Journal Entries
Tour de France
Posted Jul 12, 2007
I took little 
to Greenwich last Sunday morning to watch the beginning of the Tour de France. We got a place roadside and stook there for an hour and a half waiting for the bikes to whizz by. Lot of vehicles going by in dribs and drabs hooting their horns. When the riders came past, they took just a few seconds 
.
Then we had a little look around Greenwich, which had a couple of fairs on. I would have like to have stayed a couple more hours, but I'd promised Roy I would be home by 1pm as he had work to do. In the event, we got home at 1.30pm. Don't remember what we did after that, except I made lunch for us.
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Latest reply: Jul 12, 2007
Drawing in my horns
Posted May 14, 2007
Following my builder's bill, I'm going to have to draw in my horns and exist on the minimum for at least six months. I've cancelled my trumpet lessons 
and I'm going to be looking at all my non-essential spending to see where I can make savings. It doesn't look as though I'm going to be able to take little on holiday this year. Shame, as he really looks forward to his camping trip.
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Latest reply: May 14, 2007
Presidential material
Posted May 8, 2007
I was asked if I would like to become president of my Toastmasters' Club today. I said it might be fun. There was talk of an election. I hope we have one, then it means I'm not committed. Our current president has said she definitely doesn't want to remain president. I'm not sure I can measure up to her. She's do positive!
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Latest reply: May 8, 2007
Almost there
Posted May 8, 2007
The kitchen is almost finished. We worked on the floor until fairly late yesterday. It's now complete. Now all that needs to be done is:
a) putting all the stuff back in the units (and throwing stuff away as well!)
b) filling the cracks in the plastering
c) fixing the leak on the sink waste
d) painting the walls
e) fitting skirting boards
f) buying some pots and pans that work on the induction hob
The boiler has sprung a leak, which means I've had to turn the hot water off. A British Gas engineer is on his/her way tomorrow.
I'm expecting to get BT broadband tomorrow, so I won't be restricted to dial-up.
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Latest reply: May 8, 2007
Unexpected success
Posted Apr 23, 2007
Last Toastmasters meeting I went to, I hadn't got a role allocated, so I wasn't particularly worried when I had to sort something out at the last moment, and I arrived late at the meeting. I then found I had been allocated the job of 'General Evaluator', which is a longish speech at the end of the meeting. All the speeches at meetings are evaluated and the General Evaluator evaluates everyone who performs a role, including the Toastmaster for the evening. Others are Timekeeper, Grammarian, Topics Master and Topics Evaluator and of course the speech evaluators.
I missed the opening and joined the meeting as the first speaker launched into his speech. I didn't worry overmuch, thinking I couldn't be asked to do it as a) I didn't know I was going to do it and b) I'd missed some of the meeting, so I didn't take notes during the meeting.
One of our members is registered blind and does all her speeches, including evaluating table topics, without notes, which is truly impressive.
Anyway, at the end of the evening, the Toastmaster said that this was the part of the meeting when the General Evaluator would speak, and I decided to give it a try, saying as I went up to speak that I hadn't expected to do it and hadn't taken notes. I'm really glad that I did. I found I could remember the order I had to evaluate people in, what they'd said and done and found I had good recommendations for everyone. Not only that - I was just to time. In a funny way, it was easier doing it without notes, because I had to fly by the seat of my trousers and concentrated on the major issues. Roy said that he thought I'd gone up in the estimation of the people at the meeting; I certainly went up in my own estimation. I'm not sure whether it was a one-off or whether I'd be able to do it again.
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Latest reply: Apr 23, 2007
Zarquon's Singing Fish!
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