Rubbish

So, it turns out I am not a writer.

I would love to write more here, I have lots of stories in my head. I often think, oh I must blog about that..., or, . I read other blogs and compose a response blog in my head, I just can't seem to get it written down.

I hope that, one day, a gadget is invented that can transfer thoughts to blog posts. Or maybe not.

In the meantime, this is it for now, as I'm picking out one letter at a time on my Kindle Fire keyboard. No app for Blogger in the Amazon App Store, boo hiss.

If anyone reads this, I fully intend to provide a long rambling post very soon. Pinky swear.

Thomas - an update

It seems that the non-owner neighbour has decided to 'adopt' Tommy the Cat. Not sure of the logistics re: ownership, vets fees, etc. (keeping out of that one!), but the photos on Facebook indicate he is happily snoozing with their dog on the sofa.

Happy.

Er, Hello - is this thing on?

Hi Kids!

I realise it has been an absolute age since I last posted.  Not really had anything to say. Except, that's a big fat fib, I just haven't really wanted to say anything.

Anyhoo, life around the Sheppit household is going fine and dandy.  Since we (I) last spoke, we have renovated our living/dining room and now have a wood-burning stove.  Which is great, except that the weather has been incredibly warm (for the UK anyway), so I am unable to justify lighting a fire - even with all the windows open it would be just too hot!

What else?  ... ... well, I am sure that, if you know me, you are SHOCKED (not) to hear that the fabulous bike I bought last year has been festering in the shed since, basically, my last post. Firstly, the icy weather arrived - too scared to cycle - then, we were doing the living room and my bike was buried under a load of living room stuff - too lazy to move it - and now, well, now it's TOO DAMN HOT to cycle anywhere (i.e., still too lazy).  I am summoning up the energy to trudge to work each day, but I seriously wish I had some sort of paddling pool/water bowl under my desk to sit my feet in.  How lovely that would be.  Not quite sure of the logistics of moving around the room with wet feet, or what clients would think, or my bosses for that matter, but I do think about it when my feet are throbbing away.

Cat news - nothing to report.  Cat still plays with old sweet wrappers and the occasional mouse toy.  Wakes up in the pre-dawn hours, but leaves me alone once I've fed him.  Operation 'get cat to sit on Biggus' lap' is still ongoing, with no success as yet, although he will walk across his lap to get to popcorn (freakish beast).

Speaking of Biggus - my lovely husband left the house to got to work at 7.10am today, only to come straight back in and yell up the stairs (yes, I was still in bed, what of it??) that there was a pile of cat vomit right outside the front door and also at the corner of the house.  Lovely.  So, first thing I did when I came downstairs was fill a bucket of water, grab some paper towels and go clean up some cat puke.  Turned out to be a semi-chewed part of bird. Niiiice.  This was not caused by our Cat.  I repeat - this was NOT CAUSED by OUR CAT.  Our Catfink is a stay indoors, crap in the litter tray, puke on the rug/doormat Cat.  The only living creatures he eats are spiders (only the body, not the legs) and the odd moth, if he's fast enough.

I think the offering today was left by a little kitty owned by one of our neighbours.  His name is Tommy and he is supposed to live on one side of us, but spends most of his time in the house at the other side of us.  The non-owner neighbours are trying to get him to go home, so are avoiding feeding him, but the 'owner' neighbour seems to have 'washed her hands' of him, as he doesn't spend any time there. So, I think he might have resorted to hunting.  I feel bad when I see him, cos he's such a skinny little thing, but we already have a cat.  Non-owner neighbours recently lost both their cats, one literally, the other died, and really don't want to be lumbered with another one, especially as they have a holiday coming up.  Poor Tommy, I think it is all going to come to a head soon, if not only because he is still a 'Tom' and sprays everywhere, which leaves really a pleasant scent to greet you when you walk out of your house on a hot day!!

Well, aren't you glad I'm back?  A lovely long post about cats, again.  Could be worse, I could have wittered on about Candy Crush, or A Game of Thrones, both of which I am currently obsessed with.  Never mind, maybe next time.

Bye for now x

I want to shake his hand..

Hello again

I know it's been a few days since I last posted, and I am sorry about that.  Lots of things have been happening recently, most of which is not my story to tell.  Also, I have Vertigo.  This came on suddenly on Wednesday, which means I have spent much of the last three days flat on my back (not in a good way!) and therefore have nothing much to say.  My anti-nausea tablets are now working and I am managing to sit up for most of the day (yippee).

I came on here today because I wanted to see if I could embed a video, and not just any old video.  This clip is one I think everyone should see.  Please watch it through to the end.

Here goes:

Oh dear, my 'woolly liberal' views are showing through again :) 

I want to ride my bicycle (I want to ride my biiiiike)

I recently bought a bicycle.  

This may not seem surprising, as you probably don't know me.  However, if you DID know me, you would know that my weight has yo-yo'ed for my whole life, up and down, with more ups than downs.  I actually managed to get close to goal weight a couple of years ago, but then got ill and (yada, yada, yada) the weight piled back on again.  So, for the last two years, I have sat around doing nothing much and exercising very little not at all.

In a bid to get myself back to the gym, I bought a bike.  My thinking was that I would be more likely to cycle to the gym than walk, an idea which has not yet come to fruition.  I have been going to work on my bike, instead of walking, which has been quite strange.  There is much more traffic than there used to be - the cars don't even have a man walking in front of them with a flag anymore! - which makes me quite nervous on the road.  I've kitted myself out with a lovely cycling helmet, best lights I could get and have pinched one of Biggus' Hi-Vis vests.  Apparently, I look like a Special Constable.  Special *something* anyway!

I have, so far, been mostly a 'fair weather' cyclist and, this morning, it was chucking it down with rain.  I decided to walk to work.  I have realised that walking to work gets really, really boring when you've been doing much the same route for fifteen years, some of it for twenty-three years.*

This brings me to the point of this extremely boring post.  It will serve to remind me that, rain or shine, as long as there is no snow or ice, I MUST CYCLE TO WORK.  The reason for this is as follows:

If I get fed up or tired when I'm cycling to work, I can stop pedalling and momentum will carry me on.  Stopping when you're walking simply means that you stop moving and the boring walk takes even longer.

So, take note, lazy, fat, extremely fit future Sheppitsgal reading back - on your bike!

*Yes, I have had the same job for 23 years! I'm not even that old, honest.

It's ok, there's a cat picture

I wasn't going to blog about this, because I really don't want a political blog in which I air my 'woolly liberal' views, so I will keep this short.

I miss the days when people in this country were innocent until proven guilty.

That's all.

Here's a picture of Cat.

Biting the bullet

I have made what could possibly be an error. I have told my parents about this blog!

Having done this, I have decided that I may as well announce the existence of this blog on Twitter, so HELLO any Twitterists who could be arsed to read this far clicked over.

(Sorry I said 'arsed', Mum!)

Among my Twitter friends are my Dad, my brother, my nephew,  some fabulous bloggers (nervous twitch at thought of them reading), some friends from real life and even my Mother-in-Law (Hi! *waves*), so I suppose I might have to be careful about what I say in future.

That is why I think that going public may be an error, but if I don't, I might as well stop writing now and just talk to Cat as per usual.

So, as it is going to slip out at some point, I may as well just get it over with now - 

Fuck.

There you go, don't we all feel much more comfortable now?