22.05.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 5:24 pm by Sophie
Driving home last night, Belle & Sebastian on the stereo, not a care in the world, I was travelling in a southerly direction proceeding at a speed of no more than 25mph in second gear (sorry - don’t quite know why I went into witness statement mode there), taking the third exit from the roundabout. Saw a red saloon waiting at the exit I was just about to pass. Split-second thought crossed my mind: “He Is Going To Pull Out And Hit Me!” And he duly did. Not too much damage to my trusty old Saab, and at least the side airbag didn’t deploy, but his Honda was a bit of a state. As was he, being a nice, nervously smiling Chinese lad with about three words of English. The resultant conversation, naturally, was like wading through mud:
”Are you insured?”
“??!”
“IN-SUR-ANCE!!”
“Ah, yes. Two people only.”
It took me a second, but I worked it out:
“Third party?”
“Ah, yes!”
“Is there anyone else in your car? Is anyone hurt?”
“??!”
And so on …
Well, I got his details. My nice Saab repairer will come and collect poor old Ulrika-kar-kar-kar tomorrow, and then I have to try and persuade my new oriental pal to (a) pay for it and (b) LEARN TO DRIVE!
Sorry. Rant over. The tumble dryer has packed up, as well. It’s a good thing we’re going on an exotic holiday to faraway lands on Friday, ‘cos I bloody well need one!
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10.05.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:19 am by Sophie
Pre-dawn, and I wake suddenly to hear a strange bird-noise. Now, I’m no expert on feathered creatures. Blackbird song I know; it happens in the evening and makes me pleasurably depressed. The yellowhammer’s song is “A-little-bit-of-bread-and-NO-cheese” (or so I once read. Wouldn’t actually recognise a yellowhammer even if it hit me over the head with, er, a yellow hammer). Robins look pretty but don’t seem to say a heck of a lot, similarly the bluetit. Magpies make aggressive noises (and always look as if they’re plotting world domination, but that’s just me). And according to the glorious Anna over at Little Red Boat, sexually excited seagulls say “unk”, and they say it a lot. But this? One rather plaintive “cheep”, repeated every 20 seconds or so? How odd …
Yes, you probably got there before me, but in my defence, I was half-asleep.
So, any ornithologists out there who want to focus their binoculars on a fine example of a Lesser Spotted Smoke Alarm bird, feel free. Bring a stepladder and a 9v battery, and I’ll even let you feed it!
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04.05.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:16 pm by Sophie
… I found myself delightedly shouting “Skellingtons in wellingtons!” last night. Really must stop watching S. play “Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion” on his X-Box. Tonight is definitely the last time I do that. Absolutely the last time. Really.
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01.05.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 1:33 pm by Sophie
Does anyone else find horses’ bottoms somewhat embarrassing?
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