Connie is my hero

It only took 6 months, but we finally arranged to meet Connie, so I could get my grubby mitts on the Olympic Torch. She and her daughter Pamela and her friend Pauline came to Nan's in the morning.

Connie Adam has won many many medals at veteran world and commonwealth championships for fencing. She is 80 something and still travels the world. Shamefully, at her expense, which rules out some trips.

Hopefully recent publicity and becoming a something (holder of keys??) of Norwich will help her get some sponsorship for competitions.

Connie is my hero... and very very kind for letting us all play.. oh, and she has bionic knees and very cool scars!

 I see no ships!

Unfortunately it all went to my head when we started whistling the Chariots of Fire Theme!!!

I really wish I'd have tied up my trainers, and tried to look slightly less stupid! Ah well! .. they were right.. it did make my day.

Thanks Connie. Just be thankful she didn't bring her swords too!

Wild Parties

Ending the year with a bang? Not in Norfolk. Ended the year with a very nearby cache...

A cracking fry up (mmmmmm fritters)

Board games with Walter

and fireworks on the telly.

Only stayed up late because Jools' Hootenanny was so good.

Hemsby washed away

Sunday afternoon. Late up, going slightly stir crazy. Texted Chalkie to see if he was up for a bimble somewhere to get some caches. He said 'what no Hemsby?!'. So, guess where we went!

Started with a wander down the beach to assess the truth of the rumours that half of Hembsy had been washed away in the recent floods. The beach was very different, with a kind of step in the sand dunes. Erosion having a serious effect here these days. Me and Chalkie were attempting to be arty, ok, we were just playing with the modes on the cameras.. panoramic v cool.

No-one else was up for a game of American Football (well, Chalkie booting the ball way up in the air, we try to catch it without stinging hands or smacking face) so we needed a warm up.... off to Martin's!!!! Had to growl at Chalkie twice when I was only needing one number and he got Bingo. He had too much practice last summer. Had a lovely carvery in the Lacon Arms for tea. Moment of excitement when Ma ran back in from the car park for her forgotten handbag!

On the ball City!! oh.. drat.. and drat again..

Very kindly given a ticket to the Canaries game (thanks Jon, sorry you're ill, and thanks Pops). It's a bit scary being in the snake pit on your own, and I really don't like being called very rude and disgusting things by fellow Norwich fans, just because they think I am not singing enough. In fact there were some complete n**heads there today. I struggle to believe that people are genuinely that violent and hateful, but I guess they are.

Anyway.. I was thrilled to be so close to Joe Hart! My hero in an England shirt! I tried to hide this so I didn't get beaten up, but I definitely did not join in with all the anti Hart chanting.

Just a shame that the Norwich defence spent the first five minutes of the game standing aside and inviting Man City stars to have a shot. They don't need much of an invitation to get it in the back of the net.

Still, we put up a fight in the end, and the last ten minutes were quite frustrating, when Man City realised a draw was possible. Ah well. 3-4. Great game to watch. 

Hit the Sales!!!

Went into the city with folks and Chalkie.. Ma's last chance to make use of her Aviva city centre parking (was not at all suprised to find they had cancelled her swipe card early!!). I was very well behaved.. no purchases in Apple or Animal (shock, horror!) .. but did buy things found in Apple store for a third less on Amazon that evening... guys in Apple were great with advice.. turns out you can't just plug into to headphone jack, needs a gizmo to change it into an input.. so got an iRig to do audio recording and guitar jamming.

Chalkie introduced me to a new danger to the credit card... the TV and Movie Store... I was well behaved, just a SW t shirt and towel on sale. Chalkie got a Batmobile!!!

Can't remember if it was board games or kinect or film in the evening. Only watched 3 films in the whole holiday... including the obligatory It's a Wonderful Life (managed to not cry by distrcting myself with photo editing on the Macbook.

Here's what Jono was up to.. this is Scaramanga's island in Thailand from TMWTGG...

Emsy and Mumsy weren't quite so far away.. somewhere in a Starbucks in Devon (or Somerset, can't really tell) showing off their Christmas knitwear!

We kicked their asses!!

Mum had arranged to have her usual gang over for a quiz night. The boys decided that girls v boys would be a good idea. It was. We absolutely butt whooped them at all three quizzes. I don't normally like to big myself up, but I feel I more than contributed hehe.

Jackie might be allowed to tell me off for drumming on my belly, but Ma can no longer tell me off for leaving things till the last minute. Having sat on her arse all day she waits until 20 mins before guests arrive to decide she needs to print off a picture quiz from work. Well. Microsoft Word never does the same thing on two computers. Tried it on at least three. Pictures all messed up, one on top of the other and just skip back when you move them. Tried everything. In the end, Ma dealt with the guests while I had to scan the one paper copy she luckily already had, save it as pdf and print from that. Macbook to the rescue yet again!!!

Purple Prickles

Christmas Day version 2.0

This time.. with the little kids as well as the big ones. JJ must be special... he gets to open presents before dinner.. no fair.. we always had to wait!

 Chalkie got an awesome pressie!! Brilliant idea Jon.

 Someone didn't even make it to dinner!

And someone else needed cuddles from Nan..
 

Ham sandwich for Christmas dinner.. too much like his Dad?

Still the sarnies must work, afterwards he had enough energy to show us all his Wiggles dancing. Jon blames me for this, as I got him the DVD for his birthday. I, in turn, blame Rachel, as she recommended the DVD. The purple one still freaks me out.



And enough energy to play with his new Thomas train set...

Jay Jay can say my name now. He has already sussed that he can shout my name 'Gemma, come play' and I'll come running! Well trained me. We were making the Gruffalo puzzle I'd got him (well, I was making, he'd lost interest after two pieces) and he came out with the quote of the year...

"purple prickles.... like Gemma's hair!!!!"

Its a good Christmas when it last for two days and you are still opening pressies when you're in your jammies!

Daddy, Daddy, let me have a go!

Time for one last cuddle..

I look like a right muppet... arf arf!