Sunday Morning sleepless in San Fransisco

Hello! Yes I am on Trelawnyd time and everyone else seems to be on Pacific time! it is 6.30am here......14.30 in Wales and I am wide awake.
I couldn't be bothered reading in bed, so I have gone out in the mist for a walk around the block and am now sat in a deserted Hotel Lobby with only two chattering clerks for company.
Last night we went to the famous TOP OF THE MARK for Chris' birthday dinner and cocktails. I spent an obscene amount of cash, but the food was lovely and the views of the bridges,bay and city breathtaking.
We all enjoyed the evening for different reasons. Chris and Sorrel loved being pampered in that wonderful over-the-top American-ish way...I just loved the view and the ambiance of the room, which reminded me so much of the Promenade Room from The Towering Inferno!!! (also set in San Fransisco!!!-how geeky is that?)
There was a lounge singer, who belted out a few well know ditties, and Chris actually got up to dance the quickstep at one point!
Today we are off to Alcatraz (after a fat bastard breakfast at Sears of course)-Looks like a warm but rainy day again.......let's hope I have not peaked too soon

Rainy day in San Francisco

Quick holiday blog!
I have come back to the hotel to check reservations for Chris' birthday surprise (Dinner on the top floor of the Mark Hopkins Hotel overlooking the Golden Gate!
The weather here has been rather wet but not cold and we have crammed in a great deal (Bay cruise,too much fabulous food at Sears, cable car fun times and a surprisingly good musical in Wicked!) today Chris and Sorrel have gone shopping, so I have escaped good old Macy's for a morning at the Museum of Modern art and a geek visit to see the scenic elevators (yes, the ones that were featured in Towering Inferno) at the Hyatt Regency Hotel......bliss
San Fransisco looks lovely, so I will stop now and keep the photos and holiday gossip for when I get home......
Richard seems to be surviving animal duty!!!!

I couldn't keep away

I am at Terminal 5, and am awaiting to go through to departures. Sorrel has had no sleep last night due to the excitement, and is slightly dehydrated because of travel nerves! hey ho!
We had a lovely meal with Nu last night, but there were a great deal of tears after Chris had retired to bed, which was power for the course. I cannot believe it is only three months or so since Una died.
We finally got to bed at 2am, and I was awake and up at 6.30 this morning.

I hope, I will be asleep for much of the 11 hour flight

See you all soon

We will be back around the 5th of May, so God willing, the everyday diary of a boring middle aged menagerie owner will resume then..... bet you can't wait
If I get the chance I may post a blog from California, but don't hold your breath

Pre Holiday Checklist

Yes, I have definitely gone to the dogs! and no it's the way I am standing that makes my gut look like Shelley Winter's midriff-honest!!!. (Mind you a trip back to weightwatchers after our hols may well be in order!)
Today I have strimmed the field from top to bottom in readiness for Richard to take over animal cares! and the whole place looks nicely neat and very tidy. Patiently Richard has ignored my patronising teaching methods and has fed, watered and cared for all the animals without complaint. He has put up with a feisty attack from the buff cockerels, the hysteria "NEW MAN!!!! IT'S A NEW MAN!!" reaction from the runners and several benign sexual advances from an untidy moulting Boris
There seems an awful lot of work to do! Blanche remains broody and still has to be "sin binned" throughout the day, Elizabeth the broody Buff, still needs to be taken off her eggs twice a day and forced to eat and drink and Susan still needs TLC in her hospital coop! The sick girl has eaten something today....would you believe she actually munched a large piece of uncooked pastry!
This afternoon I have made more pastry for her and have wrapped it in cling film ready for Richard to treat her. She still looks dreadfully ill, I doubt she will survive until we get back from San Francisco.
Poor Richard.......he will be having poultry nightmares when he finally returns to Kent
On a happier note, the ducklings are all doing remarkably well. I put them into the field for most of the afternoon. where they spent the time screaming to themselves!-daft buggers!

We are going to London tomorrow and will be staying with Nuala overnight before meeting up with Sorrel on Thursday at Heathrow. It will be my first meeting with Nu since Una's funeral. I can't wait to see her!....I am probably more "excited" at catching up with her than I am at the prospect of flying to San Fran!

Mind you...with this Swine Flu scare going on......will we actually get to the U.S.?

Watch this space

Golden Girls---Best of Dorothy

I used to love the Golden Girls! Four Gay men trapped in four middle aged women's bodies I always thought..........(Especially the amazing Bea Arthur who died only a few days ago )
I finished all the cooking for Richard this morning, completed most what I needed to, and fixed supper for Richard and Chris when they arrived at pm......
tomorrow is hen care teaching day! hey ho

pies

I am writing this blog very late on Sunday night. I have caught up with the field jobs after a very long day at work, walked the dogs and have made a large savory flan and apple pie for Richard to hopefully enjoy later in the week.
Tomorrow I have absolutely tons of jobs to do. There are more "Richard meals" to prepare for the freezer, the over long nettles need strimming on the allotment before they get too unruly and all the coops will need cleaning before we go away. If Blanche has been sin binned enough, then the large cage needs to be cleaned and set up in the shed ready for the ducklings to be set up. They are only three weeks old and still need the warmth of a lamp until their feathers start to grow.
All the water butts require filling and every enclosure's bird feed needs bagging up and labelling to make Richard's job easier. Laundry and house jobs can be fitted in around a doctor's visit and shopping.
I have drunk too much diet coke, so am writing this watching an ok film The Interpreter (2005) on tv. I need a good sleep

State of Play

Despite looking shopworn, over weight and rather slobby,Russell Crowe gives his performance as Washington hack Cal McCaffrey in State of Play , a sense of purpose and a definite lightness of touch. Crowe clearly has moved from action leading man to character actor, but the irresistible twinkle of the eyes still flicker from time to time in this intelligent and well crafted political thriller, so much so that I almost forgave him his worst hair cut in recent film history.
The rest of the cast support Crowe ably. Helen Mirren turns up, and swears a lot in a Prime Suspect-ish way, Robin Wright Penn has an effective but all too short role as a wronged congressman's wife and relative newcomer Rachel McAdams balances Crowe's authority and confidence as a newbie journalist blogger.
I gave the whole thing an enjoyable 8/10