recently updated

Every now and then I investigate some of the recently updated blogs and other people's links with a Christmas present type expectation-you just can't tell what's inside, fabulous or crap. Sometimes I have been very disappointed. Imagine my hurt when I found out that Iowahawk for example, wasn't really about Iowa, or hawks. I have also felt quite cheated when I have misread a blogname. Sheila as(h)tray seemed like someone I could get to know, a fellow diva nicotina, but in reality was nothing to do with a woman smoking fags.

I like to think our blogname does what it says on the tin, but perhaps there are people out there who have a real sense of disappointment on discovering that we are not a family of eggburgers, but rather a medium for Slinky to acquire an internet presence.

no 1 for cheesy bugs

Oh yes we are and I still have no idea why woodlice are called cheesybugs in the bit of the world I grew up in (South London/North Kent borders). I have discovered this though and do recognise a few of the words. I suspect that a lot of them aren't just Kentish, surely most people know what 'chawing', 'doobrie', 'goosegogs', 'pog' and 'shrapnel' mean?

like a hurricane

I have been a veritable whirlwind, a Tasmanian Devil of activity. Over the bank holiday weekend I have worked with Gypsy Tart to transform our gardens. Digging practically to Australia, hefting large chunks of concrete and countless bricks, chopping up enormous roots and the more usual potting out and cutting the grass have been my life and I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to see the results of my work, for once.

Poor Mr McMuffin has been reclining on the sofa for most of this time, only pulling himself together to get up and out and be his usual charming self with our chums. I wish he could find a nice new job, as surviving each day is wearing him out and he looks completely exhausted. Social Work can be shitty at any time, but working with incompetents at the 'coalface' of child protection just has to be the worst and although I have my own work whinges, I wouldn't want to swap places.

Whiny Slinky seems to have been even more needy since we threw him out on Saturday night. Fortunately we didn't have to suffer his demented cries as we were out until the small hours, but Gypsy Tart, Single Cookie and the Carrot Cakes were forced to listen to his pain as he wouldn't leave Gypsy Tart's garden. Apparently Mrs Carrot Cake confessed that she'd always hated Slinky, but been too embarassed to tell us. Don't worry, Mrs Carrot Cake, we detest him too. In fact I detest him so much that he's curled up on my lap right now, at least I know he's not pooing anywhere and he's quiet for once.

Newsflash: Mr McMuffin has given notice. He now has a smile on his face and a spring in his step.

work...

I haven't posted much over the last few weeks because I'm having a hellish time at work. I have spent the entire weekend thinking about whether I can bear to go back to that place on Tuesday. It difficult to explain what's going on, but basically I have been given far too much work to do and then my managers refuse to allow me the time to do the work. They continually ask me to do other things and have the nerve to almost suggest that my difficulties have something to do with poor time management. I have spent the last month on the verge of tears every time they ask me to do something else. This is not healthy. Nothing I say seems to make any difference. I have even spoken with my manager's manager's manager and still nothing changes. The final straw is really something very small. I found out as I was leaving work on Thursday that this authority uses a different report format from the one that 99% of other authorities use for child care reviews. I have prepared the wrong form and I cannot bear the thought of going to the meeting on Tuesday to be told that I have done it wrong. I feel a bit pathetic. Working here makes me feel like crap and I have to keep reminding myself that I am a very competent, experienced, worker. This is easily the very worse job that I have ever had. I have decided as I am writing this that I am going to give them a week's notice tomorrow. It's not as if I have a mortage, debts and a cat to feed. Oh no, wait, I do!

beautiful mrs mcmuffin...

I've been playing with iPhoto this weekend and thought I'd let you all see how beautiful Mrs McMuffin looked on our wedding day a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, I have had to disguise her to protect the innocent.

mostly today...

I have been listening to...I loaded up the ol' iPod shuffle this morning with the best of Ronnie James Dio. He's a great heavy rock vocalist and song writer from the 70s and 80s. He's written some great songs over the years. I have been listening to Rainbow Rising by Rainbow, Heaven and Hell by Black Sabbath and Holy Diver by Dio (I can't be bothered to put any links in, you lazy gits. Do a search!) all day as I have driven from one interview to the next. I nearly deafened myself on the M25 tonight as I was driving home. Here's a little taste of the man. It's Starstuck from Rainbow Rising.

lady of leisure

I have decide not to publish two very long posts because indulgent as blogs are, you have to draw a line sometimes. However, here is the essence:

Work is poo.
Heartfelt thanks to the early socialists and feminists for paving the way for me to benefit from your hard work.
I need a housewife.
Less privileged women are dealing with matters of life and death, not wittering on about how their work sucks the life out of them.
Social Workers are brilliant, especially me.
According to my qualitative and entirely unscientific research, Canadian Social Workers are the best in the world.
I have been shopping and ironing cushion covers.

I have also been developing stigmata for Easter. Well, not really, but I did get a splinter in my thumb yesterday and one underneath my nail today (from a shoe display no less) and although none of this compares with the pain of Christ on the cross, I can empathise.

take a break

I'm on annual leave now for a couple of weeks, as I have to 'use it or lose it'. I woke up bright (well not so bright, as Mr McMuffin will testify I was in a bit of a foul mood, but that didn't last long once I saw the sun) and early and so far have spent the day cleaning, tidying, gardening and throwing things out. I can't remember the last time I had this much energy and it's bloody marvellous.

I have been saddened to see that Mindy and Melissa aren't blogging at the moment. They will be missed in the McMuffin household and we hope they'll be back soon.

a little guest

I am sitting at home trying to write a relatively brief report. So far, I've done nothing but mess around on the computer and smoke cigarettes. During one of my fag breaks I was sitting looking out of the back door when I realised that we were being invaded by frogs. There are four frogs sitting outside our back door waiting to come in. It's been raining here all morning and I imagine the damp has brought them out of their hiding places. Slinky, the great hunter, walked right past them as if he didn't even notice that they were there. I managed to get quite close to one of them although he kept moving, so the photo has a little bit of a blur to it. I made quite a sight. Me, outside in the rain, in my dressing gown, kneeling on the ground, photographing a frog. That's not something you see every day.

it's official...

We are now the 54,967,372½ most successful website on the internet. We just had our 100,000 visitor. There must be a way of making money from this. If only we could get them to stay for longer than 3 seconds, we could be onto a winner.