Tagged

After spending two nights in a row on my bed, we decided it was time to tag Geraldinho and put our phone number in a little name barrel on the silver bling flea collar that I bought for her. We'll see if the collar stays on and if she stays. Fingers crossed ;)

Comforting company for extreme uncomfort

I was off work last couple of days due to a uncomfortable bout of seriously nasty cystitis. Well, Geraldinho the cat has been around to watch me running to the bathroom and yelling "I am pissing barbed wire" every 10-20 minutes or so. Luckily the antibiotics worked and the nastiness is now truly over. I had it last time about five years ago and it is seriously yucky thing to have and I am most happy that it is not a chronic condition.

But the beautiful Geraldinho has now spent solid 24 hours in the house and she seems to have taken to my bed on which she spent last night. This afternoon she went on her merry way but came back after couple of hours when it started to rain. Got to love her and looks like she might be moving in one of these days ;)

Don't abandon your cat!

In Finland some cretins have a bad habit of getting a kitten for the kids for the summer which they spend at their summer cottages across Finland by the hundreds of thousands of lakes. Then when the leaves turn brown in the trees and it is time to return to the towns and cities the poor abandoned cats are left behind to fend for themselves. Makes me want to spew on the thousands of mom's and dads who make these decisions every year.

Mike Monroe of Hanoi Rocks is participating in the campaign in the Finnish media to try and stop this cruel and unnecessary treatment of cats. Good for him!

Pic on the left is Mike and his 6 year old cat Pikku Neiti which translates into Little Missy

Anvil

I just finished reading one of the best non fiction books in a long time Anvil! The Story of Anvil . I bought it at the airport on my way to Kefalonia but didn't actually get to it until last week. Whilst reading the book about a Canadian band called Anvil , I fell in love with these two guys and I also fell out love with them for the stupid choices that they made along the way. But way to go guys and I just ordered the Anvil The Movie DVD from Play.com just to get that little bit more of the story to go with what I have just read.

And the music is not bad at all so highly recommended!

Today we have been mostly

Camden Town 4th July

Oh what fun we had! We met in the Elephants Head pub with Rea for a swift drink around 2 o'clock and then proceed to the Ice Wharf pub by the canal where we sat until hunger forced us to seek food about 7 o'clock. We decided on Japanese as Hi Sushi was just next door. We devoured a bento box each and few sushi rolls and nice it was too. Then we headed back to the pub and when the sun started to go down we headed back to Elephants Head for one more drink. I got home tired around midnight after drinking my own bodyweight in beer. Bloody good fun though ;)

Saturday morning

This morning dawned bright and sunshiny and I could not sleep past 06.00. It is just gone 08.00 and I have done 2 loads of washing and hung them out to dry and done my shopping list.

Now I just have to go and get the shopping, have my nails done and make my self pretty before heading out to Camden Town for a afternoon session with a friend I have not seen for about six months. Sun is shining and life is good :)

Hot hot hot in London town

The underground is once again feeling hellish with a large number of people being crushed together in a sweaty and smelly space. Not much else has happened apart from trying to keep cool and trying to look cool. Luckily I had some practise in Kefalonia so the weather is not affecting me too badly. At work I got permission to ditch my suit jacket as long as I wear long sleeved cotton shirt to cover my art work from corporate clients. Fair enough me thinks :)

Tomorrow is a training day of some blaah blaah blaah but at least it will get me out of the office. In my company there is a rumour going around that Twitter and Facebook access will be blocked at work or they might do away with Internet all together. You can imagine my reaction to those news and after I stopped laughing I thought that until that happens I won't care. Somewhat draconian or what?

The media is still going nuts flogging the proverbial dead horse of the freak of a man and musical talent with whom I shared my birth date with. Total over kill and how totally uninteresting?

Also in the news Andy Murray still seems to be hanging on in the Wimbledon and that is another thing that the press is going potty over. Italian train crash has had a just a foot note compared to entertainment and sports news. It must be summer and slow news time.

Now, it's off to work but where did I put my water bottle...?

More Geraldinho

The heat is on in London town and this weekend nothing much happened apart from lying down and hanging out in the garden. Our daily visitor Geraldinho is slowly starting to feel more at home and yesterday she actually came upstairs to hangout on my bed whilst I was watching the Star Trek Voyager (5 episodes in a row on Virgin1!).

So far she has only slept on the stairs when in the house but maybe from now on she will appreciate the soft bed, to which she is welcome at any time :)

Goodbye Farrah!

Beautiful Farrah Fawcett passed away yesterday and it made me feel quite sad. Farrah is best remembered for her Television role as private investigator Jill Munroe in the TV series Charlie’s Angels. I was in my pre teens in 1976 when Charlie's Angels burst into my TV screen. I could not believe that these pretty ladies were kicking arse and putting bad guys away. Needles to say, Farrah with her incredible hair was my favourite and it is very sad that she is gone. Respect!

It's a Thursday

Thursday morning and this week is moving along nicely towards the weekend. Nothing has happened so nothing to report. Summer has arrived momentarily to London town and I have been watching it from my desk at work. 65 sleeps to Arillas...*deep sigh*

Kefalonia Video

The weather being what it has this weekend has provided me with a chance to do a video of the Kefalonia holiday with the help of One True Media. I am not a movie director and I have no idea about how to cut film but here you are anyway and I am sure you get the gist of the life in the village.

Agia Efimia - Kefalonia May 2009

Midsummer in SW19

Tomorrow is the longest day of the year and tonight we have our version of Finnish Juhannus. I will try and get as drunk as my friends and some relatives in Finland :)

This picture is from Kefalonia of me standing in the Ionian Sea, but I think it captures the Juhannus spirit (and my bingo wings). Happy Midsummer everyone!

Friday Eye Candy

It is Friday so a bit of eye candy is in order. On BBC2 started the quite funny Kröd Mändoon last week and leading the silly men, women and others in the woods is quite tasty Sean Maguire as Kröd Mändoon. He was showing off his gorgeous body in Meet The Spartans and he continues to do so in Krod Mändoon. I don't mind at all and he can come and ravish me any time. As a bonus, the good man is also a Tottenham supporter. Niiiiice!

Holidays keep on coming

Whilst the British summer plods along with sunshine and showers, my head is already in future travels. After Arillas and Lisbon, Min and I decided to praise the Czech capital Prague with our presence for a few days in November. Good times!

Forever Single

They have found an genetic explanation on why some women (like me) never commit. This article in Times Online is promoting a book called Kiss and Run: The Single, Picky and Indecisive Girl’s Guide to Overcoming Her Fear of Commitment by Elina Furman. It claims that women like me have a 334 version of the AVPR1A gene and therefore unable to want or have a long relationship










WHICH SINGLE GIRL ARE YOU?

The Bitch
As soon as he comes out and tells her that he loves her, she’ll start on a campaign of ruthless mean-girl behaviour, from inappropriate public snarking to infidelity. He will, eventually, leave her. Then she becomes The Victim.

The List-Maker
Even if he fulfils that long list of requirements she has for an ideal mate — from body hair to bank account — she’ll find another detail (the noise he made eating moules) that is, in the end, a deal-breaker.

The Freedom Junkie
Has a huge appetite for life, great hunger for new experiences, is constantly making exciting plans. Men can’t keep up. She can’t keep still. Is always travelling. Fundamentally, probably has a deep-seated fear of death.

The Victim
Either persistently dates men who cannot offer them real commitment (married, excessively self-interested, geographically or emotionally remote) or simply indulges in a broad spectrum of commitment-phobic behaviour while continually wailing, “What is wrong with me?” and grumbling about the lack of decent men out there.

The Love Addict
It’s all “he’s the one”, until the romance runs out, and then she loses interest/gets bored/starts nitpicking/creates drama.

The Joyous Commitment Agnostic
May have worked through all the pathologies above and now simply couldn’t give a toss about relationships, has a nice life and doesn’t care who knows it.

I have been all of those single girls at some point in my life. At the moment you could call me the Joyous Commitment Agnostic :)

It is nice to be labelled. Or is it?

Lazy Saturday

Geraldinho lounging in the garden with me today. Lazy days in Colliers Wood...

Seen on London street this week

Michelin Man and his escort (walking down Garrick Street) covering him with an umbrella. I thought he was made of plastic? The picture quality is not the best as it was taken with my phone.

THANK YOU NORTHERN LINE!

I am always ready to criticise the Northern Line at the drop of a hat, but this week they really came through and got me to work and back as usual during the stupid RMT strike. Thank you :)

Also a big thank you to all the Aslef staff who saw sense and did not join to this totally unnecessary strike action.

Stop it Bob!

Here the England fans say it like it is about the RMT Union leader last night at Wembley.

3 nice things before 9am

- I slept like a baby and woke up smiling after a nice dream

- Northern Line was working despite the RMT strike so I got to work no problem

- It didn't start to rain until I was at work

Rain and loathing in London town

It is not so nice to be back in the rainy old Blighty where the politicians get their luxuries paid by us the mere mortal tax payers. If that doesn't give you indigestion, then there is always the question of the unelected "leader" who just won't go and he won't call an election. Hell in a handcart? You betcha and with considerable speed.

And if the weather and politicians dont manage to grind you down, there is always the lovely RMT Union to distrubt and bring to a standstill the whole of the London Underground network starting 18.59 tonight and lasting 48 hours. I wonder how long it will take me to get to work and back tomorrow and Thursday?

Well, sod the lot of yous unions and politicians as I have mere 81 sleeps for my next holiday. I will keep the sunshine in my mind and try to ignore you the best I can *blowing a rasberry*

Kefalonia in pictures

Here I am back in dreary London town after travelling most of the day yesterday. But having had the good sense of taking today off from work, I could spend most of it doing laundry and I also went and had my nails done. Here are some of the pictures (that can be published!) of our time in Agia Efimia Kefalonia.

Most of the correspondence was handled in our office in fior d'amore

My bedroom was adequate size and the bed was very comfortable

My base camp on the little beach

This cute little fella whom we called Black Pooley hung on the beach with us most days

Bella is the grand old lady of the village canines and a gorgeous old girl

The cutest girl Purdey who is holding my hand resides with lovely Peter and Sue who rescued her from being tied to a hedge and abandoned

Much needed shade was provided by this old olive tree

Good life contemplating what to have for lunch

White wine was a stable part of our diet

There was some food as well at lunch

And at dinner, but naturally with some vino

Assorted motley crew hanging out in fior d'amore

Bye Kefalonia

Here I am sitting in fior d'amour having a last frappe and musing about the past two weeks here in Agia Efimia. It has been really relaxing and although we never actually left the village in all this time, there was never a boring moment. Ambitions of visiting vine yards and other places and beaches vanished with the thoughts of having to drive, which would of meant making an actual effort.

New friends have been made, gorgeous food has been consumed and lots of cold drinks have gone down a treat. My head is in a place where nothing really bothers me and that really is THE reason for holidays. Heavy got home to Finland around 6 am and had a dentist appointment at 8 am. Talking about back to painful reality and I hope it went ok!

The only negative thing that happened in the past two weeks was that I got three mosquito bites after forgetting to plug in the repellent in the apartment on the second night . But even the nasty bites vanished nicely with Heavy's cortisone cream before they got too itchy, so it is barely worth mentioning.

Thank you Agia Efimia and even though I did not fall in love with this place, it did treat us very nicely and objective of doing much nothing was achieved with honours :)

Only Finn in the village :(

Here I am the only Finn in the village after waving off Heavy slightly schossled in a taxi after rather moist afternoon session with our new friends Sue and Pete and their lovely rescue dog Purdey to the airport in Argostoli.

I am now sitting alone in Gialos with my large Mythos and feeling rather sad watching Argentina v Holland youngsters on the telly with only a large Mythos for company.

Today I have been mostly...

Pool side on a Sunday

This morning there was not a cloud in the sky and Heavy felt better after yesterdays stomach upset. We parked ourselves to the pool side at Maki's pool bar and proceeded with the mornings sun lounging and few dips in the cool pool. Jan joined us and she waved her other half Glyn off saying that our day care group will stay here and play nicely until the lunch time hunger forces us to descend down to the village.

Here we are having a little surf after lunch in our favourite lunch spot. I am giving the Mythos a rest today and chilled white wine is on the menu whilst Heavy is still a bit weary of alcohol which is mighty sensible of her. There is still time for her to get her tournament fitness back on before we go home next week.

But as you can read here: Life is goooooooooood!

P.S Lindypops! We are yet to hear “Is This The Road To Amarillo” but we salute you and Hedgehog anyway tonight as per your instructions ;)

Rain & Shine

It was a rainy lunch time in Kefalonia today, but we didn't mind at all as food and alcohol were being served every where whilst the mother nature got on with much needed watering of the island plant life. But before the heavens opened we discovered the best kept secret in the village: Maki's pool bar over looking the bay where our village is nesting with uninterrupted views of Itacha .

After camping on the stony beach for a week we heard last night from our new friends Jan & Glyn that Maki's existed and made our way there this morning before heavens opened and the furious god of thunder slammed few big ones rumbling across the skies. The sun beds felt luxurious and the waitress was just a hand movement away. Alas, we had to give up because of the weather but we will be back tomorrow there, oiled and ready to worship the sun god.

Heavy had a bit of a turn for the worse with her tummy this afternoon so I have just popped over to Gialos for a quick beer and a quick peek of the Chelsea v Everton. I am also on a mission to find some Fanta for Heavy and let's hope what ever she has will pass quickly.

Still in Kefalonia baby!

Day 7 and today we have done the usual once again and now we are enjoying a leisurely lunch with couple of cold beverages. And after 20.30 tonight we are officially “the only Finn's in the village” as the only other three Finn's we have met are going home.

Tan is coming along nicely an the golden beach bum look has settled in. For once we have been sensible about it. We hit the beach around 9am and get the hec out of there by midday.

Also tonight is a bit of an event as there is Champions League final on the box and it will be the first time we have watched telly whilst here. We are planning to park our tanned hides to Gialos (surprise!) to cheer Barcelona and enjoy few drinks whilst watching the game. Beer and football, life is seriously good.

Kefalonia baby part 2

Life has settled into lovely lazy endless cycle of beach, lunch, kip, dinner and parking our back sides in Gialos before heading to our very comfortable beds in Alexatos Apartments. Here is a little vid to give you the idea of the peace and tranquility. Got to go now as my beer is getting warm ;)

Saturday here in the village of Agia Efimia went nicely. No hangover and we hit the little beach by 09.30 and there was no else there to spoil it. Well, that did not last forever but we had a nice morning there. We went for lunch in a place we thought was nice and quiet, but that was shattered rather quickly as three buses emptied their population of million tourists and the waiting staff went on over drive. Just as well they came and took our order before anyone else and the lunch was nice.



Then it was home via couple of beers and a well earned siesta and then we were fighting fit for dinner. We revisited the Poseidon taverna and the food was too good once more and we ended the dinner with death by chocolate with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Then with extremely full stomachs we headed for a few drinks in Gialos and once again we were ready for another good night sleep.

This time I am writing this from across the village square in Fior d'amore Cafe with a cold Mythos and life continues very chilled in Kefalonia :)

Kefalonia baby!

Yesterday I got up at stupid'o'clock and headed to Gatwick in a taxi. I was at the airport early and got to check in without having to queue for hours with hordes of holiday makers heading for the sun. At 07.00 it was still a bit early for the beer (even for me!) and I had a rebellious breakfast in the form of chili noodles and gray fish, which was nice.

Captain Bailey of Thompson airlines flew us to Kefalonia in steady fashion and we landed 15 early. The heat at the door of the plane hit my body and a big grin came on my face. Taxi driver was waiting for me with a sign with my name on it and about 45 minutes later Heavy greeted me at Alexatos Apartments where our home is for the next two weeks. Quick unpacking and then we had couple of glasses of wine before heading to the village in search of dinner.

We decided on a tavern called Poseidon where we true to tradition refused the menus and asked the proprietor to bring us what was fresh. We ended up with freshly cooked lobster on a bed of spaghetti, and I promise you that it was gorgeous. Then we parked our backsides in Gialos where things naturally proceeded to an alcoholic frenzy and this morning we looked and felt like the beautiful flowers that we are.

Now it is 21.45 and I am back in Gialos writing this with a big Mythos next to my little blonde laptop. Life is good :)