So, I have been tagged by two people, Dickiebo and Sage.

Thanks for that.

Here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

3. Tag 7 people at the the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to your blogs.

4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.


Here are my 7 random, weird things:

1. I am amberdexterous (???) I am right handed but use my left hand for many things.

2. I have always loved guns/rifles and I have two of them.

3. I really do hate wednesdays.

4. I do not like the dark.

5. I get angry, very angry about everything.

6. When making a decision I like to sit down quietly and think about it. This could go on for a couple of days.

7. I am the double of my dad.

I hereby tag, Alice, David, carry on Constable, De-tec-tive, Thoughts running through my head, 200 weeks, pawpads.

I have told you before that I read David Farleys blog site, and I've got to admit that this recent one has me speechless.
It is a wonderful blog and brought tears to my eyes. I haven't even left a comment because I just cannot find the words.
Please, read this and see what you think:
http://www.old-plod-of-plympton.blogspot.com/ "Caring for those we love"

Thankyou.

Rant Rant Rant

Well, I know I don't talk a lot about where I work because I did not want this to be a blog site about work.
But at the moment I am up to here with my job. I don't mean the checkouts as such I mean the people I work with.
There was 15 of us that trained to use the self scan tills, and I am the only one that likes them.
We had them installed a year last August and because I start work at 8.00a.m. they asked me to go on them. I did and I have stayed on them all this time. I love working on them.

So, why then am I now fighting everyone to keep my bloody job?

Suddenly, out of the blue, June (thats not her real name) started saying she couldn't work on the other tills because she had a bad shoulder and could not lift the shopping.
Without a word to me they put her on the self scan tills and although I protested I had to move and go elsewhere.!!!!!
Now she does not start work until 9.30a.m. until 2.pm. so that meant I go in at 8.00a.m. and stay there till she came in and then I had to do other things.It is very busy for that hour because the school kids come in to buy there bits and bobs, and of course, she misses all that. Which she loves because other wise she'd have to work!!!
Then suddenly, John (not his real name), he suddenly claimed he was unable to lift the shopping on the other tills and they put him on the self scan tills. Now he starts work at 12.00p.m. as he does the afternoons.
Without a word to me or June, he went on them at 12.00p.m. so then she was out of her job as well.
I was told by my friends that both of them had said they thought those self scan tills are 'easy work'. So they had planned this.
Well, there are 4 tills and you' re responsible for all of them.

It is not 'easy' work at all!!!
This arrangement has gone on for a year now.


Monday was the last straw, not one of them took me off like they usually do. June went on the ordinary checkouts at 9.30.am. and I was annoyed at this. We had a routine that had gone on for all this time and she had broken it, I know what she was doing as she told me she hated the self scan tills now and didn't want to stay on them!!

Then John came in and he didn't come to the self scan tills either.

When I queried this and no-one knew why this had happened.

Well, although I resented them doing my job because they thought it was an 'easy job' after all this time it was me, yet again, that was left in lumber wondering just what the hell was going on.

I have a routine, and I hate it being broken.

I saw laura (not her real name), my manager and told her I wanted to talk to her about the situation as I am so unhappy with it. We arranged to have a talk tomorrow.

I admit that, as I said, I resented them taking my job but now I want them to stay on those tills even if they hate them, because they messed me about enough.

They just seem to get everything they want and I am left to just carry on as if nothing has happened.

Sorry to rant but it has been going on now for a few months and I just do not know what I am doing. Am I staying on the tills or not?????

I can't work like that, I need to know where I stand.

Thought I would show you this pic of my cat snowdrop, and yes, that is me. Geoff has done the right thing, he's chopped my head off!!!

Last night geoff and I finished our meal and sat down. We turned on the t.v. and watched the usual programmes, Eggheads, Great British Menu, and Watchdog.
Suddenly, I burst into tears. Geoff did not move or utter a word, he just sat there. I looked at him but got no response. Time went on and still I cried and still with no response from geoff.
I must have had 5 or 6 sodden tissues on my lap and still I cried.
Finally, geoff looked at me and said: "Did you enjoy that?"
I picked up yet another tissue and wiped a tear away, we had not spoken for two hours.
With gritted teeth I nodded, I could not speak to him.

He turned and said:"Next time La Boheme is on, I think I will go out."

On the right is a picture of an Mexican axolotl. To you and me it's actually an Salamander.
It has the rare trait of retaining its larval features throughout its adult life. This condition is called, neoteny, which means it keeps its tadpole-like dorsal fin, which runs almost the length of its body, and its feathery external gills, they protrude from the back of its wide head.
The axolotl differ from most other salamanders because they live permantley in water, and in extremely rare cases an axolotl will progress to maturity and emerge from the water, but in the majority of cases they are content to stay in the water. Mostly on the bottom of the lake where they were found.
They can also regenerate lost body parts.
They are the most studied salamander in the scientific world.

These are a few facts about this particular salamander:
Type: Amphibian
Diet: Carnivore
Size: Up to 12 inches
Weight: 227g

The reason I am telling you this is because they are now becoming extinct.

I do not know how we can stop this but I think it's a beautiful creature in it's own right.
Don't you?

I've just come first and second in the Grand National!!!

Comply or Die @ 7-1
Kingjohnscastle @ 20-1

Now I won't be spending to much at the moment, I will have to sit and think what to do with the winnings.
After all, @£2.00 e.w. for Comply or Die and £1.00 e.w. for Kingjohnscastle, I have a lot to think about.

I've just picked up my winnings, the princely sum of: £27.50
Drinks on me I think.
xxx

Last year Geoff and I went to Santandor, in spain. Now, geoff cannot fly so we thought we would drive there.


Well, I must admit, although I know how much geoff loves driving I was rather worried about it. But Geoff explained that we would stop in France for a couple of nights to have a rest.
Well, I was very excited about going and off we went.

We drove down to the channel tunnel and although it was a bit claustrophobic, it only took about 30 minutes and it was alright, although to be honest, I was glad to get off.

We were in france.

Geoff, thankfully, knew where to go as I hadn't a clue, and off we dove.

We had not booked anywhere it was just a matter of finding a hotel. Which, luckily we did.

We booked in and after trying to explain what we wanted (bed and breakfast) the receptionist finally understood our broken french.
I cannot speak a word of the language but I must admit that geoff did it quite well, actually.
He had a book but found that quite hard to follow.
Anyway, up we went to the room and as always I was dying to go to the loo. So, I went to the bathroom, coming out of it I said to geoff:
"My god, that's a large loo."
Geoff looked at me a bit puzzled and walked into the bathroom and burst out laughing.
"Annette," He said. "That's not the loo, that's the bidet"

Oh.

After having breakfast the next day, they only have bread and jam, not a fry up. We got back in the car and started our long drive.
Geoff, by the way, still laughing at me and the 'large loo'.

After about 4-5 hours driving we arrived at Santandor and we had a lovely 10 days and the weather was absolutely beautiful.

Time to go back.
We left santandor and arrived in Bordeaux. my god, what a lovely city that is, we stopped for lunch and drove on.
Finally, we decided, again after a drive of 3-4 hours to stop and have a cup of coffee. This we did and found ourselves in Etaples.

Well, we had a drink and geoff told me about the war graves.
We had to go and visit them.

We arrived at the war graves about 1.30.p.m. got out of the car and walked through the gate. (Picture on the right)
There was a plaque explaining the layout of the graves and a brief history of what happened and how many died.
What made me a geoff smile was that they had said that when the British arrived at Etaples they could not pronounce it properly and called Etaples; eat apples.

But what an honour for all those soldiers that had died there, and there was some graves for the nurses that died there when a bomb landed by the hospital.

Do you know,I have never experienced anything like it.
The silence hit you.
There was a book there and we filled it in saying where we had come from and just a few words to all those that had died in the war.

I have never seen such a momentous place in all my life.

The graves were all in line and everyone of them were named in bold letters and their ranks, ages and regiment were clearly displayed. The graves stones where whiter than white, and you can tell how well kept they are kept. Everyone of them had a pose of flowers at the head of the grave. Some died so young.

There was 10,792 commonwealth buriels of which 658 were german.
This is the list of the number of buriels:

United Kingdom: 8819
Canada: 1145
New Zealand: 260
South Africa: 68
India: 17
Germany: 658

There were 73 people who were unidentified.

There was one Victoria Cross winner. He was:
Major Douglas Reynolds
V C of the Royal Field Artillary.

What utterly amazed us was the dedication of the people who worked there.
Total dedication.

I will never forget my experience of going to those graves and I am so grateful that, although we did not plan it, we were lucky enough to go and see them.

We stayed there for 3 hours.

If ever I had the chance to go back there, I would without hesitation.

God bless them.