I have a friend who values his time immensely. And so he should; he is a very worthwhile individual. I have learnt some things from him but I have to keep reminding myself of those things.
Life can be mundane, of course. Here’s a boring story but it proves a point. I ordered some household items via direct delivery from a very well-known supermarket. Just some odd things that you need around the house, nothing special just practical stuff. They sent me the wrong things. Now I dont have a car anymore because I am now a London gal :), I cant simply jump in and drive to the supermarket and return them. No its a little trickier than that. I look at the returns policy and they say I can return it to any store that begins with a T and ends in an O. You know who it is now dont you? :) So, I traipse down to the nearest store, after phoning them of course, to check that they will take it back. ‘Oh yes’ they say. So, duly traipsing (do you traipse too?) – quick diversion – I was trying on a pair of heels in shoe shop recently and the guy serving me was a transvestite. ‘Nothing wrong with that’ you say, but he said to me. ‘Oh you didnt half mince when you walked over to the mirror’ Trying to be keep my balance love, trying to keep my balance, and while we are at it, kettles and pots, kettles and pots :)
Anyway, I digress, where was I? Oh yes, so off I go to return said items only the manager says ‘No, cant do it, cant take them here’. ‘Grrrr, but I phoned’ I protest ‘And someone said yes I could’ ‘Well that shouldn’t have happened’ he said (I swear I am going to have that inscribed on my tombstone or at least on a t-shirt). So off I trudge (I traipse when I think I am on the right track and trudge when I think I am not) all the way home. The ‘manager’ had told me that I should take it to this big T miles away and I was going to do it, forgot the bag though on the way to a sunday lunch. So, I plan another day to do it and I phone the store. ‘No, even though we are a massive superstore, selling everything in the world you can imagine, you cant bring it here’ he smugly says. Hmmm I detect a conspiracy.
So I call (hahaha) customer services (hahaha) and they say ‘Oh dear, you have been given the run around havent you?, that shouldn’t have happened‘ ‘Let us pick it up from you instead’ ‘Great!’ I say lovingly. ‘You have to stay in though, for the courier’ ‘Of course!’ I gush. ‘What time? shall we say 11am?’ ‘Oh no, no, no’ says satan in a tabbard. ‘For 12 hours, 7am until 7pm’ My heart sinks. ‘Cant you be more specific?’ say I ‘No, it is out of our hands’ she says. So I took the day off and I waited, and waited, and waited FOR TWELVE WHOLE HOURS.
Just imagine what you could get up to in 12 hours. Actually I did, we could fly to San Francisco or the Caribbean, be on a beach before you know it sipping Mai Tai’s saying ‘ T****? Who on earth (or put in the expletive that resonates with you) is that?
You know it, dont you? The courier didnt turn up. ‘That shouldn’t have happened‘ they said when I called after a few days of cooling off.
The point is though, I wasted roughly around 15 hours of my life for what? Around £50.
So when they asked me if I wanted another courier booked, I took a deep calm breath and said; ‘No thank you, life is too short’
The Apocolypse is happening in 2012. So ‘they’ say, but didnt ‘they’ also said it was the year 2000? Someone tried to spook me the other day. Told me that the Mayans had predicted that 2012 is it, finito, finis, the end of you and I and definitely the end of any sauciness. So me being the anorak that I am looked into it. Well, it has to be done.
Hmmm, I am a little bit of a sceptic regarding all of this, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it!‘ I cry. Well, actually if I do see it, I will believe then of course, but it will be too late wont it? Oh I feel a holiday coming on…
The Mayans viewed ’time’ and ‘dates’ as a meshing of spiritual cycles. The Mayan calendar was sacred and religious, each day had it’s own patron spirit. The Mayan grand cycle of evolution will culminate on December 21, 2012 AD. The 2012 Apocalypse. This time now has many names ”The Time of Trial on Earth,” “Judgement Day,” “The Time of Great Purification,” “The End of this Creation,” “The Quickening,” “The End of Time as We Know It,” “The Shift of the Ages,” “The Apocalypse” and “Armageddon”.
It is foretold that the completion of the Mayan Calendar brings regeneration of Earth, offering an awakening to all with open hearts and minds. TheMayansm, Hopis, Egyptians, Kabbalists, Essenes, Qero Elders of Peru, Navajo, Cherokee, Apache, Iroquois Confederacy, Dogon Tribe and Aborigines all believe in an ending to this Great 2012 Apocalyptic Cycle.
As keen stargazers, the ancient Maya were familiar with astrological cycle we call the Precession of the Equinoxes. This is close to a 26,000 year cycle in which Earth passes through each of the 12 signs of the zodiac for 2000-2152 years each. Each of these astrological ages represents one month of the Cosmic Year.
The Mayans were known worldwide for their architectural, artistic, mathematical and scientific achievements. With great attention to detail they constructed stone monuments and pyramids with precise computations. Built with purpose, these dates were left to ensure that future generations would be alerted to the end point of this great 26,000 year cycle – The 2012 Apocalypse.
A cycle which corresponds also to a 26,000 year relationship of our Sun orbiting Alcyone, the central star of the 7 sisters pleiades constellation. According to the Maya, the “future” which lies beyond this end date is literally a new world age – a new creation - an Apocalypse.
The Mayans believed that December 21, 2012 AD is the culmination of a series of events over time that leads to towards an the ultimate spiritual awakening of the world ( The 2012 Apocalypse ). They believe the changes are underway and will continue steadily accelerating as we head towards this date.
Sunspot Cycles; Adrian Gilbert and Maurice Cotterell, in their book The Mayan Prophecies, say that the end of the Great Cycle is the culmination of a series of long-term sunspot cycles which will flip the sun’s magnetic field, causing earthquakes and flooding on earth and an apocalypse in the year 2012.
The Mayan King Pacal Voltan was known for his prophecies and was known for his knowledge of numbers. Pacal Voltan speaks about the end of the world on December 21, 2012, a year which many believe is the year of the apocalypse.
Part of the 2012 mystique stems from the stars:
On the winter solstice in 2012, the sun will be aligned with the center of the Milky Way for the first time in about 26,000 years. This means that “whatever energy typically streams to Earth from the center of the Milky Way will indeed be disrupted on 12/21/12 at 11:11 p.m. Universal Time,” according to Lawrence Joseph.
Others believe gravitational, magnetic, and solar energies will go awry when this galactic and planetary alignment occurs, causing an array of natural disasters, including the weakening of our magnetic field, allowing solar radiation to penetrate our atmosphere and the 2012 Apocalypse.
(Kindly taken from http://2012apocalypse.net/)
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Ok, whether you believe this or not, (I dont) there is always a lesson, something you can take away from anything new you learn. If you thought you had only 1024 days left on this planet, what would you do?? Think about it.
Are undoubtedly some of the best in the world (the best possibly?) but what is it with the service charge? I know its been around for ages and you probably dont even think about it. But let’s think about it. I always assumed that the cost of a meal included someone actually bringing it to you (call me old fashioned :) If you thought that the person bringing the items to the table was quick, friendly, knowledgable etc etc, you may consider slipping him or her a little something on the side, to say ‘Thanks for looking after me’. An incentive to be nice, that kind of thing.
But no, now there is a 12.5% service charge slapped on the bill automatically. Can you imagine going to see a ‘lady’ and her saying ‘Oh that will be an extra 12.5% because I opened the door and let you in’? Ive seen worse though. When I was in California for a few months, you could not get a second drink in a bar unless you gave a dollar tip – every single time you had a drink. Every time, regardless of whether the service was poor, mediocre or diabolical. They totally ignored you without the flash of a greenback but if they did deign to glance in your direction, the look they gave, honestly, turn a hot chick to stone it would. Madness.
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).
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, anecdotes, ideas, funny things (lots of them), deep and meaningfuls - 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 - and make a comment when you feel the need; I like that x
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