Paul and Mel's UK

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

While the cat's away - Part II

Part I of this post can be found here.Have you ever thought that as you get older you become more and more like your mother or your father? Paul says he sees a lot of my mum in me sometimes. I don't necessarily agree, but then again he probably sees me differently than how I see myself.

Paul on the other hand, he is well aware of his own personality traits and the things that make him (as TMcC once called him - which to this day he hasn't forgotten) "eccentric." One of them is his sudden desire to germinate plants from tiny little seeds into what you see above.

It all started off with a trip to Kew Gardens. We picked up a very small propagator and some packets of seeds; a venus flytrap, poppies, pansies, a peanut plant, a banana plant and one other that we can't remember. The banana plant grew like crazy and the venus flytrap has the cutest little teeth.

But from this, Paul was hooked. So one Sunday he dragged me to Homebase to pick up an even bigger, more sophisticated propagator and even more seeds. Among these were cactus seeds and a daffodil bulb. From when we first met Paul used to tell me how much his dad loved growing cacti at home. Apparently they had loads of them. He used to tell me how gorgeous they looked once a year when they flowered. He never really showed an interest in gardening at all. Until now.

Last weekend, now that we have a car (thanks S&M - that's another post) we were at Homebase again and Paul couldn't resist picking up a freestanding shelving unit-cum-greenhouse which now takes pride of place on our tiny little balcony next to the outdoor table and bbq. The first thing Paul does when he gets home from his week long stint in Dublin (after kissing me hello) is go and and check on his little plants.

Oh ... he's such an eccentric and the apple, from what I hear really hasn't fallen far from the tree - his sisters will attest to that. They get great joy in teasing him about how much he looks and sounds like Dad.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Oh ... we crack ourselves up


Thanks to the large bags of MS (talk about double entendre) I now own a Macbook. Anyhoo, this is what happens you combine some two-bit effects with a built in webcam. Christ, I hope this is not one of things that seems really funny at the time and then is somewhat less than.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Pitch black

Mel and I got talking today and I realised that I have seen two 30+ degree days in the last two years.

This is truly depressing.

Almost makes you want to go out and by a sun lamp. Almost.

Next summer there will be no mucking around - it will be sunny and it will be hot. None of this mid-September shoulder season malarkey. I want to run the risk of getting burned to a crisp. I want to wade in the water because I will die if I don't. I want to live in my sunnies.

Coincidentally, it is 32 degrees in Melbourne today.

Labels:

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Sometimes, it just fits

I recently went to Brussels with my sister, MS. Brussels does not have the reputation of being a must see, European hot spot but I have to tell you, I really liked it.

It is easy to get around, everybody speaks English - along with seven other languages - and everyone was accommodating and friendly. Well, with the one exception of one ticket seller guy at one of the metro stations (you know who you are).

Anyway, aside from sampling a wide range of beers and immersing myself in the local culture - well, as much as a whistle stop tour on the obligatory double decker tour bus will allow, of course - I got jiggy with it with a couple of locals. Kudos to whomever can tell me what the hell that massive, colourful concoction of a triangular stringed instrument is.

Here's two thumbs up for Brussels

Labels: