2021 November – A Giraffe in the Paw, Nocturnal, Volcano and New Apartamento, Hadrian, Treat Time
A giraffe in the paw is worth…..
This is a picture of me enticing Mum to play.
Mum has been super boring this month and focussed on doing lots of work. She needs to stop now and pay me some attention.
I am quite a patient dog but seriously enough is enough.
I am going to make the effort and pester her.
Nocturnal
It worked. I have had a very nice play thank you. This is me in recovery mode.
Mum has gone back to work, of course.
She is practically nocturnal at the moment which is putting my routine out quite a lot. Do you know, sometimes I even have to put myself to bed because she is up so late doing stuff on the pesky laptop.
I know. Unbelievable.
And then I have to wake her up again in the morning to make sure I get breakfast and taken out. The late nights have got so bad recently that she is resorting to having a little nap in the afternoon.
Fun Facts: Actually there are no fun facts on sleep deprivation. It’s generally bad news for your immune system, balance, memory, blood pressure, weight, mood and cognitive processes.
So basically, try to get a good 7 hours straight (or thereabouts) if you can. But you don’t need me to tell you that, do you?
Volcano and new apartamento
This is offspring #2 camping at the top of an extinct volcano somewhere on her overseas posting. It was a big climb apparently.
And this is the new apartment for offspring #2 (also on her overseas posting) – not a bad life eh?
Offspring #3 and #4 have completed a fun run together this month. It didn’t look much like fun from the photos if I’m honest.
Hadrian
Mum has had a friend to stay – this is a picture of her dog. Her dog didn’t come to stay.
In a fit of enthusiasm and vino, they have apparently decided to walk Hadrian’s wall next year. The wall is 73 miles long. I’m not sure they’ve realised this.
Fun Facts: Roman Emperor Hadrian was in defensive mode when he had the wall built after his visit to Britain in AD122. It was apparently 8 – 12 ft tall along a lot of its length, so a good vantage and look out post. The wall may have been built to keep out the northern barbarians but it also probably served an important economic purpose by controlling trade pretty effectively. Plus the psychological impact of course.
I suspect there’ll be a bit of a psychological impact when those 2 try to walk the wall next year. :)
Treat time
This is a picture of lovely me having a well deserved treat.
This is some kind of hide roll thingy.
We ran out of these a while back so I am quite enthusiastic now that there’s new stock available. Thanks Mum.
…….any takers guys?
Saffron’s recommendations this month:
Music: We’re going all Led Zeppelin. About a third of their stuff was pretty acoustic though… ..formed in London in the late 60’s (whaaat!), Plant, Page, John Paul Jones and Bonham – the greatest rock band ever (apart from Queen).
Mums favourite album is ‘In Through the Out Door’ – sounds about right (and probably something she’d do). She’s also got a Led Zep Mothership T-shirt so between that and the Nirvana T-shirt, she’s going properly rock chick in an ‘old’ sort of way. It isn’t cool tbh but you try telling her. I’m consoling myself with these great tracks. You should too.
Kashmir
Immigrant Song
Stairway to Heaven
Fool in the Rain
All my Love
Whole Lotta Love
Reading: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, published by Vintage. Funny and tragic. Perhaps the world’s first so called ‘modern novel’?
The author’s history is not what you’d necessarily expect- born in 1547, enlisted in the Spanish military, sustained a gunshot wound which permanently crippled his left hand, spent 5 years at sea as a slave with Barbary pirates, ransomed by his family, unable to make a living due to his disability, ended up in debtors prison where he wrote DQ plus other books. Died 1616. What a life.
Films: Let’s indulge ourselves in a long hot soak in a spot of fantasy escapism shall we? Venom starring Tom Hardy – another one from Marvel Universe. Explores symbiotic relationships between aliens and humans and good v evil. Took a bit of a battering from the critics actually, but we love it. Some fab comedic moments based on a weird kind of rom/com between Brock (Hardy) and Venom (symbiote). We reckon Tom’s nailed this one. Go Tom. Two films to choose from – go on, treat yourself.
In the news:
COVID-19 The number of people receiving a third vaccine dose exceeds 10 million just in time for the Omicron variant to appear here.
The UK becomes the fourth country to surpass 10 million COVID-19 cases after the USA, India and Brazil – and look at the populations of those countries cf the UK…
The Queen congratulates Barbados as it becomes a republic, meaning she is no longer its head of state.
Footballer Marcus Rashford is awarded an MBE for his campaigning to help vulnerable children. Go Marcus.