Phew I made it! I hear that when you have a child, you forget the pain after a while and that allows you to go on and do it again. I think its the same for moving house.
Why oh why didnt I get one of those firms who pack, move and unpack you? While they’re at it they could also tell all the people that need telling – phone, gas, electricity etc etc etc. (what a carry on just trying to find the meters!) – I sense a business opp here though:) Its a good job I had a very dear friend to help me- thank you darling x
Anyway, its done, Ive moved!! I am firmly ensconced in my new London pad (actually its not new, its around 200 years old but its new to me and you know what I mean).
Im just starting to get to know the neighbourhood, and there are lots of the things that I need and they happen to be close by; and what joy to just stroll out of my front door and within a short walk find a whole road of decent places to eat. I think Im going to love it here :)
So, still some more unpacking to do (I am sure boxes breed and multiply in the back of the removals van). February bookings are filling up fast – thanks guys, that is a fabulous welcome – but I still have some time free at the beginning of Feb, would love to see you x
Look at these! A natural phenomenon (and you know you want to sing the muppets song right now, dont you? Oh go on then :)
Anyway, these things were found in Somerset (the snow things not the muppets), in a field. My first thought was. ‘Oh those naughty crop circle boys have got nothing to do again’ But apparently not, these things, they start off with nice thick layer of snow, with the top snow just on the point of melting either because of general temperature or sunshine on the surface.
The top snow layer becomes a bit sticky, and you then need a fairly strong wind. The sticky layer can be peeled off the colder and more powdery snow underneath by the wind forming a roll. In the first picture you can see some of the powdery stuff sticking to the lower outside surface of the roll. I suppose it is a natural version of making a snowman. (You can tell by now that I didnt write this, me not being a Meteorologist at all – aww shucks, it comes from the Daily Telegraph :)
Now, after being formed, the rolls eventually become too large and heavy for the wind to move, or are halted by rising ground or a tuft of vegetation.
They are often hollow because the weak inner layers which form first can easily be blown away, and the fragile formations can collapse in the slightest change of temperature or gust of wind.
Liz Bentley, of the Royal Meteorological Society, said despite their rarity in the UK, there is a chance of more snow rolls appearing over the next few days. (Whoo wooo!)
“These rolls are unusual here because we don’t tend to have major snow events like the one we’re experiencing now. They happen with the combination of lying snow and high wind speeds, mostly in North America and Northern Europe, and they can be as small as a tennis ball or they can be as large as two feet across – depending on how strong the wind is and how smooth the surface of the snow is,” she said.
“There are quite strong winds predicted this weekend as well as more snow, so if people keep a look out they might see a few more of these appearing around the country over the next few days.”
…I’m ready to go… Oh not quite but you know the song dont you? So my boxes arrived today. I ordered them online, no time to do it the old fashioned way, traipsing around local shops for their spare boxes, hardly any local shops left now anyway and supermarkets, well apparently they shred them right away. So the boxes arrived a day late because of the ’snow’. Its not a problem and I expected them to be late. But dont you think all this chaos is a tad ludicrous?
Here’s the thing. We happen to live in a cold country. We can all pretty much vouch for the fact it will be cold in December, January and February with a higher likelihood of snow than say, Florida. So, methinks, is it not unreasonable to expect out of all the billions they take off us in tax, the government, both local and central could possibly have enough grit for a few months?, on standby you understand, just in case, and maybe throw it around a few roads and possibly streets so that good folks can get to work? And all this malarky of schools closing etc etc. (Shakes head in that disapproving manner). I had a boss once, he was from Scotland. Lovely fella. He used to stand and laugh at the chaos when there was a snowflake in Plymouth. Suggestion; why dont the powers that be in Westminster pick up the phone and have a wee word with the powers that be in Scotland? You know, about how to deal with a bit of snow. After all they have been managing perfectly well for years and years. Honestly, what are we like?! (There is a tip here, how not to make a good first impression with your new neighbours, mine being in Westminster hehehe)
Ahhh thats my little post new years rant over and done with! :)
So back to the packing. I am not taking much. Well, I didnt think I was taking much until I started packing. Well , there’s my make-up (thats enough for an artic lorry just there – only kidding, only kidding!). Clothes, given lots away so not too much but it all adds up. Books. Ahh my books. I cant leave those behind can I? I dont have novels or somesuch, mainly text books, non-fiction, how to’s and how not to’s. They’re coming. And my kitchen bits and pieces. I intend to have some major dinner parties so I must have my equipment. And thats it really, the rest is being sold off, even my car. Oh my. I cant see a need for a car in London. I cant be doing with stressing about parking spaces and so she has to go, bless her heart. If I cant possibly live without one though, I shall buy a shiny new one, oh what extravagance!
So, My loves, I am fully booked now in Plymouth. Its been very sad to say goodbye to some lovely chaps I have known over the years but promises of popping in to see me in London have been given, so thats nice. If I didnt get the chance to say ‘bye to you, then big kiss instead X and in the voice of Mae West, ‘Come up and see me sometime!’ (Apparently she didnt actually say that but we dont care do we?)
I am almost fully booked for the rest of January in London but please do contact me as I may have a teeny window in the new diary, and of course there is always Frisky February and I know of an excellent way to keep warm! ;)
I hope you had a wonderful new year. Mine was fab. Even though, I was in an unfamiliar town in an unfamiliar venue and knew only one person, it mattered not one jot. We had such fun and it just goes to show that its not where you are that counts, its who you are with, oh and what you make of a situation. So my poor tootsies were very sore by the end of the night, the band was too good! They played soul music all night – bliss!
So what about you then? What are your new year’s resolutions?; do you have any? perhaps you have one not to make any :) The problem with most of them is that they are negative. ie. lose weight, stop smoking, stop drinking – all deprivation-based goals. I learnt the hard way years ago to just phrase them differently and instead of feeling that you are losing something, you feel as though you are gaining. So instead of ’stop drinking’ it would be drink more good things, ie water. Try it.
Now, as you know, I have my lovely lists and usually a few days before the end of the year, I like to go through my list for the past year, did I get to do all the things I wanted to? (do I sound like a total anorak?, oh dear hahaha) It never happens that I do all of the things of my list (I write down too many), but I do most of them. Last year it was about travel, visiting certain restaurants and some entrepreneurial projects. This year, it is about connections and making time for friends, exploring London and doing some voluntary charity work.
I like new year. Its a time for reflection and a time to get excited about future plans. Hope yours are biggies, (your plans, naughty! ) Tell me about them sometime x
They say that money can’t buy you happiness. Honey, it was never meant to. Money buys you a comfortable life, a certain amount of freedom, oh and some luxuries, thats all. The happiness bit is up to you.
Money or the love of money is the root of all evil. Is it? Is it really? Regular readers will know that I don’t pay much heed to religious ramblings. But I am interested in the human condition and religion obviously has to tap into that so that it can make an impact and gather followers. Ergo some religious ramblings have to be examined.
We know that a lot of evil things are done for money, or to get money but an awful lot of evil things are done not purely for money but for power or for recognition or for spite.
I like money. Oh dont call me shallow! Im not. I think I have a healthy relationship with money. I dont take it for granted and I like to think I know its place in the greater scheme of things too. I don’t go crazy spending and I save far, far more than I spend. But money is for 3 things in my mind.
1. Security
2.Comfort
3. Fun
Things change when you have money. Oh yes they do. For instance; I lived in London when I was a mere slip of a lass of 17. I lasted, oh around about 3 weeks. No money. No decent place to live, no money to enjoy what London has to offer. No life really. So I came back home.
When I left university I worked for charities. If you want to be highly qualified and feel noble but get very low pay then I highly recommend it. I also experimented with living a simple life. I lived in communes and I even considered living at Findhorn. I once spent a weekend at a place that turned out to be a cult. I ran, well I walked :) Searching for something? Maybe. I prefer to think I was exploring different, alternative ways of living. I didnt find any that sat comfortably with me.
I know, I know, you wouldnt think that now. And please dont come and see me thinking I am a little bit alternative, a bit of a hippy. I’m not at all. I am very conventional, very far removed from that lifestyle. I just had to find my place in the world and it was the one I left behind a little while ago. So here I am back again. Its an interesting story, if you are interested in those kind of things.
So these are the things I have played around with. I dont come from a wealthy family and no-one has ever given me anything. Like most people I suspect.
But money. You know, it changes things. It changes a taxi driver from grunting at you to calling to Ma’am. You wouldnt think it would you? Its true.
It sounds as though I have won the lottery doesnt it? No I havent.
But money. I like it. I like the things and the experiences it can give me. I work hard (not just at this vocation, but at other things too). I pay my taxes and I dont sponge off the government. Just like you. Oh and I like nice things.
What does money do for you though darling? Does it bring you all the things you want in life? It shouldnt, not everything, but it sure makes things comfy -but you already know that dont you ;) x
PS I did have an amusing clip from Cabaret, you know, the one with Liza Minelli singing ‘Money makes the world go round’ until to my horror, I found that if you use Internet Explorer, which most people do, as soon as you land on my blog you get the full rendition. Not good if you are in a sensitive environment or if you tend to get fed up with Liza Minelli. So, dear friends, it is gone, disappeared, no longer, Kaput, oh dont start me off on the Monty Python parrot sketch :)
I just had the most fantastic weekend, thank you for the delightful company and the best sunday ever, Mister x It got me thinking about doing great things and really living life. You have to, dont you?
I got sent this today as well, and as I havent put one on for a while, I think its time to have a deep and meaningful…
“You’ll seldom experience regret for anything that you’ve done. It is what you haven’t done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear. Do it! Develop an appreciation for the present moment. Seize every second of your life and savor it. Value your present moments. Using them up in any self-defeating ways means you’ve lost them forever.”
Right then, I am off to book my Las Vegas Extravaganza!
Very important research :) has determined that ladies who exercise their pelvic floor muscles have more frequent and better orgasms than those who dont.
Three things you probably didn’t know about orgasmsin women
1. Some sources say 90% of women have never had a vaginal orgasm during intercourse. In the 2008 Orgasm Survey nearly half of women said they rarely or never have orgasms. Two thirds of women who rate their pelvic floor as ‘poor’ have never had an orgasm. Those who exercise regularly have TWICE as many orgasms as those who do not exercise
2. Sex gets better with age. Women in their 40s have a much broader repertoire of sexual behaviours (including types of orgasm) than those in their 30s, who have more than those in their 20s. And older women are more aware of their G-spot!
3. During orgasm the vaginal muscle (also known as the pubococcygeus or PC muscle, love muscle or fire muscle) contracts repeatedly every 0.8secs
“Squeezing ‘the PelvicToner’ improves muscle tone and blood flow, which gives you more intense orgasms.”
Cosmo Sex Reviews
“The pelvic floor is like any other muscle – use it or lose it!”
I, of course have been exercising those muscles for years, like a mad woman, and squeeeeeeeeeeeeze!. I thought it was because I like my fancy pants too much and didnt want to end up wearing the large but strangely fetching knickers in the pic – oh and because the boys seem to like it – I wonder why? ;) But now, now I feel as though I have given my self a nice little treat after all these years of hard work. Good things come to those who squeeze! Oh yes they do.
Now, I didnt know that men should be doing these exercises too, did you? I didnt even know they had them, pelvic floor muscles. I thought it was a lady thing. But while browsing the internet, I came across a book called ‘Exercise your penis’ (dont ask) or was it ‘Exercise!! you penis!’ ? hahaha
Anyway, it got me thinking and as always, I am happy to look after you fellas and your health, so here it is, what I found for you….
Why should men do pelvic floor exercises ? A strong pelvic floor muscle is important for men too. Women have been encouraged to exercise their pelvic floor muscle for decades, but now we understand that it is just as vital for men, and especially for men with specific health issues. Research has found that
a strong pelvic floor overcomes erectile dysfunction (Uni of Bristol study, 2004)
a regular program of pelvic floor exercise achieves the same success rate as Viagra (Uni of Bristol study, 2004)
pelvic floor exercises are a safer and cheaper option than drugs; Viagra is associated with damage to the eyes and vision in a significant number of men using it, but exercises are safe for everyone (May 2005). Medications are much more costly than an exercise program.
pelvic floor exercise can “increase awareness of sexual sensations and enhance enjoyment” (Impotence Association, UK)
pelvic floor exercises can bring a dramatic improvement for men who experience dribbling after urinating (Uni of Bristol study, 2005)
pelvic floor exercises are strongly recommended for men following a prostatectomy. Research has shown that pelvic floor strengthening can improve sexual function and overcome urinary incontinence. Some research shows that self-directed exercise, using verbal and written instructions, can work just as well as intensive physio (Moore and others, 2008), while the latest findings demonstrate that a mere 12 sessions of electrical stimulation and biofeedback, each of 35 mins duration and starting 7 days after catheter removal resulted in almost all men regaining continence at 6 months (Mariotti and others, 2009).
I am not aware of this having any secret sexual meaning as in going ‘Greek’ or having a ‘French Polish’ (nudge nudge wink wink). No I think it just means paying half for something and this is the context in which I mean it today, ladies and gents.
When is going dutch appropriate?
Well, I think, obviously with friends, male and female and colleagues of course, family etc etc but an amour? No I don’t think so.
Call me an old fashioned girl but I like a gentleman to treat me like a lady – a princess if you will. Insisting on me paying half for a dinner is a tad unromantic isn’t it? I once got asked if I go dutch and I said ‘Do I look as though I wear clogs?’
Oh don’t get me wrong I am all for women having the right to do, you know, whatever, yadda yadda, yadda. But I really don’t think it diminishes a girl’s independence and dignity to have a nice fella buy her a prawn cocktail once in a while, do you?
I remember going out for dinner with a whole bunch of people and one of the guys had brought along his new lady. After we had had a charming meal and the bill came, he pulled out his calculator and started totting up the price of what she had eaten. Honestly. He then, to the utter horror of all at the table, showed her the part of the bill she would have to pay. He never saw her again.
He saw himself as a ‘new man’, a brother in feminism (that’s an oxymoron by the way :), a guy so firmly embracing the feminist ideal he is throttling it to death. We, on the other hand, the other diners, both male and female, forever saw him as a cheapskate. Someone with no generosity of spirit and frankly not very classy.
I guess it is pretty common these days, you know to go dutch. I blame it on HH and the feminatzi gang. Although they dont seem to mind the rest of us footing the bill for their dining extravaganzas and their husbands’ porn. I also guess I have been spoilt with my fellas, they always thankfully leave the calculator at home :)
No it was not some steamy session!, here is what happened. A kind Sir brought me a lovely bunch of lavender from his garden. It reminded me of France. I decided to let it dry out and kept it in a glass pot on the window sill. The other day, I was joyfully getting ready for Mr B to arrive. Mr B likes to come around for a nice dinner. Roast Lamb is his favourite, so roast lamb it was.
The food was cooking nicely, everything was prepared. I had had a lovely bath and pampering session and my next job was to light the candles. ‘Oh’ thought I, ‘Why dont I pop a little tea light in the bottom of the pot, where the lavender is?’. ‘Then, the beautiful aroma of the lavender will drift up with the tea light heat and that will be lovely’. Wont it?
Except that the dried out lavender caught alight and when I happened to walk into the living room, there was a mini fire on the window sill. Luckily, it hadnt caught the drapes. I was cool though, like the cucumber, and just threw a damp cloth over it and left it. Dippy, me? Not usually :). Oh just had a thought maybe I should have left it and called those handsome fire fighters out ;)
10 points to the reader who spots the connection of this story with the pic – the late but lovely Jim Morrison.
PS. Fully booked for London in December, almost fully booked for London in November, some dates left for Dubai in December. Full info HERE my lovelies x
Oh, we all knew it was coming and I (which is very unlike me) firmly ensconsed my head in the sand.
Actually, I was joking to a few people that if my TV got stolen, I would not even notice for about 3 months. haha haha. (in a cocky jokey manner)
Actually, I dont watch it. Not really, not anymore. I dont want to sound like one of those intellectual snobs but I just havent had the time and besides that, its all rubbish on there anyway these days. Isnt it? I used to love Shameless and Desperate Housewives, oh and of course Sex and the City (please tell me if any of those come back on).
I used to though, watch TV. Loads of all sorts of nonsense ( I blame it on my student days – why is it ‘endearing’ for students to watch crap and for other people it is ‘mindless nonsense’? anyway, as usual, I digress) So, some other things came into my life and therefore TV and most of the stuff on there became obsolete, took a back seat as it were.
Soooooo, when this switchy over business came into play; and I was only told this by one of my fellas – ‘Try and turn the TV on’ he says ‘Go on, you wont get a signal’ - ‘Oh I dont care’ says I, I’ never watch it anyway’.
When he left I kind of went into a little panic. Oh what if I want to watch something, what if I get bored? What if, what if?. Stop. Actually I spent two years of my life without a TV (yes I was an adult) and no it was not the end of the world.
So I run in and turn my TV on (the one I have paid no attention to for 3 months) and OMG!!! it is blank, a fuzz. Well, the world is over then. Its scary when you are disconnected, it really is. Whats even scarier is that I feel scared that I am disconnected because of a bloomin’ TV!
Now, I went travelling wth nothing more than a backpack, twinkly blue eyes and a smile for a year. TV or rather the lack of it did not bother me. In fact, when I came back I found it very odd that people would congregrate around a box rather than each other. I have never understood some people’s need for constant noise around them. I love peace and quiet. I really love peace and quiet.
So, in my panic I managed to contact a very nice lady from the digital switchover helplines ( set up exclusively for people like me :) – she was a doll and very kind and talked me through the whole thing – setting up the digital box anew etc etc. Thank God for angels.
Anyway, a little analytical thinking was in order here and I assume my disconcertion with the lack of TV was the fact that it was something taken away from me. We expect these things to be there all the time, in our society, even if we dont want them and feel out of the loop if they are taken away, it feels if we are not part of things anymore.
We may choose to be a part of these or not but we like the choice and its not nice when we are excluded. No one likes to be excluded. Thats my psuedo-psychological analysis on a simple thing like the digitial switchover. Hmmmmm.
Now then, I bet you cant wait to come and see me now hey? hahaha, I am not so deep and serious, honestly – I am a fun bunny – just you wait and see!
This here blog thing started as a way to express my saucy self. But do you know what? There's more to me than the saucy bits! So herewith you will find all sorts of thoughts, ideas, funny things (lots of them), deep and meaningfuls, occasionally - a mixture of everything really, just like life. I hope you like it here. I like it here. It's cosier if you are here too so stay a while.
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For the Gents who like to know what's what, I have an email newsletter where I send you advance notice of tour dates, specials etc. Please email me at rhiacharles@yahoo.co.uk and I will add you right away.
Phew I made it! I hear that when you have a child, you forget the pain after a while and that allows you to go on and do it again. I think its the same for moving house.
I just had the most fantastic weekend, thank you for the delightful company and the best sunday ever, Mister x It got me thinking about doing great things and really living life. You have to, dont you?
Very important research :) has determined that ladies who exercise their pelvic floor muscles have more frequent and better orgasms than those who dont.
I am not aware of this having any secret sexual meaning as in going ‘Greek’ or having a ‘French Polish’ (nudge nudge wink wink). No I think it just means paying half for something and this is the context in which I mean it today, ladies and gents.
No it was not some steamy session!, here is what happened. A kind Sir brought me a lovely bunch of lavender from his garden. It reminded me of France. I decided to let it dry out and kept it in a glass pot on the window sill. The other day, I was joyfully getting ready for Mr B to arrive. Mr B likes to come around for a nice dinner. Roast Lamb is his favourite, so roast lamb it was.
Oh, we all knew it was coming and I (which is very unlike me) firmly ensconsed my head in the sand.
Oh and here’s one of those crazy signs to set you off nicely for the week ahead – have a good one!
