Rip's Ramble
Life In The Eyes Of...
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Wednesday, January 29, 2003
>Edit your blog
>Insert text here
>Post & Publish
Sounds so easy, doesn't it?
So what have I been up to for the past week? Not a lot to be honest. Bits and bobs, here and there. I've had one lunch date and regrettably had to postpone another due to work commitments, but a replacement date is pencilled in. A day out playing (for little ones) is currently on the cards. I've been doing the usual stuff with Junior and had the chance to relax a bit and chat in real life and online with a few friends :)
I'm also back to trying to get my head around a few things life related. Who am I? What am I? Where do I go from here? you know, the simple kinda stuff that we all go through at various stages of our lives ;)
Junior keeps getting cuter with each day. He was presented with a second engine for his train set yesterday. He has sussed that because of the way I have wired it, he can have one engine plus carriages/wagons on each of the tracks starting, going and stopping in synch.
He's with Mummy tonight so I'll have a browse online, read a few blogs, catch up with local events and chill to some music, then I think, an early night. . Mummy and I do ok, I think. Just because we live apart doesn't diminish the one thing that we both hold so precious, Junior's well being. and that means that we are able to progress with our own lives while still sharing the responsibility of caring for our "little man".
Time for a cuppa :)
Thursday, January 23, 2003
Junior is bathed and in bed following an evening of playing with the wonderful 'W' daughter of Ariel. They and Roo came round for tea and managed to keep a straight face when complementing the cooking ;)
I like Ariel a lot. As cute as she is externally, there is so much that I admire that comes from within. Her bubblyness, her outlook on life, her obvious love for her daughter which shows in the way that 'W' smiles, communicates and interacts. In real life we know comparatively little about each other, yet I feel ease in her presence and admiration for who she has made herself into.
Roo is also a lovely person. As yet to enjoy the pastime known as parenthood, but seeing her with W and junior and listening to her thoughts, fears and hopes about her future, I know that one day if and when she does become a mother then she has all of the qualities to do just fine :) Hopefully she wasn't disapointed about her first encounter with the Ripsaw household. Good luck and best wishes for the future Roo in all that you do whether work, leisure or personal. It was great to meet you and I hope we have the pleasure of your company again some time soon.
I have a lot of good friends, I really need to spend more time telling them how much I appriciate them. I don't suffer fools gladly so the people that I do spend time with, whether online or in real life, I should do more to find the time to share my life a bit more. The nights are getting lighter and the days seem to be warming up a bit (you watch, it'll snow or rain tomorrow) so I have no excuse for not getting out and about more.
I have a couple of lunch dates coming up and I intend to arrange a few more and orginise more time after work for socialising with Junior, You have been warned :)
Wednesday, January 22, 2003
I feel important tonight because I have tidied the house in preperation for the visit of royalty tomorrow evening. I have 3 beautiful princesses coming to visit Junior and I, and they are putting their stomachs in my hands following my offer to cook tea for us all. Never will beans on toast have been so carefully and lovingly prepared.
Bladdy knackered now, though ;)
Monday, January 20, 2003
One happy bit of news, Princess Roo is back in her homeland for the week. If time is on our side, it looks like Junior will be making a new friend :)
Ohhh, and to top off a good day, the keys on my mobile are dead. I push, I poke and they don't work. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr
Home Sweet Home :)
I woke on cue and made it to the airport in plenty of time. Arrived at Manchester at 8:05 and looked for someone perhaps holding a sign with my name or the company name on. By 8:20 I was ringing a mobile number to ask "where the heck are you?" only to be greated with a call answering service So I left a message saying exactly where I would be standing. Another 10 minutes and I went to the Info desk to put a call out. Another 10 minutes and another failed call to the mobile number followed by a call to work here on IOM. "He's just called us and is outside in a black Astra", I was informed. Nice one NOT! I ran outside and sure enough, there was my lift sat in the pick up area. Aparently i is expensive to park in the waiting area and the cheaper short stay was way away from the airport. Nice of him to forewarn the contact at work who made the arrangements for me to be picked up.
Then it was out onto the motorway for the 8 mile journey and bumper to bumper traffic accross all 3 lanes. When we finally got to the office nobody knew where the trainer was. He got stuck in traffic too and the 2.5 hour journey took just under 4 hours. So we all had a cuppa and sat down infront of 3 computers and screens ready to begin. One hung during bootup, one ran an etire virus check, mine started up fine. The one which ran the full virus check wouldn't log into the network, so the trainer fiddled with a setting then had to restart the PC for the change to take effect, full virus scan No. 2. I suggested hitting the stop and close button (D'ohhhh)
Then we were ready for busines (11am ish) Now I thought we were going to learn about this great new module that was soon going to be added onto our existing software, WRONG. It was an introduction to the software, the sort of official "beginners" training to the package that I have been using quite competantly for the past 5 months...
So after sandwiches at 12:15. The day was effectively over. I was able to show the guy how certain keystrokes caused the software to lock and a general chat about certain aspects and that was basically it. By 1:30 We were all done and dusted. I double checked that we weren't learning about a new module, and he confirmed that we were there for the reasons previously outlined. A good productive day...
Soooooo, I rang BA and asked if I could catch an earlier flight than my booking for 7:40pm, "Yes" I was informed, your ticket is valid for alteration subject to available seats. "What time is the next flight?" I asked "2pm" "No chance of that, seeing as I am at least 25 minutes away from the airport, What time is the next flight?" 7:40pm" Cue dispondent groaning... So I had a brisk sightseeing trip walking round Manchester and a trip on the Supertram (Why doesn't the IOM have trams like them?) I caught a train from Manchester Picadilly to the airport and meandered through to Terminal 3. I saw the back end of Neighbours on the airport telly (What did Daphne and Des go??) plenty of time before my flight I settle down for a ciggie and a read.
At 10 past 7, half an hour to take off time the PA system spranf into life "We apologise to passengers on the BA flight to IOM, this flight will be late, more information will be given at 7:40. At 7:40 it was announced that we expected to fly at 8:15 due to the late arrival of the inbound flight. So i grabbed a cuppa and another and another 3 or 4 ciggies. I was listening throuout for a further announcement and although there were a couple telling the London bound passengers that their flight was cancelled, no more to us IOM bound folk. At 8:00 I went to check the display monitors and there against IOM was goto Gate xx, "Great" I thought, "Where was the call?" I ran as fast as my fat little legs would carry me looking for the gate and when I reached it was informed that they hadn't called it yet and there was few more minutes to wait.
Eventually.......... we boarded. Now I don't know a lot about driving/flying planes, but as we hurtled along the runway and the pilot appeared to be constantly correcting his take off line, I wondered where his "L" plates were. I'm not a frequent flyer (6 flights in total before today, 4 of which were IOM to UK return and the last time was over 4 years ago. so flying is very much a novelty to me, I love the feeling of acceleration, I wasn't nervous at all as we slalomed down the runway. and as the plane left the tarmac I ooo'ed as I looked out in the darkness as the houses and cars got smaller and smaller.
Despite having a head full of nearly every airplane disaster movie ever filmed, I like flying especially at night, looking across the land for miles, all the road and towns clearly visible by the street lights. The "10 minutes to landing" announcement came far too soon, On a 35 minute flight, as soon as they rise and level, it is time to come back down again :(
The descent was great fun. On the way there as we came down through the clouds the back end could be felt kicking out and the pilot was trimming to keep it straight. On the way back I could see the nose dip as we lowered and felt quite steep. Then all of asudden the plane dropped, a genuine stomach in mouth drop Wooooohoooooo, 3 seconds of free fall, or so it seemed, there were a few anxious faces around me :) The turbulence on the way down continued to throw us about a bit, but I have this theory, as long as we are in the air, it's fine, If I can see grass or roof tops and we are shaking, then I should raise a concern. A few more twiches and then a sharp bank and turn to the left to line up with the runway. It was at this point that I recalled the take off and the pilot didn't dissapoint, we hit the runway with a good hard thud then wove between the landing lights down the centre. As we approached the end of the tarmac, the pilot seemed to remember the brakes. "Thankyou for flying British Airways, and have a safe onward Journey" I'd recommend BA to anyone after that flight, I wanted to stay on for another go :)
I'm tired now, I think I'll have a hot bath and an early night.
Hey hey :) This PC has Internet access ;)
/me waves to you all from Manchester where the sun has come out (at last). I can see Old Trafford football ground from the window, but too far away to throw tomatos, Darnn.
Whoops, here comes my trainer,
*click
Bleughhhhhh, I hate early mornings. This taxi had better not be late.
Sunday, January 19, 2003
I think I am ready for my trip to Manchester tomorrow. Junior is at Mummy's, I have clothes clean and ironed, the taxi is booked for 5:50am (that time of day really exists??) I remembered to swap a few Manx notes for their inferior English cousins and I am feeling sleepy, ready for a hot bath and a night of sweet dreams until the goddam alarm clock goes off down my lug.
I'll be flying BA City Express. Not my choice, but I'm not paying the £218 fare. To those off Island who read this, flying BA isn't normally something to be shouted. They bought Manx Airlines. It was rumoured that BA only wanted the Heathrow slot at the time of the takeover, the rest of the planes and routes were excess baggage. Since the takeover BA have repainted the beautifully decorated aircaft (except one which they sold) made a lot of staff redundant, then stopped flights to Heathrow because the landing slots there are better served by bigger, more profitable aircraft in their fleet. These measures went down so well with the locals that despite an increase of passengers using Isle of Man airport, BA figures dropped by over 16%. More routes have recently been cut back and nobody believes that it won't end there.
Anyway, I'm sure the flight and training course will be just dandy ;)
The elation of the man that is Kevin Kilbane, the misery that is McBride, Darn them, Darn them all :(
Well, it's Sunday evening and all is well.
This morning started off with the usual Sunday trip to the NSC Swimming pool. Junior had a present for Christmas, a fireman uniform and associated toys, one of which was a little fire extinguisher which you fill with water then run round squirting things around the house which just happen to be on fire. Hmmm...
Upto now, Junior being the imaginative little soul that he is, not only pretended the house was on fire, he also pretended that this extinguisher actually contained water (How daft do I look? On second thoughts, no reply required thanks) I allow him to fill it up when he is in the bath seeing as I am going to get wet anyway, and last night he asked "Can I take it to the swimming pool?"
Well, I didn't have a problem with that suggestion as the pool puts out various toys in the fun pool, but I advised that he may not be allowed to take it into the pool. Anyway, back to this morning... As I heaved away squezing the last of our clothes into the vacuumous locker, the young obidient one tiptoed away from my side. As I walked the few steps to the poolside he was returning from asking an attendant if he could play with it and he informed me that they had said yes.
2 hours later, after everone who found themselves within sqirting range had their "fire" put out, it was time to dress and head home for dinner... Actually the extinguisher had another use too. When full, it bobbed in the water with just the top bit sticking up. It made a good throw, swim and fetch object and Junior got plenty of good swimming in inbetween surprising passing innocent bystanders.
Two things that I regullarly see at the pool, (nooo... I don't mean those on this occasion ;) ) One is the number of kids that receive swimming lessons on a Sunday morning while one or both parents watch from the spectators gallery. Swimming is a great activity and the more kids that learn to swim the better. To me as a parent though, I want to be in the water with Junior, having fun, treating at a part of his play and development. I'm not being critical, I know that sounds presumptious as I am sure plenty will have more than that one pool session, but I'm also sure that there are parents and children missing out on the one on one benefits that being in there together brings.
My other observation is the ones who do take their kids into the pool but clad their children up in so much inflated rubber that they look like 3 foot Mitchelin men, then don't release their vice like grip on the child for fear that they come to some harm. I have genuinely seen parents with horrified looks on their faces if a child has wanted to sit down in shallow water and simply spash the water playfully. Is it wrong of me to think that children can develop independence and security if they are allowed to splash, allowed to paddle and YES, occasionally fall over in the water?
Junior clung to me like a limpet when I first took him to the pool.Trying to go into the water and prise him off me was a mstake. I learnt from experience that just simply sitting on the side, kicking my feet in the water was enough to begin with, he watched me then sat down too and kicked with me. Then I went into the water and let him splash me before I started splashing him back. By the end of the first session, he was in the water with me and we were having fun. He was happy to go waist deep, then chest deep and even fall over and pick himself up again. I didn't dive forward and grab him to pull him up, I trusted the experts who say it is instinct for babies to hold their breath under water. He didn't wear arm bands or a ring as I wanted him to learn about himself and the water. The rest is history.
Today there was a mother and daughter of about 8 or 9. Mother barking instructions, child trying to do right but struggling, mother grabbing, pulling, pushing. It was no surprise that the child was becoming more and more flustered and upset. Last seen, child crying, mother "discussing" her disapointment :(
Wednesday, January 15, 2003
Quick update...
Junior came home tonight needing to be carried from the car fast asleep. He woke briefly to have his coat removed then proptly fell asleep again on the sofa. He was woken by my mobile phone ringing and a bit grumbly but cuddly with it. We had a big hug while tea warmed up then after filling our tums had a quick trip to the local shop, he rode his bike, I jogged (out of breath) by his side. We had another big hug and read a book while his bath filled up then it was time for me to get wet (I was sat beside the bath).
I quickly connected to the Sunderland v Bolton game online as he had his milk and biscuits and then with 15 minutes to go before the 8pm kick off we climbed the stairs where I had hung his duvet over his radiator ready for a warm snuggly bed for him to climb into :) He was nicely settled and smiling when I closed his bedroom door 20 minutes later.
Football... 90 minutes, plenty of chances for Sunderland to score, 0-0. Extra time 99th minute of the match and 1-0 to the red and white.YAYYYYY!!! 100 minutes and 2-0 Bigger YAYYYY!!!! Fourth Round of the FA cup at Blackburn :)
Big waves to a couple of friends from MSN, Nikki in Yorkshire and Sam in Lincolnshire. Great to catch up with you both again for a chat.
Now this early night isn't, so I'm off. Darn the BBC for putting Match of the Day on and showing Sunderland last Grrrrrrr
Monday, January 13, 2003
Quick question... Some links open new pages in the same window and some in new windows... Is there a simple bit of HTML that makes the difference?
Correction to yesterday's blog.
Quote> ...the 3 brothers that made up the Bee Gees were born here on the Isle of Man. Actually in the same maternity wing as Junior...
It passed my mind that The Jane Crockall Wing of Nobles Hospital where the babies pop out (with no pain whatsoever, I believe) looked a bit too modern. It seems to be a tradition to open new buildings in new locations but keep the name.
Many thanks to Bambi for this... "there is a building which is across the road behind James Caine {shop-*ed} that was the original Jane Crookall Maternity Unit...the new wing was only built and opened around 1992/93 Once the new wing was opened, the old building was reused for government departments. I would think that is where the Bee Gees were born."
I'm not often wrong, or stupid ;) but when I am I can put my hand up *raises arm while walking off grumbling...
In the News today…
International music star Maurice Gibb has died aged 53. He passed away two days after suffering a heart attack in Miami.
That came as a bit of a shock. As many (but not all) know, the 3 brothers that made up the Bee Gees were born here on the Isle of Man. Actually in the same maternity wing as Junior (and 90% of Manx babies).
In the Year 2000 there was a “come home to your roots” promotion where ex-pats and descendants were invited back as part of Millennium celebrations. It was suggested that the Bee Gees would try and get over, but alas a busy schedule meant it didn’t happen. There was a hope that they would still come over at some time in the future. I don’t know if they would have performed, that would have been amazing to see. Sadly that cannot happen now. At least they have a wonderful legacy, one that will live on forever.
One song that means a lot to us over here is Ellan Vannin. Originally a poem then put to music many years ago. Some think of it as the Manx National Anthem, although that honour goes to “O land of our birth…” a great song as well.
We have an annual Charity event called "Manx Children In need" and a few years ago the Bee Gees recorded a version of Ellan Vannin, which was pressed exclusively as a charity CD. They have sung it regularly in concerts around the world and it also appeared on ITV’s “An Audience with…”
Manx Radio's Bernie Quayle recorded a 2 hour interview with the Bee Gees and their mother, chatting about their memories of the Island, moving to Manchester and on to Austrailia. CD Copies of the interview are available from the station's website (click the photo above) His thoughts about Maurice can be heard here. (Windows Media file)
I paid for my copy of Ellan Vannin but am happy to share it. I have said it before and will repeat it again, if you grab a copy, throw some change into the next collecting tin that you see. It is your conscience, ok? First, the lyrics...
Ellan Vannin
When the summer day is over
It's busy cares have flown
I will sit beneath the starlight
With a weary heart alone.
Then it rises like a vision
Sparkling bright it shines for me
My own dear Ellan Vannin
With it's green hills by the sea.
Let me hear the ocean murmur
Let me watch your stormy sky
Then above the emerald waters
Sings the seagull as she flies.
Then it rises like a vision
Sparkling bright it shines for me
My own dear Ellan Vannin
With it's green hills by the sea.
And in all my times of sorrow
And on some lonely shore
I'll go back to Ellan Vannin,
To my childhood days once more.
Download Ellan Vannin here (3.7 Mb)
Thursday, January 09, 2003
New PC arrived yesterday (Wednesday) and IT man is coming today to plumb it in :)
Flight to Manchester is booked for my day away. I checked my bank balance today and I cannot do an overnight stay, so I'll be setting my alarm for some ridiculously early hour to be at the airport in time for the redeye flight :( I'm hopeless at waking up in the morning (maybe should go to bed earlier??) The Sunday night before I fly I think I'll make sure I am offline by 8pm have a long hot soak and be in bed before 9:30.
Had a great Daddy and son moment at bedtime tonight when Junior's eyes were drooping and he fell asleep in my arms. It is a beautiful sight to behold when a child is so relaxed that they just fade into sleep like that. I laid there for about 10 minutes cuddling and looking at him before I reluctantly removed my arm, lowered his head to the pillow and walked downstairs to wash dirty pots. By choice I'd have happily stayed there until I fell asleep too :)
YAY 4 members on my Manx Parents Forum :)
Blog Link
Tech Law Advisor is a legal web log (blawg) edited by an attorney admitted in New York and New Jersey.
Nite nite Peeps :)
Tuesday, January 07, 2003
Yayyyy , My new work PC is ordered and due for delivery any time soon. I dont need or want one that is all singing all dancing, just a bit more beef would be enough. My current one can go days without a problem then go into a mood where I fear the next keystroke in case it triggers a fatal error. The software package that we use at work is very extensive and draws on most of the PC's resources, add to that Windows, Outlook, OE and IE when I need to go online (for work purposes, of course) Word, Excel, which I am learning more about as I find more ways of using it and the poor thing was struggling.
I've been booked in to receive some training in using more of the features that the software offers. I assumed that the trainer was coming to the Island but today I found out that I am will be flying off the mainland to England for the day. So not only will I be heading off courtesy of my employers, they are even paying for the return flight too ;) The only downside is that a 7:30am flight means setting my alarm for shortly after 5am to get to the airport. The training day is a Monday, so I may see about flying over on the Sunday afternoon and staying somewhere overnight.
Even better would be a full weekend away as Sunderland are playing at Goodison that weekend :) I have a friend who is an Everton fan and is a member of the Supporters Club. It had been suggested having a day trip for the match before I found out about the training. I daren't look at my Bank account yet and the weekend is just before pay day so I may have to miss the game and try later in the season unless I can think up a way to jiggle the cash.
Monday, January 06, 2003
Happy Monday Everybody :)
Being one who hates boredom I decided to have a play online last night and add another page to the Ripsaw Empire :)
I was asked a while back when I was going to have my own message board. At the time I wasn't overly confident with (a) setting one up and (b) what on earth I would do with it. There was a post on the ManxNet Forum recently from a member saying "I'm a single parent and bored, looking for friendship (nothing more, nothing less) and so I had the inspiration to set up Manx Parents.
There are no posts there at the moment apart from a welcome message and a few topic headings as is the case with all things new, but I hope it will develop as somewhere for goods ideas and idle chat... whatever takes peoples fancy with a link to parenting and our loved ones. (Only time will tell)
There are not any restrictions on who can join and contribute, in fact the more the merrier (*subtle hint, join up and bring your friends) I've added a permanent link in the left hand margin and look forward to hopefully chatting to some of you in the near future :)
Manx Parents Forum
Sunday, January 05, 2003
Has been a quiet weekend. I guess normal life resumes tomorrow :/
Thursday, January 02, 2003
Back to work today :/
Shame really, it has been a great Christmas break.
Oh well, Happy 2003 everyone :)
