Monday 15 September 2008

More Ramblings

I've been trying to decide what to do work wise. I've been seeing a recruitancy consultant about my options, getting my CV up to date and going over interview techniques etc. I think I know now what I want to do, but I don't want to say too much just yet in case it doesn't work out. I'm going to try to get some part time temp work in the meantime so that I can cover the bills, but still keep some time free for training.


As I said in a previous post, my cat Jiffi died on 2nd September. We took her to a place called Cremate-A-Pet in Winchester and arranged for her to have an individual cremation. The chap who runs Cremate-A-Pet, Peter Winfield was very sympathetic and made the while thing easy for us. I was able to pick up Jiffi's ashes three days later. I think we are going to scatter her ashes in the fields where she used to go hunting for mice.
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At the weekend I attended a Mission Direct training day for their speakers network. Now I'm fully armed to go to speaking engagements for Mission Direct. It was really nice too, because the rest of the staff team I lived with in Sierra Leone earlier this year were there - it was good to have the chance to catch up with them.


I've had my phone upgraded to a Samsung Tokka. It looks and feels nice. This is my third Samsung in a row and I much prefer them to any other make of phone. This one has a full touch screen, which will take some getting used to. It has a 5 meg camera, the shots it takes are very clear and it has a gadgety thing called 'Smile Shot' ...... focus on someone and the camera waits until it detects that they are smiling until it takes the photo, it's a nice touch.


Also posted on minklemar.com


Tuesday 2 September 2008

Bye Bye Jiffi

I'm so sad.......our cat Jiffi died this morning. Bob woke me up at about 6 to tell me that Jiffi had gone, but when we checked again she was still just about alive. As we sat with her giving her a stroke she took her final breath and died.
This photo was taken last week when she was already quite poorly, but as you can see she was still such a pretty little thing.


Bye bye Jif xx

Also posted on minklemar.com
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Monday 1 September 2008

A bad meal and a good pub

We went for a meal at an Indian restaurant called Kuti's as it was recommended to us. The welcome was nice, if a little bit over the top. We were shown to a nice table by the window. The layout of the restaurant was good, the tables weren't too close together so you we didn't feel like we were sitting on top of the people at the next table. A lot of attention had been paid to the decor, which was all in violet. The price was higher than the Indian restaurant we usually go to , but from the look and feel of the place, and the fact that it had been recommended to us we were expecting really good meal.
We had a couple of popadoms (when we got the bill we noticed that they charged extra for the pickles to go with the popadoms!) then for main course I had a 'medley of chicken tikka's' and Bob had chicken dahnsak, we shared a pilau rice and some bhindi aloo (potato and okra). When the food came the presentation was really good. My medley of tikka's consisted of 6 pieces of chicken, 2 green, 2 white and 2 of the usual orangy red tikka colour - the menu had indicated that the chicken was corn-fed, but I think that's unlikely as the colour of the chicken was just too white on the inside. Unfortunatley the meal was disappointing, the chicken was opaque in the middle and wet looking, the okra was slightly slimy and the potatoes were watery.
I wouldn't recommend this restaurant and I wouldn't eat there again.

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On the way home from the disappointing meal we stopped off at the 'Bat and Ball Inn' in Hambledon. This is that place that cricket was invented and is known as the 'cradle of cricket'. It's a newly restored 17th century inn. The inn used to house the clubroom for members of Hambledon Cricket Club, in the great days of Hambledon cricket from around 1750. There is lots of cricket related memorabilia in the pub and lots of attention to detail. There is a restaurant but we didn't try the food there (I wish we had forgone the Indian and eaten at the Bat and Ball!!). The staff were friendly and the ladies room was well decorated and spotless. There is quite a large carpark and an outside patio area with tables and seating and a smoking area. I liked it, if we are ever driving that way I'd definately like to pop in again.
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Also posted at minklemar.com