Today I've mostly bin...

[clvrlad]

good luck with it

[Bunnylump]

Feeling a bit sad. Just heard that one of our year 13s had a massive heart attack this afternoon whilst playing football, and died. How tragic for his family and friends. From what I hear they never even knew he had a heart problem. It's things like that that make me realise just how lucky I am really.

[LAT]

That's awful! How sad for everybody who knew him.
Something similar happened to a boy at my daughter's school a few years ago. They also didn't know there was a problem. In the same week another boy skied off the edge of a mountain while on holiday.

[Bunnylump]

Oh dear! That must have been a grim time.

[tricia]

Yesterday I spent most of the day in Glasow doning my Christmas shopping - I hate crowds and it appeared that the whole population of the west of Scotland was in town AGHHHHHH!

HAMLEY HAD OPENED A NEW SHOP AND WE WENT IN THERE - YOU COULD NOT GET NEAR ANY OF THE TOYS - Sorry about the capitals - the assistants were having loads of fun as they were going around with bubble guns.

To day I am catching up with things on the forum and generall relaxing.

I am sorry to hear about the boy in your school Bunny - what a shock for his parents - especially at this time of year. It makes you think how lucky we are
Tricia

[Laura]

okay, one to cheer you all up. On Friday I found out that a friend of mine who has lost two babies in the late stages of pregnancy has finally had a healthy little baby girl, called Angel Rose.

[LAT]

Lovely news Laura. Definitely one to cheer us all up.

[eirian]

Many congratulations to your friend. So brave of her to risk another pregancy after such heartache. Tell her to keep a diary - Dad suggested it to us, and it was the best suggestion ever - so good to be able to look back and see when he first started wanting to stand up, or when he first slept through, etc.

[Bunnylump]

Aw, that's a nice happy ending, isn't it?

[MBH]

.... trying to get into the Christmas spirit with a 120-mile trip up the road to sample Edinburgh's German Market and Highland Market (both based around Prince's Gardens beside the station).

Very festive - well laid out - and we dodged the rain. Little Jennie came too, so she's had a wonderful day of people making a fuss of her

Got back in reasonable time, so I think I'm fit to be back at work tomorrow.

[Bunnylump]

Crikey, that's a long way to drive for a market!! Sounds like you enjoyed yourself though.

[MBH]

Used to do that sort of trip either end of a full day's systems installation in 'the old days'

They were looking at the train prices for Newcastle to Edinburgh, but it would have cost £90 for two people - we did 3 people and a dog for less than £30 in the car.

[Bunnylump]

After work I went Christmas shopping, and discovered to my delight that a branch of Hawkins Bazaar has opened up here (it might have been there for years but I don't know because I never go shopping - I hate shopping - definitely not a real girl). I spent a happy half hour fiddiling with things, playing with stuff in the shop, winding up all the wind up toys, taking things out of packets to inspect them more carefully. The manager kept glaring at me. They have the most brilliant stuff in there. I came out with a set of multi coloured hand bells (that should be interesting - I'll get my own little bell ringing vibe going on Christmas day!), a Jew's Harp, and an amazing floating disc. Marvellous.

I WAS supposed to be buying boring presents but who wants to be doing that when you can be playing in a toy shop? Mind you I think I was a bit off my head. The year 9s had an "Enterprise" day which seemed to consist of all of them selling sweets to each other at lunchtime. They'd all eaten so many and made themselves feel so sick that I was presented with a big pile of things like parma violets and double lollies by them in English in the afternoon. I think I have a bit of a problem with food colouring and or sugar. I was just about bouncing off the walls. Who needs alcohol?? Somehow the lesson, which was originally supposed to be about Gothic Horror seemed to degenerate into having a really serious attempt at scaring the kids witless with horror stories and laughing myself silly.

[LAT]

Bet the kids loved it though.

I used to buy lots of bits and pieces from Hawkins back in the days when they were just a mail order company.

[giraffe]

There was a Hawkins Bazaar near here last year, but this year it seems to have been relaced by Gimmee Gizzmo (or something like that) which is similar, but not quite as good. (I saw the hand bells too!) I think they tend to open up in any closed shop for a couple of months, so it might just be that I didn't find Hawkins Bazaar.

[SparkOut]

You didn't want (or need) this item then bunny? http://www.hawkin.com/find/category-is- ... /pgs-is-42

[Bunnylump]

Now what could be better than staring at an expanding rabbit? I think this is an ideal present for anyone. Shame the rabbit is such a stupid colour though. Purple would have been so much better. I expect the reason you have this link, SparkOut, is that you have already purchased one to remind you of me?

Actually we have one of those (minus the rabbit). It is SOOOOO weird. If you stare at it for a couple of minutes, spinning, then look at someone's face it looks like their head is about to explode!!

[SparkOut]

I expect the reason you have this link, SparkOut, is that you have already purchased one to remind you of me?

[edit]Of my own,[/edit] I have 6 actually, and [edit]additionally[/edit] am sending one of these to everyone I know as Christmas presents this year. But I coloured mine purple specially.

[Scurra]

You only know six people?

[LAT]

I suppose it depends how you define "know"