently her application form had got lost, so although she would be well qualifed to do the job, she didnt get invited for an interview. After about a month she phoned up to see what had happened, and the person she spoke to saw that I'd been invited for an interview, and obviously presumed that she was me, and gave her the details of when and where to turn up.

I've come close to meeting someone with the same name as me before, as somewhere in Nottinghamshire County council, which is where I currently work; someone there in another building has the same email as me, and sowe often get each others emails (only hers are usually more interesting!), but this is the first time I've had that Dave Gorman moment of "I'm Jackie Ward," "No, I'm Jackie Ward" - It wasn't unlike a programme Graeme Garden used to present where he used to ask the real XXXX to reveal themselves - (can anybody remember what it was called?, it was loosely based on "Whats my line", and its going to annoy me terribley that I can't remember...)

Anyway, I don't think I've got the job, but at least I didnt have the terrible experience of the poor old other Jackie Ward, who was asked to go home and rewrite her application form, and then return back the same afternoon for the inteview and test - how stressful is that?

Jackie (The real one!)

lazy days

Its amazing how much you can get done when you can't run (I've pulled my hamstring, and have got a cold, so havent been able to do 3 of my runs this week, including my 19mile long run; Mad dog isn't going to be pleased with me, although to be honest I'm just glad that both things have happened together as my race is only 3 weeks away). As a result of all of this free time I've accumulated while nor running, we've both managed to get lots of things done, including more textile work for me!.
I've been doing some more samples for my Moroccan project, - I do love collage, and have to really try hard not to use it for everything I do, and now I am off to pootle around at the allotment, but best of all me and Col have made up a new game! Its based on the old "Give us a clue" charades, but instead of miming, you describe a band/group without using any of the words in their title. So....... "spiffing vagrants" might be used to describe Supertramp , whereas "a catasrophe in the Far East" could be used to describe China Crisis.
Its kept us amused for hours! - we really should get a telly!
Jackie

sewing day

I'm currently doing a project on Morocco for my textiles degree; Its probably no suprise that theres a big emphasis on Moroccan girls learning needlework at a very early age. I was inspired to create the collage above when I learned that young girls take part in a ceremony when they're 4 years old. This involves them sitting on a childs chair and holding a pair of scissors, a needle and a thimble; this will then lead them to become proficient embroiderers.

Jackie

pictures today

Thanks to work they have let me have a few pictures of what I made and installed for them down in Harrods . I'm quite pleased with how this came out and also impressed that after a long shift I was able to take an OK picture.

Colin

Sunday run

Well we have been for our Sunday run and Jac's now concerned this running lark is going to go up to 60 miles a week with her Mad Dog trainer.(It's 51 miles this week and then 54 the following week). Today's was a sedate 18 miles along local canals and fields. The weather seemed to get better and better which was not what I had expected and so was wearing long sleeved top and trousers. Jac in her shorts and t-shirt was more suitably attired and not as hot as i was when we got home some 3 hours later.

This week has been a bit different for me as I was persuaded to go and install a cabinet I had made with a couple of others down in Harrods. the cabinet was to display a dolls house worth a few grand. That place is so weird in that you have to walk under the streets and the shop to get to the delivery area . Its also comes across as being run down compared with what I was expecting. Thread bare carpets and a look not that dissimilar to an old Co-op.
We knew we were approaching the right area when all you could see was camera flash's in the distance; the outside of the building is pretty impressive though. It also seems most people were more concerned with getting the Green Harrods bag more than what they were buying inside.

We've been down the allotment over the weekend and have some impressive carrots and a few rude looking ones (where's "That's Life"?) . The courgettes are still coming on but hopefully slowing down. Courgette soup last night courgette pasta tonight. possibly courgette on Monday. (what do I mean possibly? its bound to be!).

gam

Mull holidays

We've just come back from a lovely week on the Isle of Mull - we stayed at the same Fishermans cottage in Haun, near Treshnish that we first discovered a few years ago.

If you like really remote places, you'd love it. Haun (pronounced How - en) is 2 miles up a farm track, and probably about 9 miles away from the nearest shop.

There's a beautiful white sandy beach (Calagry beach) with rock pools, and further around the island are otters and seals, whales, basking sharks and eagles (not that we saw any whales or sharks, although we might have seen eagles and not recognised them, as our bird spotting leaves something to be desired).

We spent our time relaxing, walking, running (the terrain is really difficult for me as I'm used to road running, and had to contend with headwinds, big hills, muddy/peaty/boggy ground, and rocky ledges). Driving about was fun too, all of the roads are single track, and this presents quite a few challenges when big stoopid highland cattle decide that they want to be in the middle of the road and have no intention of moving, and when farmers and their sheepdogs decide to herd up their flocks.

A Nice day

A well deserved nice day today - especially after yesterday, Colin nearly got knocked off his bicycle by a complete idiot who thought it was funny to drive at speed in his car and then do a handbreak turn , finishing inches away from Colin. And I'd gone to my doctor cos i havent been able to sleep, only to be told to do some exercise - surely 50 miles a week is enough!

Anyway today I had a lovely 13 mile run on a lovely sunny day; some old guys putting in a new gate thought it would be good fun to try and get me to steeplechase over their gate, I saw one of my friends from the running club, someone asked me if i was training for a marathon (Result!, I do look like a runner!) and I saw 4 squirrels. Can it get better - yep, my car's passed its MOT, I've finished another scarf - hopefully I'll have enough to sell soon, and my friends lent me the new Ben Elton Book - life is good!