The Party Started Early

We r all recovering after a fab and impromptu night out. Us girlies hit the hay about one but the boys continued to play their banging tunes until about three!

Das captain after a bacon sarnie has recovered enough to assist in some motocross tyre changing malarky....retribution!

It's a gorgeous day here and this is my view as I am sat on the balcony. The sea is perfect and I,m wishing we could be out swailing, bar a few tankers there are no boats in sight.

Off for a stroll shortly and then it's fizz o,clock and party time...swooper.


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Location:Dawlish

Chavtastic Celebrations

Tis the night before new yrs eve and we have wended our way down to Dawlish. Just come back from a swooper nepalese meal and then banging abba tunes @ the local pub. Marvellous!

Now out out on the balcony watching the sea and stars with good friends and listening to the most eclectic mix at its loudest ! Happy days




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Location:Dawlish

Small Things In Life Make A Difference

You forget sometimes about what matters in life particularly the memories that matter and nothing brought it more to me than this gorgeous canvas that ELG made for das captain for his birthday.

Handcrafted with so much love and attention to what's important to him.

It took me back to when my nana died and we were sorting through her possessions ..... My holiday log book from our holiday in Lerrynn to a hand drawn picture of what I thought she looked like aged 7 ( not her but me).

She kept those things as a treasure of memories. I remembered the love and care and meaning that went into them.

I have to confess I am a hoarder of those things too, cards, stupid gifts and arts of treasure from everyone from all kinds of occasions .. there is a gallery of them of them in my office at work as I am dead proud and most of them are by ELG.

The most recent I placed bang in front of my face as when the s**t hits the fan I can take solace and carry on as it just makes me smile.




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Happy Birthday to Das Captain

Das captain despite having man flu has survived the night to wake up to being the grand age of 42!

After all things boaty as presents thus far he has gone off to work, returning for a pub supper out in town later.

Birthdays are great for cards and he has had some cracking ones thus far which have appealed to his sense of humour...the best one of course is mine which is priceless and was purchased some time ago as couldn't resist it when I saw it!

So happy birthday Steve x





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Not Quite Swailing

It was the start of the annual Sydney to Hobart Race yesterday, I,ve read many a book on that gruelling race and is on my list of top 40 things to do. Here,s hoping it's a safe passage for all this yr.

Whilst they were wending
their way across the start line we took a stroll down to the canal to test out das captains model swailing bot from last yr aka Red Snapper 2.

Not yet officially launched she went out on canal sea trials to test her ability. After a false start (we needed a screw driver to install the batteries do a trip to a DIY store was in order), she was put to the test.

After a few anxious moments wondering whether she would return or not ( slight problem with the wind) she had a first spin out.

A few crowds gathered on the quayside to watch her in action, it was not a graceful first swail but fun to watch.

All is required before going back in the water is a bit of sanding, sail trimming and balast adjusting by das captain to get her ship shape!








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What A Lovely Day

What a swooper duper day, from the lovely handmade place settings courtesy of E to lush turkey lunch to das captains surprise secret santa presents a trio of keep calm its only Xmas candle set! ( I have forgotten to tell u that his other dislike other than Xmas is candles!)

Add in a round or two on the sing star ( I lost again), several rounds of rummikub (we all lost to E) and being whipped at sevens (thank the lord it was only monopoly money we were using),& opening wine with a fondue fork it was a truely fabulous day.

Round two about to start, here comes the turkey sandwiches, and a bracing walk along the canel to follow plus a quick swail of the model boat variety...marvellous!



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Merry Chrinklemouse Everyone!

Hope you are all having a fabulous time wherever you are with family and friends around you. We are spending the day with my ma & pops, and the gorgeous Eleanor and Sis............happy days. My in-laws are both viral and not feeling up to much so won't be joining us but we,re going round to try and give them so festive cheer.
Das captain (who lurrrrrrrrves all things festive..........not!) is in fine fettle this am.  This is just for him as we,re off shortly to join them all for our festive lunch.

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What Shall We Do With A Drunken Swailor!

Christmas is time for those Xmas parties or impromptu nights out.

Das captain on the notorious black Friday and last day of work went out for an impromptu drinking session with his work mates last night, sorry afternoon starting @ 4pm!

Whilst I spent a sedate evening @ sis,s sipping bubbles, wrapping presents and screeching my head off in a Sing Star Take That session with my neice (I lost by the way), das captain was on a beer and curry mission.

I could tell @ six when I spoke to him that the beer goggles speak had kicked in but nothing matched his antics when he got home.

Das captain was in fine form....giggling like a ten yr old and rambling like a lunatic perched on the end of the bed repeating the same sentence over and over and over and oh yes over again!

He is remarkably chipper this am, has a slight case of amnesia but has definitely got some Christmas spirit!

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Life

As the holiday season kicks in I think this is very apt, the new year will be upon us before we know it, so with family and friends lets make the most of it.



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Santa's Little Helper

Up at the crack if down to hit the festive food shop. Waitrose deserted......heaven! Went round in next to no time, and stocked up for my contribution to the family Xmas, all things fishy on Boxing Day.

Christmas time for children is the real deal and whilst E no longer believes in Father Christmas she still loves all things about the festive season.

I was testing the lights on the tree when she arrived and then together we have decorated it.

I love the twinkle of the decorations and tree lights and can't wait until it is dark later when it will really will come into its own.

We are both chuffed to bits with our efforts and have rewarded ourselves with a chocolate croissant and a bit of Take That in concert!

Right few more jobs to do and then we are off for some crinklemouse shopping together and a spot a supper later under the Exeter Xmas lights.




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Festive Spirit

En route to Plymouth for our family lunch @ Jolly Jacks. It's a beautiful crisp and sunny day and the train is on time....no Arrrgghh moments thus far.

The photo is of the Xmas tree I,ve put up in my office @ work to bring some festive cheer much to everyone's amusement.

The tree at home goes up tomorrow with my lovely helper. Das captain can,t wait for the tree light switching on ceremony!

As for today, the family are in fine fettle and looking forward to the festive feast ahead. Almost there now, its sooooo nice having a day off in the wk, even nicer it's Xmas week, even better it's being spent with my family.
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Missing Das Bot

The good thing about xmas is it's the home run to das bot returning to the water and therefore so do das captain and I.

My trip to the marina on Wednesday serves two purposes...catching up with friends but also paying our dues for next season.

Found these photos earlier which made me smile....can't wait to give her a lick and a fab polish whilst listening to banging tunes on the iPod. It's all part of the ritual of boat slavery but so worth while, everyone may be counting down the days to Xmas.... I am counting down the days to swailing again.










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Let The Festive Season Begin

Tis the season to be jolly... Tra la la la lah, la la la! Not sure that's quite right but hey ho. Can't quite believe its almost upon us, I still haven't got the tree up but at least most of the presents are wrapped!

This time last yr we were knee deep in snow @ the top of mountain and thankfully this year have been spared thus far.

It's been a manic week away for work and the days back in work have equally been manic. Off today so making the most of it before going back into the madness tomorrow when I am on call.

So some final present shopping and wrapping, is the order of the day and am looking forward to a girly lunch with lots of bubbles. Cant quite believe I have been so organised this yr in terms of wrapping etc but thank the blooming baubles that I have been!

For the first time in yrs I have some days off in the week leading up to Xmas. So the tree putting up ceremony will wait til then (das captain........just cant wait...not!), and I have a night out with my lovely neice as we do her final Xmas shopping together. It's always good fun and something I hope we never tire of doing together until s its not cool to do that any more with an aged aunt.

I have a visit planned to the marina this wk, whilst das bot is not there our friends still are so we,re off for lunch @ Jolly Jacks to catch up with the motley crew and drop off the lashings of festive spirit that has been bottled over recent wks. Should be great fun and a fab way to start the festive season.

Right must dash have a mountain of house slavery to do, as I write this large hail stones have started bouldering down, the deck is now covered.....it could be a white Xmas after all!

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Location:Home

Post Note To Arrrgghh

Just to say the hideous journey has been saved by a fabulous Chinese, beer, marvellous company and the most random manchunian (apologies to all if spelling is out of order) that accosted us on the way back to our hotel.

Random encounter that ended up in a groups hugs that put both strictly and the x factor to shame ( hard to describe ) u had to b there, but brought laughter amongst us all. Right bed now...full on tomorrow

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Arrrrghhhh

What an adventure.....not! Left @ 3 for Manchester via train. Lighting strike, delays, wrong signage at Birmingham New Street it's all kicked off.....

Hey ho in good company and will be there in the next 1/2 hr...check in then pub me thinks to get over the trauma!


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Location:Near Manchester

Labour of Love

Poor RedSnapper....the interior as always in winter is looking a tad topsy turvey and this yr more than ever as das captain has embarked on operation revarnish.

As I,ve said over recent wks the cursing has become more extreme as the scale of the task has unfolded.

Not one to be beaten he is soldiering on, more fine sanding paper arrives almost on a daily basis!! Should look amazing when done and really make her look spick n span inside.

The captain is off shortly to do to round ten not to be outshone I shall be doing domestic slavery minus the sanding paper of course.

Bottling & Wrapping

Winter is here and it's getting chillier by the day. So what to on a dark winter's evening... Yep more bottling and wrapping of hampers of all things Nautical But Nice!

I've had a few requests from work for hampers so have spent the evening on the first batch...part two will be over the weekend.

There is something therapeutic about wrapping. I had a blast going through the ribbon fest collection and pulling it all together, rather pleased with the results, and looking forward to round two. The photo is the first bottled sloe gin. You,ll be pleased to know I didn't take a cheeky nip prior to wrapping!





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Location:Home

Chillaxing Sunday

Awoke at sparrow fart this am, which was a tad disappointing after the fun of the Xmas fayre yesterday. I was desperate for a lie in but happy days it 'twas not to be.

Great day yesterday with family in force to help...good crowds and lots of money raised, although not sure yet on the final total.

Spent the early dawn writing the crinklemouse cards...job do for this yr. After das captain left for another days hard labour on the bot (why did I start this job he lamented last night), we set off for a trip out and stroll along the quay.

A tad breezy but nice and dry, we walked along the camel past the boats on the hard and saw a few old boats from our Old days on the River Exe.

The swans were out in force as were it felt six million squadrons of pidgeons which wasn't helped by some muppet entering into a feeding frenzy of bird seed...right as I walked past.....scary it was like a scene out of the birds as they squawked around my head!

We,ve spent a leisurely afternoon reading the papers, bar Pops having a blast at the leaves with my new best friend (boys n they toys). I,ve made up some hampers, the lamb is roasting, so it must be nearly time for a large glass of red...perfick!




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An Eventful Day

Sat chillaxing with sis enjoying a large glass of baileys after decorating the last of the cakes.

The bakeathon was in full pelt when the call to arms came...work manic...additional cover required.

Whisk downed, cakes baked and packed plan B came into operation. Sis and E picked up the cake loot as I spent the afternoon / evening @ work.

Back to Jo,s....decoration marathon....job done! Phew....great teamwork, slight casualty E sustained a sprained ankle on my steps carrying the cake loot! She was still in high spirits when I arrived and I wasn't banished to never never land. Right big gulp and then this weary bunny is off to la la land.




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Bakeathon

I am a woman on a mission this morning! About to start my Bakeathon in preparation for the Xmas fayre tomorrow afternoon. Nigella is out on the counter, oven warming, ingredients to the ready so as they say, ready, steady .....bake. More later.....