That's a star...

That's a star factory over there!

driving home tonight, we're close to Westhill... Sparkling hillside... Poppy is in awe! Seems only fitting to tell a tall one there and then! It did look twinkly....

watch out for the...

watch out for the cat jobbies in the grass!

We've had a spate o jobbies in the back garden. something's going to get a size 10 up its jaxie....



If only.

It's been 4 hours...

It's been 4 hours, and we're still alive!

We found a "new patch" of chanterelles on the way home from Claypots yesterday, and had them in a garlic / cream sauce with gnocchi...simple, but damn tasty!

It's an...

It's an "I can see my breath" morning!

oh, indeed... Poppy and I step out to nursery this morning, oh, it's a little nippy... no frost, but I am sure it's just round the corner. Ah, summer, where did you go? did you even turn up?! Never mind, lashing of snow, here we come! woo hoo!

I want to be a ...

I want to be a zombie Bride!

Gabi and I think that Poppy is 99.9% likely to be a goth when she grows up. Butterfly? fairy? Princess?... nope! he he

I only had one Dark Throne lp when I was young... I didn't think it actually affected my DNA...

I think it's only firing...

I think it's only firing on three!

Indeed (dad!)! the shudder, the smell, the wobble...yes, I think we can safely say that the Porsche Spyder kit my dad is making, isn't quite there yet.... but it's close... soooo close... can't wait for that bracing december chill to freeze my cheeks as I speed into town... to pose in a car... I thought I'd never say that.

Are you going to learn...

Are you going to learn about democracy?

on my way to Aberdeen to see the Oliver Ressler's, "What Is Democracy?" exhibition in peacock visual arts, I spy a local councillor... I think their serious job has sucked any chance of having fun out of a Friday night ... Or perhaps it wasn't that funny afterall...

At least I live in a place I'm allowed to speak my brains... For now...

Hey Mr Emperor...

Hey Mr Emperor, I don't like you

Nope, I am not Aughara today, I have to be..... du du du duh duh duh duh du duh, do do do da duh doo do du dah... the Emperor. Seems my little skywalker is up for taking on the dark side, head on... well, a swift kick to the shin... curtheth!curtheth!

You have to wink...

You have to wink, because you are Aughra!

- 8 am... (I'm rubbish in the mornings)... I feel some fingers on my face (pretend "plucking out thine eye" !)... what?! who?! where?! wha?!... Ah, mr Henson, I applaud your inspirations...

That's people...

That's people for you

I watched an angry man in a BMW honk and shout at a disabled man failing to cross the road before the green man stopped. His partner, myself and he could not quite believe what we just saw ... I felt sick for this couple. Dear mr BMW man, I hope you made a profit today, I'd hate to think what else you'd do if you didn't - or are you only a dick inside your 25k bubble?

NEOS was nice...

NEOS was nice and bleargh!

"why's that Poppy?"..."well, it was nice playing with everyone, but I had to stay in the hall for HUNDREDS of years and it was boring." Well, that's me tailt.

Ah! I've found the Smelly...

Ah! I've found the Smelly D!

During our NEOS week at the wyness hall, the old beat up piano has provided a lot of fun for the kids... hell for the adults, no doubt!... if only for one note that doesn't even like itself! the middle D... it's just so discordant, it's amazing. Check the video... hopefully the sound's "good enough" so you can hear how bad it is!

two bars...

two bars, whole lotta fun!

Ah, to be young again. #pubcrawl?!

Down there, lives the grumpy bear...

Down there, lives the grumpy bear, up there, lives the little bird

Having some fun with Cadhla on the old johanna... she loves tinkling on the ivories, so I give her the chat about "low notes" and "high notes" ... problem is, Rud is now known as "grumpy bear".. he he... Hound Dog!

And the best bit about playing a didgeridoo...

And the best bit about playing a didgeridoo is you can blow a raspberry on your arm forever!

The local primary school asked my to play my Didge for a P6 class doing a project on Australia... "no wuckin forries" I slurred... (in my head...OK OK). I trooped in carrying the two didges I have, inquisitive kids thinking "What are they?!"... I met Ms Calder, whom introduced me to the class... and after some quick hellos and G'day's (why?!)... we headed to the music room... some "introductory sort of Australian history" was touched upon, the good old "lets make a drone last for ages" kicked in... eyes agog as the drone fills the air... "how can he do it for so long?"... everyone has a shot, and my goodness, everyone managed to make the low drone noise on the mid-sized didge. fantastic. There's a box of beaters / sticks... and we get some Rolf "sun-a-rise" action on the go... kids have a built in metronome at around 160bpm... not quite the pace of shamanistic mantra, granted.. but good fun. Big thanks to Kellands school

You could be John Merrick or Michael Jordan...

You could be John Merrick or Michael Jordan, just look at the bloody art!

this one's for Tim. YOuKnowsit. Sod people just looking for a free bog... free art on the walls? get it in your eye pipes min, you rude sods.

yay! Lets attack the...

yay! Lets attack the blue and pink monsters!

Hey! When did kids get so bold?! They are supposed to run away squealing from two giant cardboard monsters, are they not?! I have to admit, I think it was the two giants that were scared... seriously... run away! run away!

no, I really really really...

no, I really really really don't like sleeping mummy

Yawn yawn... after a fine (late) tea (we were open at the Wyness Hall until 6pm) - and a few pages of Georges Marvellous Medicine, Poppy seems to think that sleep is for losers... oh no it isn't! oh yes it is!... when the lights went out, and the door closes....she's out like a light. Knackered. Jolly Good.

But I want to look...

But I want to look like a weirdo! cut my fringe right off!

Pops had some wee "battlement" issues with a classic DIY hairdo in the bath... you know, once it's dry, you wonder why hair shrinks / dries to different lengths... anyway, Gabi was rectifying this simple error tonight, and asked "hold still, do you want me to accidentally chop your fringe off and make you look weird?"...ah, OK...don't' answer that one then. No Photo of the incident, but here's "Badge leg girl" at NEOS today. happy to shout "look at me, look at my badge legs" to complete strangers. ooooops.

This is Mr Cucumber...

This is Mr Cucumber and this is Mr Lemon!

We had a lovely first day to NEOS 2010 in the Wyness Hall (Inverurie), we had the "give it a go" table - masses of card, ballons, glitter, paper, glue...pens... ace! It was hoaching this morning (we even had a kid stay for 3 hours, her mum was happy enough!). Poppy decides to customise this balloon... lovely! Quiet Afternoon, oh, someone decided to crash in Inverurie, which stopped the traffic getting here! Better luck tomorrow! Big thanks to everyone that made it along, I certainly had some lovely "Art Chat" with people today.

NO Way! I'm talking to...

NO Way! I'm talking to Philly Cool!

Apologies for the apparent "big headedness" here... but Gabi insisted I have this as my quote for today. We opened at the Wyness hall tonight, for our NEOS show. Lo and Behold, someone who went to my old School turned up.. she was in first year, when I was in 5th (ergo, I've no idea who she is)... but, she certainly remembers me! It works out that this geek, who thought he was invisible during school, seemed to register on some people's radar... ho ho... I didn't even know.

He has the death...

He has the death on twelve sisters!

He he he... what? rewind! We're watching Star Wars again tonight, I'm making Pizzas in the kitchen, and Pop's watching the film. Cornelius Evazan is giving his speech to poor Luke in the cantina ... so misunderstood.


He doesn't like you! I don't like you!

I'll give you pocket money...

I'll give you pocket money if YOU DON'T listen to me

Poppy turns the tables on Mummy's bribery ... I fear our milkman in London was a Tory.

That building had two chimneys...

That building had two chimneys, that means two santas can visit that house!

is it just me, or was today a really defining moment that the summer is over, and it looks like autumn is going to last all of a week? Bald trees by October anyone? #hibernationyesplease

Yes, I've heard of...

Yes, I've heard of Mobius

This one's for Rud. Context is king... yes, other people know stuff too... ho ho.

Look I've made an AT AT...

Look I've made an AT AT out of this comb!

I was woken from my deep slumber this morning with a colourful comb that came from a cracker, which slots together, pressed right into my fizzog... seems that ATAT's are everywhere... dem pesky Empire doodz.

I think they are escaping...

I think they are escaping through a hole in the floor!

Hmm... My dad and I headed to the quarry today to pick up 1/2 a tonne of chuckies... "you must have a cover for the load"... we did... shame we didn't have a floor without holes! (seems the pouring decided to pound the weak bits). oooops. Never mind, we got back to Claypots with 8 stones (not weight)... just kidding.... or am I?

Oh Mr Cameron...

Oh Mr Cameron, you are a silly man, kissing babies!

Popps is watching the "news" of the premier baby being wheeled out for the morons to oggle at... and came out with this surprisingly astute, or dare I say cynical reading? (NO prompt from this person, I promise you!)



I've no idea if I am allowed to link to this picture or not.. so if not, let me know and I'll gladly replace it.

Oh daddy! Can I leave please?...

Oh daddy! Can I leave please? no, in fact, YOU leave

Apologies for this one, but I was in stitches... Poppy's getting ready for bed, and I let off a wee "porry pongoozer" (thanks Ailsa, some Roald Dahl inspired wordplay there!) Poppy is desperately trying to get ready, but wants to leave, then has the epiphany that I can leave!... he he...Drrt. Ooops!

Oh hell!...

Oh hell! There's no L!

Claypots again, we've been fascinated by the beautiful collection of ceramic letters that used to spell out "Claypots" on the fence approaching the house... but sadly, only "C A O" were left stuck to the sign.... today, we went digging at the front of the sign, hoping to find the remaining letters... bingo!... bar one... but, we're going to look harder next time! Check these beauties out...