the great outdoors

It has absolutely chucked it down all day. It's bloody freezing. And it's been dark since about 2pm. But at least I'm warm and cosy in our house. Unlike my little princess who is spending the first of two nights in the Yorkshire Dales. In a tent. Soaking wet. And miserable.
She's doing her Duke of Edinburgh Silver award. Cos it looks good on a university application form. 
If she survives, that is.

in need of a weekend

Is it nearly the weekend? I feel like I seriously need to catch up on all the shit you catch up on over the weekend. But for the last couple of weeks we've been travelling the length and breadth of England looking at universities, sampling the local food offerings and checking out the retail environments of various cities.
We've seen the sights, had some fabulous mother-daughter bonding time and spent a bloody fortune. But now I just need a weekend to work my way through the ironing pile and put all the crap at the top of the stairs away. And sleep. I need some sleep.

ps we LOVED York. Woohoo! Just the small matter of getting 3 A's at A Level now....

decisions

Is it wrong to choose which university you attend based on the weather? Only it was freezing cold and raining in Nottingham yesterday. And freezing cold and raining in Lancaster today. But it was dead sunny and 22 degrees last week in Exeter. I'd say that firmly got my vote...BUT it's bloody miles away. It involved a taxi, train, plane and bus just to look round. If she went there we'd never see her. So.... I have very high hopes for York tomorrow....no pressure York.

university taxi service

We have embarked on a three day UniversityOpenDay bender. This is not to be mixed up with a three day Fresher's Week bender. That will be next year. And I won't be invited. But I was invited to Nottingham today. And Lancaster tomorrow. And York on Sunday. I like to think it's cos of my witty banter and intellectual input. But we all know it's cos I'm a bloody good taxi service.

darkness

Dark by 8pm? What is this madness? 😫

autumn

The eldest and I spent a rather lovely weekend in Exeter, looking round the uni. We flew down cos it's absolutely bloody miles away. So far, in fact, that it was actually warm! Too warm for our stupid Northern clothes. Defo too warm for the coat I had to lug round with me all weekend like a freak.
But no worries, we stepped off the plane in Manchester and were transported back to Autumn.
Anyway, if she decides to go to Exeter I'm gonna go with her.
That is all.

jumper facts

I would just like to point out that a jumper is a piece of knitwear. It can be woolly and thick. Or not woolly and thick. But it is always knitted.

(Unless you live in America. Then a jumper is some kind of dungaree dress. Probably not knitted. Or woolly. Or thick.)

The casual top made out of a thick jersey fabric that you throw on with your jeans is called a sweatshirt. NOT a jumper.

Now that you understand the distinction there will be zero tolerance for those who continue to get it wrong.

Thank you.

fab fab holiday

I'm back from a fabulous two weeks in Hua Hin in Thailand. It was just ace.

The villa was beyond amazing, it was hot, we ate lovely food, we went on trips to the Bridge over the River Quai and to this brill waterpark. We shopped at a fab art market a couple of times, chilled by our pool, drank cocktails, swam after midnight and played dominoes outside every night. We had our own little tuk tuk driver called Mr Man who picked us up whenever we called him.
And we had time. Loads of it. Time to just sit and relax, time to chat to each other, time to argue, time to sleep. A lot. Time to read. Time for the other half to go up a mountain on a bike, time even to play Battleships on the flight home. And most of all I had time to recharge my batteries and contemplate my life and what I want to change about it.
Oh...and time to faff about on procreate of course to try and get to grips with it....

Of course the holiday is all a distant memory now after the 27 hours it took to get home. And I was ready for bed at 6pm last night.

And wide awake at 6am today...

Might be time to book another holiday I reckon....

half of august

I forgot to post this before I left for my jollies. It's the August round-up done early cos I was going away. Only now it's here at the usual time. So not early after all.