One of those weeks!

This has been an interesting week, techonology-wise. On Wednesday I finally plucked up the courage to get myself a Pampered Chef website. I'm not allowed to post a link to it on here but if you want it, e-mail me and I'll send it to you (strange rule I know, but.....). I then spent 3 hours playing with the settings, viewing the finished article to make sure everything was fine - most of the work is done for you, it's just the personalisation bit that you need to sort out. Then, suddenly, the website wouldn't come up any more. I assumed it was a case of waiting for final approval from on high, so I started playing with the content aimed only at us consultants.

Yesterday there was still no sign of a 'live' site so I started adding my customer information into the site's database, along with notes on what they'd bought and what they'd like if it ever came up on special offer. Then, suddenly, that bit broke - crashed completely. Cue one frantic phone call to the helpdesk. The nice man unblocked whatever I'd broke and I had a live site and a working database. :-))))))

Today I picked up the phone to call a friend. Bet you can guess what happened? Yep, the phone threw a hissy fit and refused to work. Soon got it sorted out but A has banned me from touching the new oven.

That's 3 technological hiccups. Ya think I've had my allocation?

He's not a natural

D spent all Wednesday morning getting more and more agitated about his driving lesson. So by the time 1pm rolled round he was a bit of a wreck. Two hours later he and the instructor, and the car, were back in one piece with no bumps or scrapes. He'd managed to get the hang of changing gear and steering but tended to go to pieces when turning at junctions - thank goodness for dual controls. He was not entirely sure whether he wanted another lesson but we booked one. Now that a couple of days have passed he's quite pleased with what he could do and feels ready to tackle the next stage. He definitely doesn't take after his parents, as we took to it like a duck to water.

So anyone in our area should avoid us between 9 - 11am on Wednesday. You have been warned.

Strangely enough my insurance company were quite happy to insure D to drive my Merc (E240 estate) for only an extra £480 till November, with £800 excess. This is scary as the day before my 25th birthday I couldn't get insurance to drive A's Granada Scorpio, even though I'd been driving for nearly 7 years. Needless to say we will NOT be letting D near my Merc as it is automatic (and the size of a tank).

This week's round-up

I thought I'd write one long post instead of several smaller ones.

D's last GCSE exam was on Thursday afternoon. Technically he is now finished with compulsory education, even though the official leaving date for Yr 11's is 30th June. He's planning to spend the next 3 months being lazy - apart from the two weeks work experience next month - but he can plan again. I've told him that he is going to be improving his domestic science skills.

Sea Scouts had invited D along last night to give it a go. I must stop calling it sea scouts though as it's really Explorers. During the day K decided she'd like to try to, so at 6.15 yesterday evening we were down at the quayside. I introduced the kids to one of the organisers and that was the last I had to do with it till they came back at 8.15 ish. K was ecstatic - she'd been allowed to helm the boat - and had a dreamy expression on her face. D came back with a broad grin. Malcolm (organiser) had taken them out in a Wayfarer and introduced them to the art of sails and rudder - many thanks Malcolm. K accidentally crashed into a wooden piling but blamed the boys for not telling her it was there. No damage was done. They both can't wait till next Friday evening.

The results of my patch-testing were a bit of an anti-climax. I reacted quite well to balsam of peru - no I'd never heard of it either - and fragrances. The suncream set were normal! So it seems I can slap it on with gay abandon, making sure it is fragrance-free - no more tacky coconut-smelling gunk. This morning I took the dog a walk and slapped some suncream on my face and arms. So far, so good. No redness, itching, runny eyes. Yet this same product (as in it's the same tube) made my face go all hot and red last year. Confused? Yeah, me too.

I have an appointment for January to see Mr Arden-Jones, my wonderful dermatologist, to schedule another session of 'medical microwaving'. A and I have discussed this and decided that, for now, the benefits outweigh the risks. I get a P(M)LE rash every year but I may never get malignant melanoma, even though my chances are somewhere around 1-30 to 1-40. Apart from a little outbreak in May my rash is behaving itself quite nicely this year. You watch, now I've jinxed msyelf and will look like a bad measles outbreak till October.

Almost forgot to tell you about the compliment I was paid by friends on Thursday. Bearing in mind my skin issues, particularly on my face, and the fact that only use water on it - no make-up, no cleanse/tone/moisturise - I was pleasantly surprised to be told my skin is looking really good. Apparently I am glowing with health and they can tell I've lost weight.

What is it?

I found this near the patio doors this lunchtime. It seemed 98% dead, barely moving, so after I took it's picture I pot it outside on a dandelion flower. It wasn't there later so either it had recovered and flown off or had been blown off by the wind.

It looks like a bee but the legs were more thin and elongated, like a mosquito. At the front there seemed to be either a very stiff tongue or a stinger of some sort. It's wings had either gained or lost pigmentation, and the fur down it's back was patchy - bee coloured round the sides but bare black down the middle.

Any ideas?