I woke up to both good and bad news this morning.
Lets start with the good news. A colleague of mine delivered her much wanted twin boys in the early hours of this morning and I couldn't be more delighted for her. She's been through a tough time to get these two babies so she deserves some good luck. They've arrived a little early but are both a good weight, four pounds plus, and healthy.
The bad news is that Anne is in ICU indefinitely after continuing breathing problems and now pain. The cause has been identified as water retention so she is on more meds to try and sort that out. I suppose you can't expect a major operation such as a heart/lung transplant to be plain sailing but Anne looked like it was just that in the early days. It is so sad she has had all these set backs but when you think of it, it is still really early days and best to have all the problems while still in hospital. I hope I'll be posting some good news on Anne very soon.
The weather has changed and so has my health. I have a really sore throat and a bit of sinus trouble again. I felt really off yesterday so did nothing but lie on the settee all day, hence the lack of blog. I'm feeling a little better today so hope to go out this afternoon for a little while to get some fresh air. That's if the rain holds off.
My biggest fear is that it will get worse and I'll have to pull out of the face painting on Saturday. Typical isn't it, I should know better than to volunteer because my health almost always let's me down. On the other hand if I never plan anything because I might be ill what sort of life would I have? Exactly, better to plan and not do than never do anything.
Tomorrow we are off for the final clear out of Andrew's things from the uni. He has until the 29th to move but we thought the sooner the better. In three weeks he moves into temporary accommodation in London Colney while he does his placement and then he moves back to Hatfield at the end of September for his second year. At the end of his degree I'll probably qualify for a job with Pickfords.
In the news it seems the subject of child obesity has reared it's ugly head after a recent study has shown 1 out 13 children are having gastric bands fitted. What on earth is going on? Of course the blame has been put on food manufacturers, fast food places, anywhere in fact except where the blame should really lie, with the parents.
Parents these days just don't know how to say 'no' to their children and give in to their little food fads with barely a murmur. Apparently the poorer you are the fatter your kids? How can that be? Surely the poorer you are the thinner you should be? I watched one pathetic mother whining away on tv this morning saying that 'if they didn't eat pizza's they've starve as they won't touch fruit or veg'. Looking at the blob sitting beside her I don't think he would starve anytime soon. So who's fault is that? Who introduced them to pizza, McDonalds etc? The expert justified this by saying fresh fruit and veg are so expensive. Really? The last time I looked, and I don't very often I admit, at ready meals or pizzas I could feed four of us for the price of one item.
I came from a poor family and we always had fresh meat, fruit and veg on our plates. My mother would buy a chicken or piece of beef or lamb for a Sunday, we always had a traditional Sunday lunch. Left overs were turned into a cottage pie or curry on a Monday and, in the case of the chicken, soup on a Tuesday. She'd boiled the carcass along with some fresh veg and serve up a huge bowl with fresh bread when we got home from school. We were never hungry as I recall.
I brought this frugality to my own family when I married and had children. My boys never have baby food out of a jar. I'd buy fresh fruit and veg and then cook, puree and freeze it in ice cube trays. It cost me pennies, and some of my time, but I knew exactly what was in each meal. When they got older of course there was the occasional trip to a fast food place, usually as a Saturday treat, but I've always cooked from scratch and both my boys now do too. Andrew especially says ready made stuff is too pricey.
Sorry, I got a bit soap boxy there but I find the idea of kids of nine or ten having gastric band surgery abhorrent, surely I can't be the only one.
The Apprentice Watch
This week the task was to sell camping stuff, easy yes? Think again.
The teams were shuffled again and Kurt became the project manager of Endeavor because he'd 'been camping as a child'. This put eyebrow Alex's nose out of joint as he desperately wanted to prove himself and has yet to be a project manager. Neil took on the management of Evolve.
Both teams seemed to think caravaning and camping was the soul domain of the over fifties, conveniently forgetting the families with young children. On the drive up to Birmingham Jason and Neil played a game of 'spot the caravan' and kept up a steady drone of 'over fifty, over fifty' as they studied the drivers. On arrival at the exhibition it did look as though they might have been right as there was an awful lot of mobility scooters and grey hair about.
The first task was to meet the suppliers and offer to sell their products. Evolve got off to a cracking start showing nauseating enthusiasm for any old tat they came across. Endeavor on the other hand was hampered by Leah and her lip gloss who seemed to find it difficult even staying awake, let alone show any interest in anything they might be selling. The result was that Evolve got the best products.
Kurt seemed to take the casual approach from the start and mostly wandered around with his hands in his pockets. When it came to selling he scored zero but blame Alex for choosing the wrong caravan. He left the selling to Myles who was working his socks off, albeit to no avail. The sub team consisting of Alex, Leah and Natalie were having more success but let's just say the products were not flying out of their hands.
Back in the boardroom the figures were shocking. Kurt's team manged to sell just over £1500 of stuff while Evolve knocked out £33,000. No contest. The biggest shock however was when Lord Sugar pointed out that late in the day Kurt, desperate to shift the bigger items, decided to employ Leah as a bit of 'eye candy' in the hope some sex appeal would help sell. This left Leah looking as though she were sucking a lemon and Kurt was doomed. In a surprising twist we had a double eviction and Natalie was also sent on her way blubbering about tactics. To be fair she had been in the boardroom a lot but it was obviously that Kurt thought by bringing her in he could deflect his own failing and be safe.
My favourites to win are Neil, Myles or Alex, which means they will probably all be fired next week.
Well just got a text from Andrew to say he's on his way home and wants feeding. Back to the kitchen woman, know your place.
Lets start with the good news. A colleague of mine delivered her much wanted twin boys in the early hours of this morning and I couldn't be more delighted for her. She's been through a tough time to get these two babies so she deserves some good luck. They've arrived a little early but are both a good weight, four pounds plus, and healthy.
The bad news is that Anne is in ICU indefinitely after continuing breathing problems and now pain. The cause has been identified as water retention so she is on more meds to try and sort that out. I suppose you can't expect a major operation such as a heart/lung transplant to be plain sailing but Anne looked like it was just that in the early days. It is so sad she has had all these set backs but when you think of it, it is still really early days and best to have all the problems while still in hospital. I hope I'll be posting some good news on Anne very soon.
The weather has changed and so has my health. I have a really sore throat and a bit of sinus trouble again. I felt really off yesterday so did nothing but lie on the settee all day, hence the lack of blog. I'm feeling a little better today so hope to go out this afternoon for a little while to get some fresh air. That's if the rain holds off.
My biggest fear is that it will get worse and I'll have to pull out of the face painting on Saturday. Typical isn't it, I should know better than to volunteer because my health almost always let's me down. On the other hand if I never plan anything because I might be ill what sort of life would I have? Exactly, better to plan and not do than never do anything.
Tomorrow we are off for the final clear out of Andrew's things from the uni. He has until the 29th to move but we thought the sooner the better. In three weeks he moves into temporary accommodation in London Colney while he does his placement and then he moves back to Hatfield at the end of September for his second year. At the end of his degree I'll probably qualify for a job with Pickfords.
In the news it seems the subject of child obesity has reared it's ugly head after a recent study has shown 1 out 13 children are having gastric bands fitted. What on earth is going on? Of course the blame has been put on food manufacturers, fast food places, anywhere in fact except where the blame should really lie, with the parents.
Parents these days just don't know how to say 'no' to their children and give in to their little food fads with barely a murmur. Apparently the poorer you are the fatter your kids? How can that be? Surely the poorer you are the thinner you should be? I watched one pathetic mother whining away on tv this morning saying that 'if they didn't eat pizza's they've starve as they won't touch fruit or veg'. Looking at the blob sitting beside her I don't think he would starve anytime soon. So who's fault is that? Who introduced them to pizza, McDonalds etc? The expert justified this by saying fresh fruit and veg are so expensive. Really? The last time I looked, and I don't very often I admit, at ready meals or pizzas I could feed four of us for the price of one item.
I came from a poor family and we always had fresh meat, fruit and veg on our plates. My mother would buy a chicken or piece of beef or lamb for a Sunday, we always had a traditional Sunday lunch. Left overs were turned into a cottage pie or curry on a Monday and, in the case of the chicken, soup on a Tuesday. She'd boiled the carcass along with some fresh veg and serve up a huge bowl with fresh bread when we got home from school. We were never hungry as I recall.
I brought this frugality to my own family when I married and had children. My boys never have baby food out of a jar. I'd buy fresh fruit and veg and then cook, puree and freeze it in ice cube trays. It cost me pennies, and some of my time, but I knew exactly what was in each meal. When they got older of course there was the occasional trip to a fast food place, usually as a Saturday treat, but I've always cooked from scratch and both my boys now do too. Andrew especially says ready made stuff is too pricey.
Sorry, I got a bit soap boxy there but I find the idea of kids of nine or ten having gastric band surgery abhorrent, surely I can't be the only one.
The Apprentice Watch
This week the task was to sell camping stuff, easy yes? Think again.
The teams were shuffled again and Kurt became the project manager of Endeavor because he'd 'been camping as a child'. This put eyebrow Alex's nose out of joint as he desperately wanted to prove himself and has yet to be a project manager. Neil took on the management of Evolve.
Both teams seemed to think caravaning and camping was the soul domain of the over fifties, conveniently forgetting the families with young children. On the drive up to Birmingham Jason and Neil played a game of 'spot the caravan' and kept up a steady drone of 'over fifty, over fifty' as they studied the drivers. On arrival at the exhibition it did look as though they might have been right as there was an awful lot of mobility scooters and grey hair about.
The first task was to meet the suppliers and offer to sell their products. Evolve got off to a cracking start showing nauseating enthusiasm for any old tat they came across. Endeavor on the other hand was hampered by Leah and her lip gloss who seemed to find it difficult even staying awake, let alone show any interest in anything they might be selling. The result was that Evolve got the best products.
Kurt seemed to take the casual approach from the start and mostly wandered around with his hands in his pockets. When it came to selling he scored zero but blame Alex for choosing the wrong caravan. He left the selling to Myles who was working his socks off, albeit to no avail. The sub team consisting of Alex, Leah and Natalie were having more success but let's just say the products were not flying out of their hands.
Back in the boardroom the figures were shocking. Kurt's team manged to sell just over £1500 of stuff while Evolve knocked out £33,000. No contest. The biggest shock however was when Lord Sugar pointed out that late in the day Kurt, desperate to shift the bigger items, decided to employ Leah as a bit of 'eye candy' in the hope some sex appeal would help sell. This left Leah looking as though she were sucking a lemon and Kurt was doomed. In a surprising twist we had a double eviction and Natalie was also sent on her way blubbering about tactics. To be fair she had been in the boardroom a lot but it was obviously that Kurt thought by bringing her in he could deflect his own failing and be safe.
My favourites to win are Neil, Myles or Alex, which means they will probably all be fired next week.
Well just got a text from Andrew to say he's on his way home and wants feeding. Back to the kitchen woman, know your place.
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