My Blog Posts

Nothing to see here, move right along please. Told you it wasn’t very interesting.

We’ve got a christmas tree. It’s real. It is over seven feet (two metres) tall. There are fairy lights, and presents underneath it. What possibly lets the side down is the five (count them) ornaments gracing it’s branches. We really should do better than that.

I’m far too busy (or indolent - take your pick) to write anything interesting today. News reaches me from our very inefficient shipping company that we may have our goods from across the sea before Christmas. Or maybe not, they can’t be too sure. Frankly I’m rather keen to get my hands on my belongings so that I can resume wireless surfing of this here intarnet-web, listening to music on my high quality stereophonic high fidelity system and so that JFGP can stop sleeping in a portable cot. My back will thank me for that last one at the very least, and maybe even the Reeves as well because they will get their cot back.

I’ve got no excuse, other than Simon picked up on the latest produce a list which tells us something about you theme running through the blogosphere. The rules are quite simple; Open up the music player on your computer (or personal music player) Set it to play your entire collection - on random shuffle Tell us the title of the next ten songs that show up (with their musicians), no matter how embarrassing. That’s right, no skipping that Carpenters tune that will totally destroy your hip credibility. It’s time for total musical honesty. Write it up in your blog or journal and link back to at least a couple of the other sites where you saw this.

One good thing about living a long way away from family is receiving presents through the post. This shows Alex gratefully receiving his Christmas present from the Perry family of Reading. Thanks awfully.

Christmas is coming and what more could a grown up gent about town want than a handy domestic beer dispenser. Look, it’s even designed to put perfectly cold wife beater into your glass. I’m expecting to see one of these installed at the 70’s throwback’s place the next time I’m in the mother country. No pressure. On related news, I’ve negotiated a pass out for tomorrow night. If anyone fancies a cold beverage or two, and happens to be around down town syd-er-nee, drop me an email or a text message.

Oh, and this is the reason why I bought a proper car and not a pansy wagon.

Congratulations to the Buck clan on the addition of their newest member. Say hello to Rory Lancaster Buck. All we know at the moment is that he was born in deepest, darkest Sussex at half past midday on the 29th of November and that mother and son are doing fine. Good work Cathy, Chris and Ethan. Welcome little one, just watch out for that nutbag called “Dad”.

Lordy! Someone has gone to extreme lengths to document the 70’s throwback’s musical taste on a web page - here. Although I frankly think that even the midlands based gab-meister would draw the line at Ozric Tentacles.

A rather belated picture from our house warming last weekend. Uncle Ciaran is showing off his baby caring credentials by trying to keep his beer bottle away from Ely Palmer. He scores extra points for drinking proper (i.e. Belgian) beer. Although it does look like he is putting more effort into pulling a funny face than keeping the sweet, sweet beer away from the baby. I suspect he needs more practice looking after children. Are you free to look after a very well behaved young boy this weekend old bean?

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Let me illustrate a typical Todd family exchange for you. First a little background. The senior members of the team have acknowledged that we are carrying a little too much bulk around with us and have embarked on a programme referred to as “fat girl/boy slim”. Or, as anyone else would call it, a diet. Part of this regime is a weekly weigh in which we’ve chosen to do on Tuesday mornings.

Whilst I managed to take a couple of half decent photographs at our open house yesterday this one, taken this afternoon, pips them all to the cute post. It’s a picture of everyone’s favourite little boy (who had share his cubby house with eight girls yesterday) sitting on the sofa with Baa, his favourite soft toy. Why is it named Baa? Well it’s a sheep of course.

Astute readers will have noticed that we’ve moved into a new house. Tomorrow we are opening the doors and admitting all and sundry to have a look around. If you are around the Northern Beaches after 2pm please do feel free to pop in and say hello. Invites went out to random people earlier this week but if my scatter gun approach didn’t include you please accept my apologies. And come round for a drinkie-poo anyway.

I went to the tip yesterday, and not content with their own web page they have their own domain name. Although the keen eyed will notice the “under construction” notice. Then we have to revert to the Warringah council page for Kimbriki Landfill site. Lovely place it is too. On the refreshingly web site free front I went for a swim before work this morning. All I could find for Manly pool is this page. It was amazing how many people were doing laps at 6:20 this morning though - these people are insane!

From the left - Milly Reeve, Elena Palmer, JFGP and Alice Reeve. I have it on good authority that they were all smiling because Robyn was outside the window doing star jumps. Sadly I can neither confirm or deny this because I was at work at the time. Whatever the ladies were doing has obviously worked though, as none of the ankle biters are crying or beating each other up. Definitely a good job all round.

One thing that has changed in these parts since we’ve been away is that more people and organisations seem to have discovered this here inter-web-net thingy. Here is just a short list of the web sites I saw advertised on my way to work this morning; The Steyne Hotel, Manly one for Mr Rose that. The New Brighton Hotel, Manly no longer the place to go for a fight apparently. Hundreds of Kiwis are apparently in mourning for the old place.

The essential Northern Beaches accessory - a three wheel “sports” buggy that’s about as much use as a chocolate fire guard. Which is irrelevant because JFGP absolutely loves sitting and being pushed around in the bloody thing. I won’t mention the fact that it’s too wide to fit through the checkout lanes at the supermarket or too unwieldy to take on the escalators at the mall and thus requires an enormous detour to use the lift because that would be churlish. And I’m not like that. I’m just a grumpy bugger.

I’ve updated the page on this web site that tells you where we live and how to contact us. I’m not going to link to it, think of it as a simple exercise for the reader to find the appropriate page and take note of our new address and phone number. Be warned as once we have emptied and clear the boxes pictures may follow.

This morning, at a rather early hour I discovered that we don’t actually have a mirror in our bathroom. My face looks like it has been in a wrestling match with Mr Gillette and come out a very poor second best. This is not a good thing, so anyone thinking about putting a snitty remark in the comments about it being an improvement (and I’m looking at you here Nigel) needn’t bother.