Kiwi Brodeuse

Happy New Year!

2012-01-07T21:15:00.002+02:00

Happy New Year to anyone out there who is still looking at my blog! I didn't intend to have a six month break from blogging, this is just how it worked out with everything that happened in the second half of last year, mostly work-related. I hope to be back a little more regularly this year - although I am scheduled to go back to work on Monday and I see from my calendar that they have already arranged 12 hours of meetings for me next week, plus a document due on Friday.

No wonder I ended up with a horrid lung infection in December that took ages to clear - it wasn't really better until I spent a week in Cyprus over Christmas. That was a good holiday, I went to Le Meridien and swam in a heated pool every day and took walks on the beach with hotel cats. I hope to have another week away in March, to chase off the winter entirely. I've found I have to be a bit careful in winter after 2010, the "year of the three winters".

I haven't done a lot of stitching, mostly due to the work situation, stress and fatigue, but I have knitted a bit......... no challenges or anything this year, I am just going to take it as it comes and do what I feel like.

Busy At Work Again

2011-07-03T18:49:00.002+03:00

Not long after my last post, I got involved in all the hooha necessary to start my new project, and I have now been on site for two whole weeks, so the time for doing anything else is severely limited, given French working hours.

I don't know why everyone thinks the French work less than anyone else, I leave the house at 8am in the morning and don't get back until at least 7pm, and this is with a 30 to 45 minute commute - except on my second day, when something odd happened with the metro and it took an hour and a half to get home. Normally it is an easy commute, a bus to Etoile and then a few stops on the metro, although I may have to stand all the way. The bus stop is at the end of my street and the office is opposite the metro station, in a pedestrian area, so that aspect is entirely stress-free. I normally buy coffee and a croissant at the station and sit in a nice park outside the office to have that.

At the new project we have an office on the 27th floor of a tall building, so at least the view is good, although I do sit in a windowless cubicle with about four other people, it gets a bit crowded if anyone has visitors. In fact I sit next to someone I worked with about four years ago and was not keen on then, but she has matured somewhat (she's very young, not 30) and there is another one I used to work with on the same project as well. He used to be a giant pain as well, actually that whole project was horrible, but he is also much improved. Probably I am myself, in fact, given the conditions we had at the other project, where I was permanently tired and had people screaming at me all day long.

So I have not been doing much in the evenings and at weekends, except a little stitching and knitting on the days I do not have to finish some work. It has also been very hot for most of the time, and it is the period of the summer sales, so last Saturday and yesterday I have been shopping and spent a little bit of money - a new set of sheets, three pairs of shoes, a dress, a suit and, of all things, a colander! Plus a few books, but that is nothing exceptional.

I think the involuntary two month "holiday", plus having the wisdom tooth out, has done me a fair bit of good, so I hope it continues - having a summer this year is definitely a plus, even with the few days that have been too hot. We have a public holiday coming up, for 14th July, and that is a four day weekend, and I am having two weeks off at the end of August, I hope.

Religieuse a la Violette

2011-06-06T18:29:00.005+03:00

I met a friend from Melbourne today and her sister - they are doing the Grand Tour and had just flown in from Amsterdam - and we went to http://www.laduree.fr, where I had one of these:

I swear I am only having a very small dinner tonight! These violet flavoured religieuses from Laduree are my favourites, but I also like the chocolate and coffee ones from the local bakery. It's hard to choose at Laduree, there are so many wonderful patisseries...

Some Finishes!

2011-06-05T13:49:00.005+03:00

And here are the two new Crazy January finishes!

This is Bird in Hand, from Blackbird Designs, on 32 count Lambswool linen, with Belle Soie Cranberry:

This one is Small Token by Blackbird Designs, with the recommended Crescent Colours threads on a 32 count linen, the name of which escapes me:

So that is five out of fifteen finished - there are some bigger ones left, so I hope I will continue to make progress.

You will notice that I am in the process of changing my blog template, it may change a few times, as I try out different colours and designs. I am no HTML programmer - I used to be an excellent Cobol programmer in my day, but HTML really doesn't grab me, and I just do it by trial and error.

Now I think it is time to do some stitching - it is very hot here today, we had thunderstorms last night, and I think it was 25 degrees all night.

Another New Month

2011-06-03T15:52:00.003+03:00

What have I been up to? Well, I went to Spain for a week, I went to the hairdressers, twice to the beauty salon, and my new sewing machine was delivered:

The Brother Innovis 10 anniversary edition - so far I have been learning how to use it, but I've managed to shorten straps on summer dresses as well (since I need to wear them). It's funny, you don't need a pedal for this machine, although there is one, and I feel happier using that that flicking the "sew" switch. I'm old, I guess :)

I've also finally updated my sidebar to show my Crazy January projects, and there are two I have finished and need to photograph. The train journey to Spain was good stitching time, as were the afternoons when it was too hot for me to go out.

I went to Barcelona on two days while I was at Santa Susanna, and I can report that I found no really good stitching shops, nothing that we cannot get here. But there is a nice yarn shop right next to the Picasso Museum, with local hand-dyed yarn and Malabrigo far cheaper than in France.

Still the new project has not started, it is now supposed to be next week, although it can't be Monday, because my boss is on holiday today and has not told me that I should be anywhere on Monday - and I've arranged to meet a friend from Australia, who is visiting Paris with her sister. This is the longest time I've had at home for about four years, and certainly the longest time I have had unassigned, so I'm trying to make the most of it.

Oh, for "Cross Stitch", who asked where I got the Mademoiselle Paris pattern, it was at Des Fils et Une Aiguille in the rue Chabanais, but you can also get it at C Mon Mode online shop: http://www.cmonmonde.fr/Concours-de-Miss-cbfaaaaaa.asp

Wisdom Tooth And Holidays

2011-05-12T18:55:00.000+03:00

I finally had my last wisdom tooth out last Friday, and not before time, too - it was so painful for the preceding week that I was in the emergency room and had very large antibiotics and strong painkillers. The dentist there told me it was highly infected, and this really had to be fixed before it came out. Fortunately by Friday, it was much better, which was good, because it took nearly an hour to take it out. I think it was fairly exhausting for both the dentist and myself, but at least I could go home and rest afterwards.

I was clear of pain by Saturday morning, which was great, but I have to go back this week to have a crown replaced, as it came out while the wisdom tooth drama was going on (it was the tooth next to it). Then I am off to my office to do some administrative things, and then I am going home to pack for my trip to Spain!

Yes, Spain! I decided, basically on the spur of the moment, that I wanted to go somewhere with a swimming pool and someone else to do the cooking, and started looking up the cheap holidays on the internet. They get more expensive if there's only one of you, but I found a decent hotel about 35 kilometers from Barcelona, on the coast, and booked that. The nice thing about that is that I can go by train all the way - just get on at the Gare De Lyon, and at Girona, change to a local train and then another that stops 300 meters from the hotel. The latter train goes into Barcelona as well, so it's handy for a day trip.

No more pictures of finishes at present, although I do have three near-finishes - I have been spreading my efforts, rather lazily, though, as I haven't had any urgency about doing anything for the last few weeks. It's very odd to have so much time at home after not having any really for the past few years, and it will not be until June now that my new project starts.

Another Crazy January Finish

2011-04-19T13:14:00.003+03:00

And it is Mam'zelle Paris! Very appropriate for my first finish back in Paris. I am not sure what I shall do with this one, I can see it on a shopping bag, in fact, but we will see.

I hope to have another couple of small finishes in the next week or so, I have managed to do quite a bit. Also some knitting, but nothing that would be interesting to show at this stage.

The big news is that I have another wisdom tooth! I may have mentioned that I had toothache in Apeldoorn - anyway I went to the dentist last week, and he x-rayed my teeth and said this was a wisdom tooth that must come out. I am a bit annoyed, because in fact it is my sixth wisdom tooth (some people do get more than four) and I had thought after the fifth one that I was past all of that. No such luck, so I will be having it out in the first week of May. It can't be before, as it is Easter school holidays and La Famille Dentiste have plans.

I have had my two weeks off, and it looks like being extended, as there is no sign of these Paris projects yet, I am wondering if they are real - I've been very good and done lots of stuff at home, tidying and so on, also done my taxes, expenses, etc, and advised all sorts of people on all sorts of work questions. I've also been out walking nearly every day, and visited nearly every sewing machine shop in Paris - I've just about made a choice, but it will take a while to arrive, I found.

I did see my boss a couple of weeks ago, and I think he has gone mad, because he said to me that, if these French projects don't hurry up, I could always go to South Africa. Of course I screamed, which startled him a bit, but honestly this is the first I have ever heard of my going there. And to be honest, I am not keen, especially if it would be during their winter. Which I know is not like a Northern European winter, but it would be more short days and not really that warm at all. So we shall see what happens....

Watch This Space Next Week!

2011-03-29T22:07:00.005+03:00

This is my last week in the Netherlands, and the really great news is that after this, I have two weeks off! I am very tired - the common cold that has been going around the office does not help, but at least I am spared the "bulkgriep", which I think is a stomach flu from the email descriptions I am getting from those afflicted.

I rang my boss today and told him I was tired and would like to take some of my built up days, and he was fairly happy, because they haven't yet signed the contract for my next project. He said I should take all my leave, but I'm not doing that, I still want May holidays and summer holidays (I have about 40 days so far, and it is only increasing).

So this means I can do a few things next week, like finish some of my near-finishes. And get all my summer clothes out, because I will need them in Paris, and I have not worn them for a long time.

I'm also going to get a new sewing machine, which is justified, as I have not had such a thing for over thirty years. My old one still works, and I may sell it, as it is an Elnita which qualifies as vintage now. I've been handsewing anything that needs finishing, but I want to try making a quilt and do some other things that might bore me by hand.

And last weekend when I was in Paris, I succumbed to the yarn sale at Le Bon Marche and bought two lots of Rowan cotton for summer tops, found some good patterns on Ravelry. So I have a few things to do, to take my mind off the horrors of Apeldoorn. I feel mean saying that Apeldoorn is not so nice, but I haven't had a great time here, mostly for work reasons, and I will be happy to go home for a while.

Sick Day

2011-03-22T16:25:00.002+02:00

I have stayed at home today, I just couldn't get out and go to work this morning, the last two weeks or so have been very difficult....

It turns out that a lot of our project will be leaving at the end of March, as our client have not made up their mind what they want to do next. This has caused a lot of problems, given the variety of places that people come from and the variety of reasons they have for going or staying. A few people are desperate to stay and have been "securing their jobs" in the most annoying way possible.

I am on the list that is leaving, in fact I was the first volunteer to leave - the bosses asked us all what we wanted to do, with a list of four choices, and staying on the same project was my last one. There's a lot of reasons for this, but the fact is that I really don't have enough to do here, and other things aren't pleasant enough to make up for this. I'm also the only one who has already been assigned to another project, and I have the feeling that a few people will be on the bench for a while. Of course there are also some people who are saying to me, why do I get to go to Paris, they would be much better for this project, etc, etc - and the answer is of course that I live there and speak French, etc, etc.

So I am sort of packing up - I went to Paris last weekend with a large suitcase plus another bag, and I am packing another suitcase to take this weekend. Then at the end of the month, I should have only one not too heavy suitcase left to take. I am still undecided about whether to go straight back the second I can or take a scenic detour, this will depend upon the date I start the new assignment. I wouldn't mind a couple of weeks off, as I do feel run down.

I don't have any exciting stiching news to share, but I have been trying to keep going, so there may be some soon...

Catching Up Again

2011-02-27T15:10:00.002+02:00

I have not been feeling great the past couple of weeks, nothing serious, just a total sickness of winter and bad weather... every time it looks as though it is going to improve, the weather has a relapse. We even had snow this week, and right now it is raining heavily, with a strong wind, so any idea of a Sunday walk is out. I may go out for a drink later with Giulia, my Italian colleague, who is returning from Rome today - normally she has the same weekends off-site as I do, and we travel to Schiphol together on those Fridays, but she has been kept at home all week for family reasons.

Yesterday I went to the Handwerkbeurs in Zwolle, and I bought myself a few presents, as it was my birthday. Well, a lot of presents actually, including five Blackbird Designs Reward of Merit charts (new ones from Nashville!), some Kelmscott Elizabeth scissors, some French General patchwork fabric, a few issues of "Handwerk Zonder Grenzen", a Dutch magazine I really like, and the latest SANQ. It was very crowded of course, as these things always are, and it took me about three hours to make the rounds - I've got quite a list of shops to go and visit at a later date. I really enjoyed it, and thanks to Harmien for alerting me to its existence!

I did need cheering up, because work has been really dire. There are a couple of people there who are, frankly, unpleasant. They do things like verbally savaging their colleagues, which is bad enough, but in front of the client as well, which is a no-no. Of course the client manager reported this to our manager, and we all got hauled in to explain ourselves. The three of us who were the savagees, so to speak, were honest about our thoughts, in the face of some more savaging from the two colleagues, who I think have probably dropped themselves right in it with the boss. If I were her, I would be having a word later with one of them in particular, whose manner was so incredibly aggressive.

We don't normally have these problems on our projects, but this one is different...... sigh...... I wonder how long I will have to stay here?

Amazingly I have managed a bit of stitching, although I haven't photographed it - I am about halfway through Mademoiselle Paris, but will not get it finished by the end of February, which I had thought I might.

I'd Rather Be At Pemberley

2011-02-15T00:18:00.003+02:00

This is the second finish for the Crazy January Challenge, it's been completed for a few days, but I only pressed it today, as I had the iron and board out for other things. It is prettier in person, I think, and I can hardly wait to find a good frame for it and make a choice of fabrics for the top and bottom strips.

Actually I would rather be at Pemberley, pretty much anywhere apart from Apeldoorn, in fact. It has poured fairly much all day, plus practically everyone I work with is mad, and those who are not mad are totally irritating. This is why I am sitting here at a time when I should be in bed - I can't sleep, so have had (decaffeinated) coffee and some toast, and I may go to bed soon. Or I may not. There is a plumber coming tomorrow at 8am, to do something with my sink, so I have to be awake and dressed for that. I am impressed that the plumber here speaks good English, a plumber in France would most likely not, and an English plumber would be most unlikely to speak Dutch. My Dutch is no use for this sort of thing, as all I can say is "Apeldoorn is a ghost town" and "this train will not depart", plus a few useful words like "assessment", "fine", "customer" and some other technical terms related to work. My attempts at pronouncing any of them give much amusement to those around me.

I haven't decided which of my Crazy January pieces will be the next one that I target to finish - I've done a bit of aimless stitching on various ones over the past few days, but now I need to decide what will be finish number three.... I might go and look at them now, since I can't sleep.

Crazy January Finish

2011-02-13T12:33:00.007+02:00

This is the first finish - the "Bluebird" pincushion from Blackbird Designs, transformed into a Pink Bird, by means of Belle Soie "Rosebud" silk:

Here are the finishing materials for it, laid out so that you can see the colours and how they match:

I haven't yet decided how many buttons to use and where they should be, but it will have the Sajou lace around the edge. I got this at Le Bon Marche, they have a lot of Sajou things now. The backing fabric is just a scrap I got with a packet of different fabrics at Petra Prins in Zutphen, to be used for such eventualities as this.

I have also finished Pemberley, but have not ironed it yet, so it will get a post to itself. It's a miracle I did finish anything, because it has been a busy and rather depressing week. I did have a good weekend in Paris, and obviously I have a new camera battery, bought without fuss at the FNAC. I still can't get over that young man in Apeldoorn, who lectured me about losing the old one - maybe he was crossed in love, or something, and taking it out on the world?

The bad things started on the way back, when I injured my back practically falling out of a German train - these have very high steps, and I sort of slipped, not very seriously, but enough to give me some twinges all week. Quite a lot of the trains that go from Schiphol to Apeldoorn are German, they go on to Hannover or Berlin (which would be a good idea for a weekend trip), and normally I like them, but I have gone off them a bit now.

Then we have had a very trying week at work, our manager has had hell from her manager on the client side, not that she takes it out on us at all, but it is depressing, because the same man also comes into our room and gives us hell. I unfortunately have to deal with him, too, as I am the lead architect for a new release and have to give estimates for various pieces of work, which may or may not happen. The latest thing that happened was that he held an impromptu all hands meeting where he said he was making a list of who should stay and who should go, if the team had to be reduced. This does wonders for morale, of course.

I am also missing L'Aiguille En Fete in Paris, which is taking place this weekend, and I am rather sad about that. I will however probably go to a Handwerkbeurs, which is a similar type of event, in Zwolle, about 30 kilometers from Apeldoorn, in two weeks time.

And to cap it all off, the supermarket here is closed for renovation, so it has been very hard to buy food all week... it will not open again until Wednesday, and I hope it will be much improved. I did go yesterday to an outlying area, where there is another Albert Heijn, which was like heaven in comparison with the one in the centre, so I hope they have made it more like this one after the renovations. As a consequence of this excursion, I am making a stirfry of shrimps, with coconut and lemongrass sauce, so I suppose life is not all that bad!

Another Week in Apeldoorn

2011-01-30T14:10:00.002+02:00

This week I've had to spend the weekend here, which is always a bit of a chore. Our official pattern is every second weekend here, which means only home every second weekend also - I'm tempted to go home more often, in fact, but at this stage I feel it's better to save the money, as I'd have to pay any extra train fares myself.

The weather is not brilliant, being very cold, with fearsome frosts in the mornings, but at least it is not the dreaded snow that has turned to ice, as before Christmas, and on Friday we actually left the office in daylight! I hope it doesn't snow again, but I am sure it will.

Yesterday I went to Zwolle - the town where I passed through in the dark a couple of weeks ago on my involuntary tour of the region. It seems a nicer town and more lively than Apeldoorn, but as almost everywhere strikes me like this, I don't know if it is correct. It seems to have more shops, and among them is a very good yarn shop called "Astrid's Wol", which has more Estonian yarn than I have ever seen anywhere, even in Estonia. Plus some other things, of course, a great collection of sock wool, and some beautiful pure alpaca, very expensive, but the best I have ever seen. I looked around all of the shopping area, and had lunch in a very nice little restaurant, then came back to Apeldoorn with some regret.

When I returned, I then remembered I had decided to buy another camera battery charger, so out into the shops of Apeldoorn, with no luck whatever! Apparently Dutch camera shops do not sell these things, because as one salesman gratuitously informed me, Dutch people look after their possessions and do not require replacements. So I'll go to the FNAC next weekend in Paris. I actually think I left it in Cyprus, it wouldn't be the first time I put something in a hotel drawer - or the maid did - and left it behind.

I have finished my Pink Bird, as I said, and am also on the point of finishing "Pemberley" - which I am liking very much. It is the most blue thing I have stitched for ages, I don't normally do things in blue (all my school uniforms were blue, so I've never been keen on it since), but this is lovely. I'm going to find a frame and put the fabric around it as in the original Sampler Girl finishing.

Now I'm going to go for a walk around the deserted streets of Apeldoorn - may run into a colleague or two doing the same - then come home and do a bit more

A Little Update

2011-01-24T17:47:00.002+02:00

But really only little, because I cannot find either my camera battery charger or the cable from my phone to the computer that I could use to upload photos........ this is very frustrating because I have nearly finished my Pink Bird and am also on track to finish "Pemberley" some time this week. I managed some very good progress on the train on Friday and yesterday.

I went home to Paris for the weekend - well one and a half days, really - and found that I had good mail, the latest Louisa Harding book, "Knitting in the Details" and also some yarn that I needed. I love getting mail, and I only get it every two weeks at the moment!

The Complete List

2011-01-16T16:31:00.002+02:00

This is the complete list of my fifteen new starts:

1) Marquoir de Blanche (Couleurs d'Etoile)
2) Rabbit Garden Sewing Set (Elizabeth Ann Talledo)
3) My Needles’ Work (LHN)
4) Jane Austen Party Reticule (The Sampler Girl)
5) Sail Away (Shepherds Bush)
6) Mademoiselle Paris (C Mon Monde)
7) Housework (Lizzie Kate)
8) Bird In Hand (Blackbird Designs)
9) Summer Basket (Blackbird Designs)
10) Necessities Sampler (LHN)
11) Pemberley (The Sampler Girl)
12) Bluebird (Blackbird Designs)
13) Small Token (Blackbird Designs)
14) Elephant and Bees Needlework Bolster (Old Colonial Designs)
15) Eiffel Quaker (Jardin Prive)

I need to work out how to do the percentage bars, then put them at the side, so I can keep up with the progress.

This weekend has been very quiet (well I am in Apeldoorn). Yesterday I took the train to Zutphen where there is a patchwork shop, and bought some pieces of fabric that I thought would be good for finishing the Pemberley piece, which calls for "Regency fabrics" to be added as borders before framing. I have not got a clue what Regency fabrics are, so just chose appropriately coloured old-fashioned looking ones! Also into my bag slipped a French General needlebook and a kit from Facile Cecile, just too tempting.

Today I have not even been out, I have been stitching on the "Bluebird", which is actually pink, and have got about half done so far. So it may be the first finish - I want to "finish-finish" as I go along too. Apeldoorn is very quiet on a Sunday, nothing at all is open, and the only noise is periodic bands of young people running around the streets screaming or letting off fire-crackers, which appears to be all they have to do. I've always thought that Paris is quiet on Sundays, but Apeldoorn gives new meaning to the concept.

Catching Up!

2011-01-15T11:16:00.005+02:00

I didn't post yesterday, as I was so exhausted after the scenic tour - quite late in the evening I thought I ought to, and went to take photos, but the camera battery is dead and I think the charger is in Paris.

So I'm just going to post the finished photos of my last three starts - Thursday and Friday already started, and the final one, Saturday, will be started today.

First is my pincushion from Thursday, Blackbird Designs Small Token:

It's lovely in real life - I am using the recommended Crescent Colours threads on a 32 count linen.

Yesterday I put a few stitches into this one:

It's by Olde Colonial Designs and comes as a kit with the thread keeper.

And later today I will start this one, I think we all know this is the Jardin Prive Eiffel Quaker:

I am doing it in the pink colourway on a 32 count country white Belfast. In fact, when you get up close to the Eiffel Tower, it is a pinkish colour - they have special paint for it, and I think it is officially called Eiffel Tower Bronze, but it is distinctly pink, in my opinion. I am very fond of the Eiffel Tower - I can see the top of it through my windows, as I am only a few hundred meters, about ten minutes walk from it, in Paris.

Tomorrow I hope I will be able to make a list of the 15 projects for my side bar, so that I can note the ongoing progress. Of course I've never started so many projects at once in my entire life, but I have a feeling I will be able to finish them all this year!

Involuntary Scenic Tour of the Netherlands

2011-01-13T23:50:00.002+02:00

I've just stepped in the door after leaving the company's office right next to Amsterdam Zuid railway station at 5:30pm - yes, about five hours to get from there to Apeldoorn!

What happened was that I sat there and stitched happily as far as Amersfoort (the station before Apeldoorn), and then became aware that we had sat there a long time and then everyone was leaving the train. So out I get too, and find that there are not trains to Apeldoorn for the foreseeable future, because of some disturbance on the line. The advice was to go north to Zwolle, then south again to Deventer and then east to Apeldoorn i.e. three trains around in a kind of circle. So that's what took more than three hours.... I'm slightly worried about my Brazilian colleague who was on the same train, I lost him at Amersfoort in the crowd, and he understands no Dutch at all (sadly I am only too familar with the Dutch for "this train will not depart"), so I can only hope he found someone to help him. He has all our phone numbers anyway, so could have called me if he really had a problem.

So I have done quite a lot of today's new start - which is yet another Blackbird Designs pincushion, but a bigger, multi-coloured one - but no photo, as I am literally too exhausted to take a decent one. It remains to be seen whether I am in any shape to go to the office tomorrow or whether I have to stay home....

Minor Progress on Wednesday

2011-01-12T20:42:00.004+02:00

Not so much of Pemberley last night:

For some reason I was very jittery last night and couldn't settle to anything, but today has been better, here is a butterfly:

This is lambswool linen (again!) and Belle Soie Rosebud, it will be this one:

Not a Bluebird, but a pink one!

I cannot believe there are only three more new starts to go........... then on Sunday I will have the fun of deciding what is next!

Running off to dinner with two colleagues now.....

Oops! Monday Unpicking!

2011-01-11T21:26:00.004+02:00

Oh dear, I have spent quite a bit of today unpicking a lot of what I did yesterday - I miscounted, so I must have been more stressed than I thought - this is what is left of my LHN design:

Not very impressive at all.

For today I have chosen another Sampler Girl Jane Austen design, "I'd Rather Be At Pemberley":

This will also be done on 32 count Belfast of unknown colour! And I am going to be very, very careful about my counting.....

Today was my first day back in the office, so I am fairly tired. Also rather sad, as we had bad news this morning. The wife of one of our project directors passed away very suddenly, he had gone home because she was not feeling well, and then called later to say what had happened. We all feel for him, as he is such a nice man and, although we had not met his wife, he often spoke of her, and they had been happily married for 35 years.

Totally Exhausted

2011-01-10T18:59:00.002+02:00

My trip to Den Haag today was uneventful, but incredibly tiring......... I started my new piece on the train, but did not get a lot done and have not had the energy to take a photo yet - I will see if I can continue tonight.

Today's new start is this one, the Necessities Sampler by LHN:

I am using a 32 count Belfast, the colour of which I cannot remember, and the recommended DMC threads for this.

Tiredness aside (I must be getting old, it is less than two hours by train to Den Haag), Den Haag is so far my favourite city in the Netherlands. After the official appointment, I did some shopping and had lunch before I came back. The shops there are excellent, and I could have spent a lot more than I did. I don't know how I'm going to feel after going to Amsterdam on Thursday - this is for a training course (very interesting, not, about estimating how long work is going to take), and it will be eight hours of training and four hours of train travel. The one good thing about all this train travel is that, for French employees, it is in our collective agreement that we can travel first class on trains, so at least I get peace and quiet and a bit more space.

Back to the office tomorrow, it will be interesting to see what they have got up to in my absence. Think I will wear lime-green crochet capelet that I bought in the sale at De Bijenkorf, that will wake them up!

Saturday and Sunday's New Starts

2011-01-09T20:34:00.005+02:00

First the beginning of my Blackbird Designs pincushion:

It is on the wonderfully versatile 32 count Lambswool linen, with Belle Soie Cranberry.

And today's new start was also from Blackbird Designs:

It will be this one, Summer Basket, stitched with the recommended threads and linen (the linen is called Baby's Breath, and it is a nice colour, but I'm not sure about the name!):

Yes, the big one, the sampler, am I not rash? I have wanted to do this one for a while, and this seemed like a great chance.

I am sitting here in my apartment in Apeldoorn, listening to a series of small explosions, which is the usual evening entertainment of some young people here, letting off fire works in the street. Fortunately my bedroom is on the non-street side of the apartment, so I won't hear them when I go to sleep. Actually while I was at Gare du Nord this morning, the police blew up someone's abandoned parcel or suitcase, I didn't see which, now that WAS an explosion.

Also fortunately I did bring my dinner from Paris with me, since I had leftovers, and now I don't really want to go out and find any food in Apeldoorn with all of this going on. I am very near restaurants and takeaways, but better not to go out when there are fireworks around - Apeldoorn streets are very deserted at nights, apart from the ones who let off the fireworks, and none of us like to walk alone at night. Giulia, my Italian colleague, had a nasty experience just before Christmas - in fact it happened inside the Albert Heijn supermarket, she thinks - her backpack was opened, and a plastic shopping bag taken. There was nothing else in there, and it was one covered in Italian supermarket names and logos, so we are all looking to see if it surfaces somewhere in Apeldoorn.

Now I'm going to sit in front of the tv, and sort of my case of wips and future starts - time to select what I shall stitch on the train to Den Haag tomorrow!

Not So Much Progress

2011-01-08T15:35:00.003+02:00

So last night I did not get much done at all:
I had planned to stitch while watching Thalassa, but instead last night there was just some variety show, and I don't like those. So Iread instead, I have just discovered Jo Nesbo and am reading all the Harry Hole detective stories, which are set in Oslo.

Today's new start, goodness it must be number 8, is a Blackbird Designs pincushion:

This will not be the last time you see Blackbird Designs among my fifteen choices either! I chose another small one for today because I am packing and stressing about travelling tomorrow. Not that the train is stressful per se, but there's so much I have to take and not forget, like keys for the Apeldoorn apartment and my badge to get in at work. Plus my fifteen projects, plus my knitting etc etc etc.

Thursday's New Start

2011-01-07T12:53:00.003+02:00

Last night I did well (thanks to a rather riveting episode of Julie Lescaut on tv) and finished a whole Parisian lamp post:

This one is on the 32 count Weddingen linen again, and with the DMC conversion of the recommended Vaupel and Heilenbeck threads.

Tonight I will start on another small one:

Lizzie Kate is another designer where only a few attract me, but I have to say that this one is perfect for me - I am not the queen of housework, especially since I spent six months last year living in hotels.

I am just off to the hairdresser and some shopping, I have to buy Nespresso capsules to take with me next week and a few other necessities. I am reminded of one of my French colleagues who spent six months in the Netherlands a few years ago, she is a very fussy person, always moaning about small things (although she is actually very nice and very clever as well), and she used to take all her own food with her! My mind still boggles at that... my problems with the Albert Hein are more to do with its opening hours and the drunks outside than the food inside.

It is raining heavily here, this is doubtless to get me into an Apeldoorn frame of mind.

Day 5 - Sail Away

2011-01-06T18:00:00.003+02:00

I did do more than this last night, but I took this photo near the beginning:

Those silks were a pain to sort out, all the colours are so close, and I hope I have it right. Working in one strand of silk is something I have not done for some time, and I had forgotten how much I enjoy this. I am working this one on a frame, given that it is silk and there are some special stitches.

Today's new start is this one, Mademoiselle Paris from C Mon Monde:

Of course this had to be on the list, considering where I live! And this may not be the only time during this challenge that a certain local landmark (visible from my window) appears....

Tomorrow I'm off to the hairdresser, since I have to look respectable for work next week - sigh, I'll be on the train on Sunday afternoon again....... I hope the snow has melted in Apeldoorn, I haven't actually checked the weather there yet, as I didn't want to depress myself.

Tuesday's New Start

2011-01-05T19:12:00.004+02:00

"One cannot have t...." - this is as far as I got last night, and I'm looking forward to coming back to this one after the 15th of January:

Today I have just started this one, "Sail Away" from Shepherd's Bush:

It is a kit that I bought fairly recently, after not liking any of the SB designs for some time, although I did do a lot of them once. But this one said something to me, so here we are! The silks are quite beautiful, some Thread Gatherer and some Gloriana.

I've been looking at everyone's starts (and even one finish, I nearly fainted) every day, and have been really enjoying to see what people have selected. I'm glad I have this week at home to get everything sorted out for this challenge and do some each day - next week will be interesting, as I have to go to The Hague on Monday and Amsterdam on Thursday for work. The Amsterdam day will be quite long, what kind of lunatic schedules a meeting where half the people have to come from Apeldoorn and it starts at 10am - I think the train to Amsterdam may be crowded, since most of the population of the Netherlands travels the length and breadth of the country each day to get to work, or so it seems to me. We have people in the office who live in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Eindhoven and Hengelo, all of which seems insane to me - lots of people live in Utrecht or Amersfoort, which seems more normal, but even so I think the Dutch are made of tougher stuff than I am, because I would find so much commuting very hard.

Part of A Chicken

2011-01-04T18:56:00.003+02:00

Today there is part of a chicken that emerged last night, plus two letters of the alphabet:

I do my stitching at night, and my blogging earlier in the day, which is why you get last night's new start each day, plus a photo of the one that I shall start in the evening. This evening I will be moving away from partial animals and starting the Jane Austen Party Reticule:

So far all my new starts have had some wording, and I think that may be true of all the ones to come, in fact. There may even be another Jane Austen one, as I am particularly fond of Jane Austen. I am not actually sure what I shall do with a reticule, but, having bought the mother of pearl handles just before Christmas, I just had to put this on the list! I did go to Modes et Travaux today to find some linen banding, mine is slightly wider than the original, but also with the red stripes.

Well, had better go now and get on with it!

Part of a Rabbit

2011-01-03T19:40:00.004+02:00

This is yesterday's stitching, part of the front of the pinkeep from the Rabbit Garden Sewing set:

It has now gone into the case to take to Apeldoorn - for which I now have a ticket next Sunday. At least I have a ticket for Schiphol, because the SNCF is going through one of their periods of not letting me book for Apeldoorn, so I have to get a second ticket when I arrive at Schiphol. It would actually be quicker to go via Rotterdam, but I am avoiding that station (scene of my nearly freezing to death before Christmas in any case), mostly because to buy another ticket there involves carrying one's luggage up and down steps and standing in a long queue, it is hell.

The travel thing was why I was hesitating about doing this challenge - and why some of my pieces will be quite small. At least I do not have to take all of them backwards and forwards all the time, in fact, most of them will stay in Apeldoorn once there. And I will get a chance to do some on the train - since we are no longer allowed to book our travel time as work time, I don't feel compelled to work on the train and instead I do things like stitch and drink wine!

Today's new start is this one:

I've had it for quite some time, with all its Crescent Colours threads, and I have just found a nice piece of unidentified brand vintage linen (could be R&R, I am not sure at all) that is exactly right for this. I am not buying very much for this challenge at all, so far nothing, and I think over the whole fifteen days, probably one piece of linen banding and a few missing threads. So it's great to get to use some things I already have, and to spend this week at home looking through my stash.

I did have to go to the office today, to get my new computer working, as I only want to take one laptop to Apeldoorn with me - travelling there with two would be just too much! Hopefully I will get everything transferred to it by the end of the week.

Second New Start

2011-01-02T15:38:00.004+02:00

First, yesterday's progress, not bad for me:

Now it is in the case I have bought to put all these works in for transport, as they will be going to Apeldoorn next Sunday.

I am about to try and book my Thalys ticket, if the French railways internet site will recognise the existence of Apeldoorn, which they wouldn't yesterday. And our work housing bureau calls it APELDOOM, which surely must be a Freudian slip! Actually it is not a bad little town, or would not be, if it were not covered in snow and ice, but there are some strange aspects of life there. Even buying food is very different from Paris, and I cannot say I am a fan of the Albert Hein supermarket!

Today's choice is the Rabbit Garden Sewing Set by Elizabeth Ann Talledo:

One of the reasons I chose this is that I recently acquired both the Lace Scissors and Mother of Pearl Ruler that it is designed for. I am using 32 count Lambswool linen from Permin, together with (mostly) the recommended threads. The pattern says they are all GAST, but I really cannot find a GAST colour called Juniper, whereas there is a Weeks Dye Works Juniper, so I wonder about that one.

I'm already thinking about the remaining ones......... Kathryn asked me what this was all about, and it is just a challenge I read on another blog, to start 15 new projects on the first 15 days of January, and finish them in 2011. Easy to see why it is called Crazy January Challenge, as it is simply not the sort of thing I should be thinking of at all, but I could not resist. The only comfort is that there are a few other crazy people out there!

Thank you for all the New Year greetings, too - let's hope we can all get it together and make 2011 a great year!

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T13:10:00.002+02:00

Best wishes for a happy 2011 to any faithful readers I may have left after the sporadic blogging of the past year!

I hope to do better this year, in many ways, and a big part of that is going to be health-related and avoiding the depression I sank into for much of last year. I feel very good after spending the week in Cyprus, which was great - 25 degrees every day, so I swam in a heated pool, then lay on a sunlounger outside, surrounded by hotel cats. I got back on Wednesday, a couple of hours later than expected, as they had to fix the plane before we could take off (slightly worrying, but obviously everything was OK).

Back here, it is much colder, but not unbearably so, and we have no snow, although some is forecast for Wednesday. If it happens, I will stay inside! I have plenty to do, and have started doing some things, like defrosting the fridge, which is a nightmare, the kitchen is in complete disorder - it will be Monday before it gets back into shape.

I have started the Crazy January Challenge, probably inadvisably, but here is the first one I have chosen:

It's "Marquoir de Blanche" by Couleurs d'Etoile, and I am doing it on a 32 count Weddingen ecru linen, with Raspberry Parfait Gloriana silk, which is a dark pink colour.

I haven't chosen all my fifteen pieces yet, as I am still considering the many candidates. It is hard because there are so many that I want to do, but I have to be realistic and choose quite a few smaller pieces, because I will have to transport them. This first one is likely to be the largest, in fact.

As for other resolutions, I haven't made so many, apart from to look after my health and my finances. I did not so so badly on the finance front last year, being still debt-free, but I did spend a lot of money on travelling, because of the Perth and New Zealand trips while I was in Australia - but this year I will not be going anywhere near the Southern Hemisphere. I've decided that, if they ask me to do that again, I'm going to ask the doctor to write to them and say I cannot do long haul flights at all.

Well, that's about all for today, I'm going to go back to Blanche, plus the Kaffe Fassett scarf I am knitting (also probably inadvisably, it is 160cm of fair isle patterns), plus watching for icebergs from the fridge!

Holiday Snaps

2010-12-28T10:04:00.004+02:00

I went from this, the view from my office window in Apeldoorn:

to this, the view from my sunlounger in Cyprus:The change was much needed, I can tell you, after a year of almost continuous winter! In Cyprus, it has been 25 degrees each day, they are having a very warm winter, in contrast to the rest of Europe.

I was very lucky with my flight, since I flew on Wednesday, the one day last week when there were no airport closures or delays. I had worried that the flight would be full of people who had been delayed, but it wasn't, and there were no queues anywhere at the airport. There was even a taxi waiting for me at Larnaca, as promised, and I arrived in Limassol exactly when I expected.

This hotel, the Four Seasons, is I think the best one I have stayed at in Cyprus. All the bathrooms have a large jacuzzi bath, and the toiletries are by Etro. There are three excellent restaurants, apart from the buffet one where they serve breakfast - one is Italian, one Asian and one is Mavrommatis, the famous Greek restaurant in Paris, who have this one here as well. I had my Christmas Eve dinner in there, as well as dinner on two other nights, and I just love it.

During the day, I have been swimming in the indoor pool, as that is heated, but then going out to the sunloungers and lying there, to get some vitamin D, which has been sadly lacking for the past months. There have not been too many people around for the past week, although there seems to have been an influx today of the British, I suppose it means their airports are open again. Most of the people here seem to have been Greek, in fact, and I had boxing day buffer lunch with what was obviously the creme de la creme of the Limassol rich, judging by the handbags and jewellery. I just made sure my new Lancel Mademoiselle Adjani bag was also on display!

I have also had a course of facials, also sorely needed, as I was looking about a hundred years old, with the lack of light and the horrible harsh weather. Now I look and feel brighter, and I have some good protective creams and serums to counteract the cold in the Netherlands.

Tomorrow is the return home, and I am almost wishing for a snow storm in Paris, so that I could be delayed here for a few days, but I do also have a lot to do in Paris, as I've been home so rarely this year. Not anything special for New Year, since I'm by myself as usual, but a lot of practical things. I started making my list for the 15 new starts challenge, but did not get very far, so that is very high on the list of things to do. I found a shop in the Netherlands (the one in Velp) that stocks Needlepoint Silks, so I may put a few things that need those on my list.

Now I am off to swim again...... I hope everyone else has been having as good a holiday, I think we all deserve it!

Home At Last!

2010-12-19T20:14:00.002+02:00

On Friday, I began my journey from Apeldoorn to Paris at 11am and got home after 11pm - I was lucky to get here at all! I managed to get the bus to the station and the train to Schiphol with no incident, and it was at Schiphol that the fun began.

I had a fairly substantial lunch, which turned out to be very wise, and then I went to the Thalys lounge to ask if the trains were running OK - as there were no signs at all about trains and there were huge queues at the booking office and information desks. The woman behind the desk in the lounge told me that the last train to Paris had been delayed 15 minutes, which I later realised cannot possibly have been true. So I went down to the platform and waited there - there were only a few trains coming and going, and half an hour after my train was scheduled to depart, they told us it would not be running. Then somewhat later, they told us the next train would not be running. At that point, all trains back to Apeldoorn were cancelled as well, so I decided to get on the next train going south, because there would almost certainly be no hotel rooms that I could get to at Schiphol. That also proved to be a wise decision.

After some time I managed to get on a train to Rotterdam, although I had to stand all the way amongst hundreds of people. Once arrived at Rotterdam, I saw a Thalys there, and it said "Bruxelles - Paris", so I decided to go to the Thalys platform and wait there for a while in case it really was going to depart. About half an hour later, that train drew up to the platform, and then the real fun began. Hundreds of people waited outside that train for nearly two hours until they finally opened the train doors and let us in! No information about whether it was going to depart or not, but there was a driver - in his nice warm cabin, and he said he was expecting to depart at 7pm, so we all waited. We were finally allowed to get in at 7:30pm, and miraculously I got a seat. There was no food or drink, but they managed to get some drinks carts at Brussels, and at least I could have some water and a glass of wine. We finally pulled into Paris at nearly 11pm.

I had ordered a taxi to be waiting, which was the third wise thing I did, because I actually got one. When I walked up to the taxi desk, there were lots of people there screaming, so I was a bit worried, but a driver took one look at me brandishing my Thalys taxi slip and said "this way, Madam". He was parked right out the front, which was great, and I was home not long after 11pm. Funny thing was, it only cost 20 euros for the taxi, and normally one pays a lot extra as a booking fee for the Thalys taxis. I almost think he wasn't really one, just a driver who happened to be there and wanted a fare that was not screaming.

Yesterday I went out to the Post Office and the supermarket, but apart from that I haven't been out of the house since. My knees were killing me yesterday, although they are a lot better today, but it's also been snowing heavily, and now it is horribly windy. I slept a lot yesterday, but had to finish off some work today, so that I can have a clear conscience for the holidays.

At least I got home without major incident, others have not been so lucky, my Italian colleague Giulia has been stranded at Schiphol for two days, she has only got home a few hours ago. Apparently, Schiphol airport ordered everyone to leave the premises if their planes were cancelled, and they were in fact ejected outside by the police, straight into the snow. No trains anywhere, no hotel rooms, no help of any sort, including our work travel agent who was totally unobtainable. Fortunately she had the number of a colleague who lives near Amsterdam and he was able to help her get to his place, along with some other colleagues who were stranded there, and that's where they spent the last two nights. The police barred entry to the airport in the morning yesterday and today, as well. I can't help contrasting this with the pictures I see on the television of people sleeping at CDG with blankets provided by the airport and being given hot drinks and water - I don't understand how Schiphol can just drive people out into the snow! It's a nasty start to the Christmas holidays, and could be life-threatening as well.

Now I am keeping my fingers crossed for my Wednesday flight to Cyprus, let's hope there is no more snow and the backlog gets cleared up. Now it has stopped snowing, but there is a horrible wind blowing, so much that I have closed all the windows, which I normally have open a crack. I just hope tomorrow is not too bad, as I have to go out to work and clear up a whole lot of admin things.

Snowing Again

2010-12-06T14:27:00.002+02:00

Since I have taken no embroidery, knitting or interesting touristic photos, here is one of a window display in Utrecht - for an opticians shop!

I was in Utrecht a couple of weekends ago, as all the hotels in Apeldoorn were full, but I had to stay in the Netherlands. I couldn't find any embroidery shops there, but there is a yarn shop called Modilaine that quite impressed me.

I am in Apeldoorn at the moment, for another two weeks before Christmas holidays, which can't come soon enough. One good thing is that I have moved from the hotel to an apartment in the centre of town, so it is quicker to get to work - although difficult at present, as it has been snowing, but now it had turned to ice, and they don't clean the footpaths here, only the roads and the bicycle paths. I fell over on the ice the other day, but fortunately it was on the main street, just outside the supermarket, so there were plenty of people to pick me up. I have totally technicolour bruises all down one leg, and it did hurt badly for a day or so. I wouldn't want to fall again, especially if it were on a side street where there is no-one around.

On Friday I went to Paris for the weekend, which was quite a journey, as the Thalys was delayed by an hour and a half by the time we eventually got to Paris. It was so late when we got to Bruxelles that all the people who had tickets for the next train were waiting and they boarded ours and proceeded simply to sit anywhere, including the floor - the carriage was totally packed, so they could not serve any drinks (there was no food, they told us that, it was also a casualty of the snow) nor could I order a taxi to meet me in Paris, as they could not get down the aisles with the taxi vouchers. Happily I had no luggage this time, so I just got on the metro. The Gare du Nord was a total nightmare, in fact, because it seemed there were also Eurostar problems, and the station was packed with people who couldn't depart.

Coming back yesterday was fine until I got to Schiphol, only to find there were no trains to Apeldoorn and I would have to go to Utrecht and change.... had I known that, I would have got off at Rotterdam and caught a direct train from there. So I arrive at Apeldoorn five minutes after the bus has gone and wait in the bus station for 25 minutes to get the next one - I had a suitcase - and then, when we get to my street, the bus driver refuses to drive down it because it is too slippery! This is in the middle of town, mind you, it is no country lane, but I had to get out and walk down it with my suitcase. It was slippery, too, I can vouch for that. At the bus stop outside my apartment, there were people waiting, so I told them what the bus driver had said, and they all set off for the end of the street. The Dutch are very stoic, I think, they didn't scream at all, which French people would have.

In between these journeys I did spend a little time in Paris, where it also snowed quite hard on Saturday, which is very unusual so early in December. I was out and about, as I needed some new shoes more suitable for Apeldoorn conditions, some gloves and some other things, but at least it is easier to get around in Paris, and no ice!

I don't know what I'm going to do about shopping this week, if the ice does not melt somewhat along my street - one thing is sure, on Saturday when I can go out during the day, I am buying reserves of food and drink in case I cannot get out of the place during the week. But I'd like to go further afield and explore some of the other towns around, rather than just be stuck inside. Happily the flat I have rented is quite nice, in fact, very nice, and it has everything, so there could be worse places to be stuck inside. I have to say, I do miss living upstairs from a shopping centre, as I did in Tallinn, I can't remember how many times I walked round and round there when it was too grim to go out.

Roll on 17th December, when I take the Thalys home for Christmas, and 22nd December, when I fly to Cyprus!

Warm and Dry at Home

2010-11-20T18:04:00.003+02:00

I am in Paris for a day and a half, having got home about 9:30 last night, the train being late as usual - the Dutch railways seemed to be in chaos, because of some problem at Utrecht, which meant that no trains could go there. This would have meant that half the office would have had problems getting home, as a lot of my colleagues live in Utrecht.

I haven't been both warm and dry at once for the past two weeks, so it is nice to be here. Earlier I went out and at one point I was basking in the sun on boulevard des Invalides while waiting for a bus, it was very warm with no wind. And no rain!!! The Netherlands has to be the wettest country I have ever been to, no wonder they have so many nice rain boots in the shops. It's actually worse than it should be for me, because it is my third winter in a year, and I am finding it very hard so soon after the last one. I complain a lot more about the cold than I ever did in Estonia, where the weather was theoretically much worse. And I feel as though I have been in darkness for about a year.

Last weekend I was in the Netherlands - we have to stay every second weekend - and I went to Amsterdam for the day on the train. I've been there before as a tourist, so this was just to visit some book shops and a yarn shop, which were all near each other in the centre. It was a fairly successful excursion and got me out of Apeldoorn for the day. Next time I have to spend the weekend I want to go to Zutphen and Velp for some more crafty shopping. Zutphen is where the shop of a woman I met at Fete de L'Aiguille is - she sells woollen felt, patchwork and stitching things. And there is evidently a good embroidery shop in Velp.

If I were Dutch, I would probably ride my bicycle to all these places. I had a huge argument with the work real estate agent because she was trying to tell me that I could get from the unsuitable apartment she was trying to get me to rent to work by cycle in six minutes, and that I didn't need to catch a bus at all in Apeldoorn. I had to point out my vast age and lack of experience, and was informed that even 80 year olds cycle thousands of kilometers every week. In Apeldoorn people walk their dogs by cycle, so it is only the dog that is walking, and they can also cycle with no hands, so that they can hold an umbrella in one and a cellphone in the other. It is a skill developed from the cradle (which can also be attached to the bike ridden by the mother).

A Quick Weekend in Paris

2010-11-08T11:30:00.002+02:00

I went home for a very short weekend - arriving at 10:30pm on Friday night, and then leaving home again at 10:30am on Sunday morning. And it rained all day Saturday, not light, normal Paris rain, but heavy, constant Apeldoorn rain, I must have brought it with me!

Saturday was spent collecting parcels from the Post Office, going to the hairdresser and doing necessary shopping, all in this rain, and I was exhausted by the time I made it home, so early to bed. I slept for ten hours, which is highly unusual for me, then had to get up in order to pack and catch the train...... at least this time the Thalys was not late, so I got to Apeldoorn on time yesterday and was at the hotel just after 5:30pm.

The hotel is quite funny in some ways. Last time I arrived on a Sunday evening and wanted something to eat, there was consternation because I hadn't booked a table before arriving and they were always very busy on Sunday nights. So this time I booked a table - and found myself in a deserted restaurant served by a waiter who looked as though he would much rather be somewhere else, so much for the busy Sunday nights. Then at breakfast this morning, there was a party of about ten Russians, and I am wondering what on earth they are doing in Apeldoorn. Some of them were clearly husbands and wives, but I couldn't tell if it was a business trip with some spouses, or a sightseeing tour, or what. Apeldoorn just seems the strangest place to see such people.

The hotel does seem to be quite popular for conferences for Dutch businesses, or for weekend stays for people who want to see scenery, and also with local groups who have meetings there, I guess groups like Rotary or social groups. Last week I was absolutely electrified by a large group of men in the bar, who must have been the local gamekeepers' association, by the way they were dressed. I haven't seen Harris tweed plus fours with long green socks off the stage for about thirty years, and was hard put to it not to burst into laughter!

This week will be much the same as last week, I guess, and then I have another weekend in Apeldoorn. Think I may take a trip to Amsterdam, but I've got another five days to decide that.

Apeldoorn Landscape

2010-11-02T10:59:00.005+02:00

In Apeldoorn, one thing there is no shortage of is trees:

The ones above are outside my hotel roon, here is the hotel with lovely autumn leaves on the trees around it:

And for something completely different, here are the angry grass reindeer at the CODA museum in Apeldoorn:

I suppose they are angry because they have to stay outside in the rain, but it does give them such lovely green coats, doesn't it?

Another week at work, but it will be interrupted by a visit to the Hague on Thursday, as I have to do bureaucratic things, in the company of our lawyer. I have to catch a train from Apeldoorn at 7:30 am, so guess who is not going to work that day? It means leaving the hotel before breakfast, and definitely in the dark, so I am pretty sure I will be sitting on the train doing my embroidery, NOT work. And I am pretty sure I will be doing some shopping in the afternoon, NOT rushing back to work.

Rain

2010-10-30T19:33:00.002+03:00

So I am spending the weekend in Apeldoorn, as I should now do every second week.... and it is raining, which my Italian colleagues tell me is normal. I went to Amersfoort today and was rained on, which shortened my exploration of the town somewhat. I did check out the yarn and embroidery store, but did not buy anything, as it was incredibly crowded and I couldn't really get to see what was there. I consoled myself by buying a new Verena sock knitting magazine at the railway station - in Dutch, so it will be interesting to see how I go. Although I am getting quite good at work terminology already, so maybe it will not be so hard to learn knitting terms as well.

I am fairly appalled by some people at work, who have been there for years and do not speak Dutch. But everything we do has an English translation, so I suppose there may not be an incentive for them. Some of the Italians (who have only been there a few months) are going to Dutch lessons, I must find out where, as it would interest me as well.

Apeldoorn is not exactly the most exciting place, although it is quite pretty, with the woods. The shops are not bad for ordinary things, and there's a lot of restaurants. I had rather a good Greek meal on Thursday night. It's funny, I've seen two Israeli restaurants here as well, I must try them, as I love Israeli food.

We moved to another building at work this week, and the main feature of the new one is that I cannot get into it until I have my card, which may take weeks, or even months - every day I have to sit in reception until someone comes to get me, which is a massive waste of time. I did throw a minor fit about this ("well, perhaps I should just go home again"), so they are trying to hurry it up, and there are also about six other people that this is affecting. The reception is a long way from where we work as well, so managers are trekking miles to pick everyone up every day. We also trek miles to get our lunch, but the cantine is better than in the other building.

I am still in this hotel and may be forever, since, despite the vast numbers of empty apartments that I notice in this town, our housing people can only propose to me a very few that are vastly expensive and beyond the budget. No idea why, and they are terribly pushy about it, almost bullying, when they say I should ask for permission to exceed the budget. As I know this will not be forthcoming, I am not impressed and I am about to throw a fit about that one too. I don't mind being in the hotel at present, but it is a bit isolated - there are no hotels in the centre of Apeldoorn - and I have to catch two buses to work and two buses back. At least there is a swimming pool on the roof. I was there this afternoon after returning from Amersfoort.

I am about to get into a nice warm bath full of bath oil and soak for a while, before settling down to a thrilling evening of stitching, knitting and tv! During the night, we will go on to winter time, second time this year I have experienced that.

Apeldoorn Again

2010-10-25T11:29:00.002+03:00

So here I am in the Netherlands again... finally I got the work permit, so yesterday I travelled on the Thalys to Schiphol and from there on the regular train to Apeldoorn. Not actually the regular train that I was supposed to, as the Thalys was late and I missed that! But at least the trains are every half an hour, so I could just catch the next one.

I'm staying at a different hotel this time, and this one is nicer, slightly further from the office, but off the main road, so I can sleep much better, and the bathroom is great - it has a separate walk-in shower, instead of having to climb in and out of the bath to have a shower. The food in the restaurant is also a lot better, it seems, not so much "chips with everything" as in the other hotel. Last night I had a salad with mushrooms and bacon, it was really rather nice.

There is also a swimming pool which I shall investigate after work. I'm going to have to entertain myself here, since all the other people have apartments or don't even live in this town and travel a long way every day - so no-one to have dinner with. I will also be staying the weekend, but I have plans to go to the next town on Saturday, since there seems to be a good shop there which has both knitting and embroidery things. And of course I must visit the Palace of Het Loo, since it is right next door.

Some New Finishes

2010-10-17T17:55:00.005+03:00

Firstly, I have assembled the little needlebook from LHN that I stitched some time ago - here it is, with needles and scissors:
I now have to assemble the matching stitcher's pocket, which I hope to do next weekend - I think I will use this set for my travelling stitching.

And here is the scarf I knitted in New Zealand, I have just sewed in the ends:

It's a very simple pattern, with ridges of garter stitch among the stocking stitch, and it took one ball of Noro Kureyon sock yarn.

And finally, a little bag from a new Louisa Harding booklet:

This only took a week and a bit to knit, then yesterday I assembled it - there is a felt lining in there to give it some body. I like the Louisa Harding bags, each of her books has at least one, and I quite often make them, although I don't use them really, just treat them as decorative objects.

I'm still at home and totally frustrated by it, particularly since the weather has packed up big time. Last Sunday I spent half the afternoon sitting in the garden at Les Invalides knitting, since it was so warm, about 25 degrees. I wouldn't dream of doing this today, as it's possibly 12 degrees and very nippy out there. Tomorrow it is going to be very cold, and I have to go to the office, unfortunately, as I am being harassed by accountants, who want me to send them all sorts of things, including my Australian visa number. I've only told them about fifty times that I don't have one, because I don't need a visa, but that seems to be too hard for them to grasp.

Now I'm off to look for something else to do in the rest of Sunday, preferably from beneath my duvet, which is the warmest place around here!

Still At Home

2010-10-04T11:11:00.002+03:00

This is the start of my third week of working at home, and it is not something I want to do much longer. I must be totally abnormal, because it seems that all of my colleagues would like nothing better than to work from home for ever - in Tallin, they were complaining that they only worked from home one week out of three, and in the Netherlands they are complaninig even more, because we can only go home two weekends a month and never work from home, except in special cases, as mine is at present.

But I miss sitting in an office and having people around me, it is not at all the same at home - no cantine for lunch, no bus to be a separation between work and home. And my place is small too, so there are no corridors to walk up and down while I am thinking about some problem. It's also hard because there's no-one ot discuss problems with, I have to try and get all information by email, so some people must be thinking I am a terrible pest by now!

I do hope I will hear this week when I can go back to the real world!

Millie

2010-09-28T11:35:00.003+03:00

Millie is a hat - from Louisa Harding's new "Fade to Grey" booklet:

I made this one over the weekend, since I had tired eyes and just wanted to do something that didn't require a lot of concentration. It's in Grace Hand-dyed, which is a silk and wool mixture, and the colour is called Latte, which I think is a bit strange, since I've never seen pink milk, but I suppose it has got the beigey colour as well...

I'm still at home, trying to work here, which is incredibly frustrating, because I have to email every query I have about something. Also I have to put up with the noise from the building next door, whose facade is being resurfaced. I hate noise more than almost anything, but at least it should be over this week, they do the resurfacing quite quickly here.

Ah well, better get back to work - maybe I can have a stitching break later?

Of Female Arts

2010-09-22T17:02:00.003+03:00

This is a little photo of my train piece - "Of Female Arts" - which is on 32 ct country cream Belfast, with Vicki Clayton premium silk in Fish Pepper. The premium silk only requires one strand to cover 32 ct, so I'm finding it much nicer than the ordinary VC silk.

The little pin and needle box and the tape measure, they are wooden, are from Sajou. I was at Le Bon Marche today, and they have a whole Sajou display, so I picked these up. The Sajou things are not cheap, but these ones are cute.

I am at home this week, and probably next week as well, since I have to wait for a Dutch work permit, which finally will be granted. Such a fuss, they wanted me to go back to New Zealand to get my birth certificate stamped by the Dutch embassy there! And then they told me I would have to return there after three months in the Netherlands and not return to the Schengen area for three months.... um, no, I live in Paris for the past nine years....... So, in the end, I am a European tax payer and get a work permit on that basis.

I'll be happy to be back in Apeldoorn again, it's quite a nice town, although I don't know what they will find me in the way of an apartment. And it is a bit boring here at home trying to work, especially when it is something new for me, and I would like to discuss it with others.

I've been staving off boredom by ordering new Louisa Harding books and yarns, I'm in love with Grace Hand Dyed, and about to start a beret and fingerless mittens in that. At least it is warm here now, about 25 degrees all week, and warmer than that today, I would think 28 or so. You can tell who is a tourist and who is not, as the French have all got out their autumn clothes and are swathed in cashmere (I am quite serious), while the tourists and me are in summer clothes.

The Netherlands - but for how long?

2010-09-09T21:55:00.003+03:00

I am officially off the sick list now, and have been back at work for two weeks, much of which has been spent on the train. This is massively preferable to planes, in spite of such minor inconveniences as the Gare du Nord and Rotterdam Railway Station. Gare du Nord is always horrid because of the beggars (they tend to stand at the head of the taxi queue and demand money before you can get into a taxi, and the station management say they can't stop this, you have to hope to get a strong-looking taxi driver who will shoo them away), and Rotterdam is temporarily horrid, as they are rebuilding it, which seems to involve very little space to move around, plus absolutely no escalators or lifts, so nice with a suitcase, especially when they change the platform three minutes before the train is due.

At least once one gets on the Thalys, there is plenty of stitching time, and they bring you rather nice food and drink from time to time. I'm also getting used to the Dutch trains from Rotterdam to Apeldoorn and now know to get in the "Silence" compartment. I am going quite well with the Quaker sampler that is my travelling stitching at present.

Apeldoorn, where the project is based, is a smallish town, I think about 150,000 people, but it has a few tourist sites and is far from dull. There are shops! Normal shops! Including an Ulla Popken shop, where I have already made a contribution to the local economy. The hotel is also fine, with proper pillows and a swimming pool, and it's easy to get around on buses, or even walking, because the town is flat as a pancake. The only problem with this assignment is that work have done something strange with my work permit - again!!!! - and until this is sorted out, I am not allowed to be here full-time.

So tomorrow I am going back to Paris until Sunday, when I come back here for three days. I am going the long way tound this time, via Roermond in the south east of the Netherlands, because there is a shop there called "Naald en Draad" (Needle and Thread), that looks to be worth a visit. In fact, I think there are a few good shops in the Netherlands, and some of them are not too far away for Saturday trips, once I start spending two weeks at a time here. There is nothing in Apeldoorn itself, as far as I can see, but other towns nearby have some interesting shops - Zutphen, for example, which is twenty minutes by train, I think, has a shop that has great wool felt, I met the woman from there at "L'Aiguille en Fete".

The weekend will be a bit busy, because I have a ton of stuff to do at home, plus some essential shopping, and it is also opera at Les Invalides on Saturday night. This before catching a fairly early train here on Sunday, so I can get in at a reasonable time (there's trackworks and delays on Sundays at present) and have a nice swim before dinner.

Still Sick!

2010-08-20T13:03:00.002+03:00

I've been to the doctor, and he confirmed bronchitis - so I've been languishing in bed a lot, taking various drugs, and going out only for a short while each day.

Everything is very quiet, I think most people in the building are away for holidays still, except for my upstairs neighbour, whom I hear, but do not see. The restaurant on the ground floor is being entirely redecorated, and I am wondering if it has been sold, as the people who were there are nowhere in evidence, plus the flat on the other side of the entrance (they owned this, and used it as an office) is being redecorated, and a man I am pretty sure is a real estate agent has been hanging around.

The news is that I am going to the Netherlands (Apeldoorn) to start work on 1 September - I had a phone interview with them, and it went well, so there we are. It seems the much talked about Paris project, which was supposed to start last December is still not ready to go. I'm not terribly upset, because our Special Snowflake was going to be in charge there. I'm pretty sure she will not be in the Netherlands. There will be one of the Silly Girls there, but I think she won't be too bad without her leader.

Actually I am fairly happy about Apeldoorn, because I can get there by train, which is much less stressful than the whole CDG horror story. And it seems there is a fair bit to do and see around that area, and I can always go to Amsterdam or wherever at the weekends if I feel like it - I will have to stay there some weekends.

Now I'm going out for my daily walk and shopping, I hope I can catch up again over the weekend.

Home At Last

2010-08-10T11:35:00.002+03:00

I finally arrived yesterday afternoon, in fact the plane was early, and I was home with my luggage all upstairs by 3pm. I've slept most of the time since then, apart from a short trip to the supermarket, and three hours last night when I was awake. Now it's nearly 11am, and I am sitting here, thinking of having a shower and getting dressed and doing a few things.

The journey was long - first from Sydney to Melbourne. I have to say I think Sydney Airport is much nicer than Melbourne, there are much nicer shops in the domestic terminal. And even when I arrived at the international terminal on Friday afternoon from New Zealand, they were much nicer and lifted the cases through the machine themselves, there were strong men there to do it specially, instead of like at Melbourne, where you have to do it yourself.

Melbourne international terminal is really dreary, there's nothing to do while you wait at all, and I had to wait three hours until Etihad check-in opened. I just sat there, and read, then checked in as soon as they were there. They made me pay excess baggage as well, work are going to love that! However, in Melbourne Etihad use the Qantas lounge, and - once I actually found this - it was comfortable and great, with free internet.

**************************************************************************************

I left this post yesterday to go to sleep again - combination of jetlag and the Tasmanian plague, which is still with me - I am seeing the doctor this afternoon about it all. I slept through quite a lot of yesterday as well, and all through the night, waking up at about 7 this morning. So perhaps I am getting back to normal, I certainly hope so.

To continue with my journey, the trip from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi was very turbulent, apparently this is normal on this route, but I was petrified the whole way, nearly. When we got to Abu Dhabi, I was extremely relieved, and rushed straight for the shower and had another breakfast. Then the plane to Paris was extremely empty, only three people in business class, so I had some more sleep and more breakfast, the third one for the day. This was a much shorter flight, only about seven hours, and I was met at the plane door by an Etihad chauffeur hostess, who took me to get my bags, and out through the staff queues, so that I was with my chaufffeur very quickly and home much earlier than I had expected. The dear man carried my cases upstairs as well, not that I have unpacked a thing since.

I had a load of mail, including all my CHS charts from SBB, and the last Loose Feathers from Blackbird Designs as well - I have even put a few stitches into this one. Apart from that, I've just been lying around sleeping or reading! Apart from talking to a project manager yesterday, who called me and said he wanted to assign me to a project in the Netherlands in September, which came as a huge surprise to me. He actually wanted me to go there on Thursday and be interviewed, which I have said no to - it's my holidays and I don't feel well. I've very kindly said they can all me later in the week, I think that's very good of me!

Small Post from Unhealthy Ally

2010-08-07T12:44:00.002+03:00

I am now twenty-four hours away from departing the Southern Hemisphere, and am still sick! Not as bad as I was in the last week in Tasmania, thank goodness, but still with lingering cough and terribly tired. I managed to get myself to New Zealand and my mother's house in one piece, but I hadn't been across the threshold more than five minutes when she asked me if I had made a will - which was enough to make me have a relapse, of course. It turns out she had been thinking about wills for some other reason, not my pale, scary face........... but even so, it was a bit off-putting.

Yesterday I flew back to Sydney, and am now here until tomorrow afternoon, when I fly down to Melbourne to get the plane back to Paris. I haven't really done any of the things I planned to in Sydney, apart from calling various family members ( I have an aunt who is over 90 years old, who lives here, and of course I can't visit her with a cold, but she loves to talk). I also did manage to get myself on a bus to Mosman Needlecraft, where I bought the latest SANQ, also charts from Blackbird Designs, Goode Huswife and CHS. I've never seen a Goode Huswife chart in a store before, and there was only the one, it's called Eliza Parry 1898, and it's a sampler with spot motifs, I like these.

While I was at my mother's, I finished the stitching for my LHN Stitcher's Pocket, also made some progress on "Of Female Arts" by Primitive Needle, which I am doing in Vicki Clayton premium silk, much nicer to use than the non-premium, in my view. This is coming on the plane with me, although I hope I can get some sleep, primarily. I'm not allowed to sleep all the way, though, as my doctor insists I get up and move periodically. Melbourne to Abu Dhabi is fourteen hours, or something ridiculous like that, so I hope the movies are good as well.

I'm now about to go and try to make sense of my packing, and weed out the things that I don't want to take back, like stockings with holes in them, etc, etc. Everything is so exhausting when you're feeling below par - I'm hoping my lovely doctor will decide I need more vitamins or something to hasten my recovery. My plans for the return are first, to survive it, then to go to bed for at least twenty-four hours (having first bought food and collected anything from the post office), and only then to go out, to the doctor and to take my expenses to the office.

Dreaded Lurgy

2010-07-26T11:53:00.002+03:00

I'm never quite sure how to spell that word, but it's certainly what I have got at present.... I've spent most of the weekend in bed, and came home at 4:30 pm today, because my head was spinning. There have been so many people at work that have got winter illnesses that it's not surprising that I have succumbed. I thought I was doing all right until last week, then I felt a bit strange and then the howling gale over the weekend really finished me off. Frankly I think I will go mad if the wind doesn't stop!

I may well stay home tomorrow, even though I hate being sick in a hotel, just so that I can recover before the weekend, when I will be flying to Melbourne on Friday night, then New Zealand on the 10:45 am flight on Saturday. No long flights, but I won't get to my mother's until about 8pm on Saturday night, there are not so many flights on Saturdays. The funny thing is that my sister will also be passing through Auckland airport on Saturday, on her way to Vanuatu, I think we just miss each other. At least the flight from Melbourne to Auckland is on one of Air New Zealand's nice new planes with really comfortable seats, and no-one sitting next to you, so it shouldn't be too stressful.

So it's only two weeks until I sleep in my own bed again - I'm looking forward to all the mail that will be piled up for me. I ordered a whole lot of Carriage House Samplings charts from SBB, at the last opportunity (I'm devastated that CHS is no more), and I can hardly wait to see them. When I get back, it will be summer holidays and hardly anyone will be in Paris. Having spent all my travel budget on trips to Perth and New Zealand, I will not be joining the exodus to the south of Europe this year, so will be staying at home. I don't have to go back to work until September, as I have so much holiday banked up.

While I'm in New Zealand, I won't be online at all, or be able to answer emails, so if you need to get hold of me before about 10th August, it's this week or not!

Another Catch Up Post

2010-07-20T13:42:00.002+03:00

Bad, bad blogger, Ally!!! And it is not as though I have any excuse, life here is rather slow, so much so that I am just sort of catatonic all the time. I get up at 6:45, go out for breakfast and get to work at about 8:15, then work until 5:30, come back to the hotel and vegetate. I've even stopped watching tv, as all there is is the election campaign and that just bores me. Worthy though the candidates may be, I just cannot stand the way the two main ones talk. I got told off by my colleagues the other day for saying they both needed interpreters, but I do think that was only a slight exaggeration...

I'm looking forward more than ever to getting off this island next Friday - even the packing doesn't seem so frightful, although I'm not looking forward to the whole airport thing, as I have to negotiate Hobart, Melbourne (twice), Auckland and Napier before I get to my mother's place at about 8pm on Saturday. I've started collecting 2 dollar coins for the trolleys at airports -memo to unsuspecting foreigners, they are only free at international arrivals - for domestic arrivals and all departures, you pay $4 in coins and you don't get it back when you return the trolley. Plus it says on the machine that you can use a visa card, but clearly not a French one, from my experience. I'm hoping the same system does not prevail in NZ, I cannot remember.

Only one more weekend to go in Hobart, let's hope it's a good one - last weekend was wet, and I was depressed, wandering around the museum looking at Antarctic exhibits. They were actually well done, but perhaps not the thing for a wet day. Fortunately the museum has one of the nicest cafes I've seen here, with perfect lemon tarts and extremely nice coffee.

And in three week's time I'll be back in Paris, I think I've spent about forty days at home this year, so it's fairly obvious why I am longing to get back.

Stitchers Pocket - Craft Show

2010-07-11T08:46:00.002+03:00

First an update on my LHN Stitchers Pocket:
I think this will be very pretty when finished, and it is coming along nicely, a few more evenings of concentrating should work wonders!

Yesterday I went to the Craft Show, goodness, it was a long way out of town, at the Derwent Entertainment Centre. It was fairly hard to get there and back, the options were either a $25 taxi ride or an hourly bus ride. I quite enjoyed it, although it was small, maybe about twenty stalls, and there was really nothing much for embroiderers, apart from a few stalls that had fancy scissors and tape measures, and Dymock's book skop. However, I did buy some patchwork fabric and see a nice quilt exhibition from Tasmanian quilters.

Really I must learn to keep my mouth shut in public though - I opened it to admire a quilt at one patchwork shop's stall, and the woman behind the counter commented that I was not from around here, was I? Quite often people ask where I am from and so on, so I answered her when she did, and my goodness, she told me all about how Paris would be a terrible place to bring up children, because of the pollution which would prevent them from playing outside.... I had to ask, and no, she's never been to Europe!

Thinking about it later, I realised a couple of people at work had said how lucky I was to be able to come to Tasmania and spend time here, and I'm now wondering whether it is common here to think that Paris, and Europe in general, is very polluted and unhealthy. Which isn't the case, in fact. In Paris we can get hazy days in summer when it is very hot and they ask people not to drive, but this is only occasional and mostly the air quality is very good. In Cyprus we did get problems with dust storms, when we were advised to stay inside if possible, but again only occasionally.

I'm contemplating tomorrow with more equanimity than usual, since I have only fifteen work days left here. I'm just hoping I can keep from catching a cold or anything like that!

Three Weeks Left in Tasmania

2010-07-09T03:32:00.002+03:00

I am really counting the days now..... I'm so homesick, and I get intermittently quite depressed by the darkness. It gets dark about 4:30 pm here, and it always takes me by surprise when I am working. I go to lunch, come back, work, then look up after a while, then it's dark. I walk home in the dark and walk to work mostly in the dark, as well, so that is a tad depressing.

This week we had another new arrival, a guy who was in Estonia with me for a while, which is nice, because he's someone I associate with home. The people I work with here are very nice, actually, I can't complain about that at all. No Special Snowflakes at all! Most of our team went out for dinner to a fish restaurant (lots of those in Hobart, and some very good) on Tuesday night as a welcome to the new guy.

This morning was very cold - by Australian standards, not by Northern European! My knees were creaking as I walked up the hill to work, so the wind is clearly coming from the wrong direction. I'm hoping it will at least stay fine over the weekend, as there is a craft fair on at an exhibition centre not far from Hobart, and I have tickets. There is allegedly a bus that goes there, I'm trying to work out now how to catch it.... I'll report on the experience some time over the weekend.

New Email

2010-07-08T02:51:00.001+03:00

Just a note to say that I have a Gmail address now instead of Hotmail - since the Hotmail got spammed and started sending things to everyone I know. Apologies to anyone who got the spam, it didn't look very nice at all.

Five Weeks to Go

2010-06-27T05:57:00.001+03:00

In five weeks time, I will be in New Zealand - I leave Hobart on Friday, 30th July and then fly to Auckland and Napier on Saturday, 31st July. Then I come back to Sydney via Wellington on the following Friday afternoon. By the Monday afternoon, I will be at home in Paris, you cannot believe how much I am longing for that! I did have plans to go to Greece, but I think I will probably be staying home, given that I haven't been there very much this year and that I've spent vast amounts on tickets to Perth and New Zealand.

Apart from that, nothing new - although I hope I will have another stitching finish in the not too distant future!

Travelling and Stitching Update

2010-06-20T09:11:00.004+03:00

Last weekend was a three-day weekend here, and I was able to make it four days, so that I could go to Perth and see my brother and his family - I got quite a bit of stitching done with the long plane trips, and now I have the "coverlet" of the scissor bed done:

Also, the scissor fob, which I finished on the plane on the way back:

The scissor fob is on the same mystery linen as the coverlet, rather than 1 over 1 on 18 count as called for in the pattern, but I think it works out more or less the same size. I was not going out to try and match an 18 count to what I already had, especially for such a small piece.

The trip itself was quite rewarding, as I have not seen my brother and his family for a long time, and did not know the two youngest children at all. My mother and my sister have both visited more recently and come back shaking their heads with disapproval of practically everything in the household, but I didn't find it as bad as they said. Besides, I tend to work on the principle that it's their house and if they have weird ideas about interior decorating, so be it. Everyone was fairly well-behaved, with the possible exception of my brother, who practically inhaled vodka all weekend, and my mother - who was not there, but we called her and she asked me, knowing full well that she was on speaker phone, what I thought of the mess!!!

The children are sweet, and the three year old and the five year old have terrific vocab for their ages. My five year old niece wants to be an astronaut, and my three year old nephew was entranced by the Qantas Socceroos blow-up plane I brought. "Aeroplane balloon", he said, gazing at it.

It was exhausting, though, about two hours from Hobart to Sydney, and then more than five hours from Sydney to Perth. Fortunately the trip back was quicker, only about four hours from Perth to Sydney, it's the winds apparently that account for this quite large difference between the two directions. I went on Virgin airline, as their timetable got me into Perth a lot earlier on Friday than the alternatives, and I took a premium ticket, given that it was a whole day each way, so it was not too bad.

It was strange on the flight from Sydney to Hobart, though, where I was the only premium passenger, although I did not know this until we took off, because there were people in rows 2 and 3, which are also normally premium seats. It was very funny, the man in the row behind and across the aisle was very large - just how large I did not notice until he stood up as soon as the seatbelt sign went off, in order to take a large bag down from the locker. It proved to have an enormous quantity of food in it, including chinese takeaway, still hot, that he gulped down at great speed. The flight attendant came to offer me free food from the menu, but didn't offer to anyone else, which is how I knew I was the only premium passenger - and this man looked absolutely furious when she asked him if he would like to buy anything from the menu, and glared at me for the rest of the flight. I'm pretty sure he was in the seat he was because it was a fairly full plane, and he couldn't have sat beside anyone else, he nearly took up two seats as it was. Normally I am not sizeist (apart from intermittently hating people with slim thighs), but it the glaring was a bit much!

So I was fairly tired this week and glad that it was a four day week. I seem to have worked on problems continuously all week, and lots of them have turned out not to be problems at all, just rather tedious explanations of why things happen like that. Next week will be much of the same, in fact the next five weeks will be............. then I can escape from Hobart. I'm really finding it very hard to be away from home at present, quite depressing, especially given the winter conditions here.

Yesterday I went shopping, to the Needlewoman and Dymock's (bookshop), then came home and went to bed again, only getting up to watch the Swedish Royal Wedding on my laptop. Thank goodness for SVT making it available world-wide, because it wasn't even on SBS here, which is constant football at present. It was a wonderful wedding, very simple and not at all ostentatious, despite the people involved. Victoria's dress was superbly elegant, just simple lines, and the children who attended her were in plain white dresses and sailor suits. I'm quite impressed by both the bride and the groom as people, too. Victoria has overcome anorexia, while Daniel recently had a kidney transplant.

Now I'm preparing for another week of fun, I'm going to spend the evening on another LHN piece, "Travelling Stitcher", which I have had for over a year and hardly started.

Tasmanian Winter

2010-06-05T09:36:00.002+03:00

I'm finding it very gloomy, as it gets dark before 5pm and doesn't get light until after 7am - which I realise is par for the course in winter, but it wasn't so long ago that I experienced this! And basically it's going to be like this for the rest of my time in Hobart. I have a flight out of here on the last Saturday in July, and basically I can't wait.

Next weekend I go to Perth to see my brother and his family, this is a trip that is more expensive than going to New Zealand, and it is only for the weekend, which fortunately is a three day weekend. My sister is giving me all sorts of advice about what sightseeing I should do in WA, but I doubt I will do any - she's also warned me to prepare for awkward questions from the children (four of them, age ranges three to thirteen), but I have said that actually I answer awkward questions for a living, so I should be all right when asked if I am 100 years old or why don't I have any children. My mother thinks it may be too noisy for me, and she may well be right, but I do have a lot of airline earplugs in my bag.

At least it may be a bit less gloomy in Perth, and possibly warmer, although I am not really feeling the cold here - it is normally a rather fresh 12 to 15 degrees, which is considerably warmer than an Estonian winter, and of course there is no snow, so I can go about. The centre of town is tiny, but I walk around it every Saturday morning, and also I walk along the waterfront twice a day during the week and often at the weekends as well. A lot of my colleagues have come down with colds and flu already, so I am hoping I do not get anything.... I want to be well while I am away from home, and for my holidays afterwards.

That's all for today, honestly there's nothing interesting to tell about life in Hobart, and not a lot of stitching progress, since I'm working all the time.

Weekend In Hobart

2010-05-29T11:45:00.002+03:00

I was going to say I think Hobart is the quietest place I have ever had to stay for work, but quiet is not really the right word - in fact, there is a lot of noise, but not much going on. I walked around the shops this morning, and there were very few people about - even down at the seafront there seemed to be fewer tourists than usual. Although the hotel is very busy, I don't know what all the occupants are doing, there seem to be conferences and so on.

This morning I went for breakfast to a cafe just along from the hotel, and managed to get sworn at by the woman behind the counter! I am not joking.......... when I gave my order, which included black coffee, she said "... and a flat white...", so I said, "no, I asked for a black coffee", and the reply to this was "Jesus, keep your hair on"!!!! Think she must have been having a bad morning or something, because my manner is pretty mild, but I don't think I'll be going back there again.

On a much more pleasant note, I went today to book a facial for tomorrow, there is a place called the Savoy Baths that is open on Sundays for that sort of thing - that, at least, is something to do in this place. I just wish it did not get dark before 5pm every day, I've had one winter already this year!

Update From Tasmania

2010-05-22T14:13:00.003+03:00

Well, here I am in Hobart again......... I arrived here Wednesday morning, after setting out from my place in Paris at 8:30 am on Monday morning, when my Etihad chauffeur picked me up. First there was a shortish (less than seven hours) flight to Abu Dhabi, then fourteen hours through to Melbourne, which was very difficult, just so long and also very turbulent, as it was over the ocean - it did get calmer once we started to go across Australia.

I managed to do something to my ankle at Charles de Gaulle, because of course we had to go down steps and up steps to the plane, after having to walk up steps and down steps to get from one side of the terminal to the other, because whoever designed Terminal 2A decided it would be great to put a raised restaurant in the middle and not have escalators. I hadn't expected at all that we would be bussed out to the plane. And when we got to Abu Dhabi, there was trouble connecting the airbridge and opening the door, so they opened the door and brought steps. At that point I called for a wheelchair, and got wheeled around the airport by a man named John, who kept asking me if I believed in the miracles of the Holy Mother Mary. He would want to pick his audience for that one fairly carefully in Abu Dhabi, I would have thought. "Are you a Christian?" would not be the ideal conversation opener in most of the Middle East.

Apart from the length and the turbulence, the flight was not too gruesome - I got moved to the front right hand seat in the cabin, which is a single, after being assigned a seat next to another initially. I don't know, this has happened to me on every flight lately, that I've been moved so that a family could sit together, and normally I do end up with a better seat. This one was quite spacious, and also easy to get in and out of, since there was no-one in front - those "pods" can be a bit tricky to manoeuvre in to, if there are seats both in front and behind, the actual opening is a bit narrow. The lie-flat feature of the seat was great, quite long enough for me. I am 165 cm, but I don't think you would be comfortable if you were taller than 170, you would have to bend.

The food was not bad, I had tagine of lamb on the way from Paris, and from Abu Dhabi, a grilled beef tenderloin and a hot breakfast. You could ask for food at any time, the staff were very good and attentive in fact. And I watched two movies - "The Last Station" about Tolstoy, this had Helen Mirren as Countess Tolstoy, she was excellent, of course, and "The Lovely Bones", which I liked far more than I thought I would. It was sad, but very well done, with flashes of lightness and humour. Apart from that, I slept quite a bit, so the flat bed seats are good for something.

Getting off at Melbourne was the usual long walk, then fuss at all the checks, but one good thing was that I didn't have to do the suitcase-lifting. Etihad give you a card that allows you to bypass that, if you have nothing to declare and not more than two suitcases, the nice man who looks at the card and tells you which line to go in for the x-ray just waves you through the door behind him. This was great, because I hate that bit, I think it is set up especially so that sadistic staff can laugh at people who get off fourteen hour flights and fall flat on their faces when they try to lift their bags onto the waist-high conveyor belt.

I had to stay the night in Melbourne, and chose an airport hotel - NOT the Hilton, the prices there are outrageous. The Best Western is further away, but has a courtesy bus and a decent restaurant, at half the Hilton price. They delivered me back in timefor the 8:45 am flight to Hobart, and everything went very well. The nice Qantas man did not charge me excess baggage, although I was a few kilos over, and I also managed to get a huge L'Occitane free gift, when I bought some shampoo and conditioner. At Hobart, I had to wait an hour or so to check in to the hotel, but I called my project manager, who said not to come in that day, so I had a long sleep before I had to go to work the next day.

There seems to be a great shortage of accommodation in Hobart this week, so I have been staying at one hotel for three days, before moving to an apartment hotel this morning. At last I can unpack properly, and also there is a washing machine in my apartment! I am about to spend Saturday evening taking advantage of this.

Friday!

2010-05-14T17:09:00.002+03:00

I've been in the office all day, which is how long it has taken me to do one expenses claim, book a car to the airport on Monday, book a hotel at Melbourne Airport on Tuesday night, book a flight to Hobart on Wednesday morning and book a hotel in Hobart until the end of the month, plus put on hold flights to Perth (see brother and family) and Napier (see mother). Dizzy? Yes, so am I, and I am really glad I am not a travel agent.

I gave up on work's travel agent after their system showed me a Virgin flight from Melbourne to Hobart, went through the whole approval process, then told me it couldn't be ticketed. I called them and asked why not, please, and got told that they didn't have an agreement with that airline, but they could possibly rebook me via Qantas, and she would try, but if I didn't get an email within about three hours, it wouldn't have worked and I should call again. By the time three hours had passed, I hadn't had an email and couldn't face calling again, so I just cancelled it online, and used a few of my very old Qantas points to buy a ticket from Melbourne to Hobart on Wednesday morning.

Part of the reason I couldn't face it was that it took me hours to get a hotel in Hobart, the one where I stayed before was full, and in fact practically everything seems to be next week. I've been chatting on Skype to David, who said hopefully that there must be a conference of bogans (he is entranced by Australian slang), and could he join it? I've told him that it's impossible for an ex-public schoolboy who moonlights as a cantor to become a bogan, especially at the age of 62, and I think he is sulking now. Anyway, I did manage to get a hotel for four nights, then another one after that, from the weekend, so I shall not be roofless.

I've now nearly finished everything, so I can go home and think about what I'm going to pack and what needs to be washed and so on. Packing for two and a half months in 30 kilos is going to be a real pain, as far as I can see. It's one of the reasons why I like to come home periodically, so I can change my clothes and handbags and so on, quite apart from the fact that it is my home and I miss it. For this trip I have to consider that I am seeing relatives as well - I really can't avoid it this time, but it's really funny that my sister will be on her winter holiday in Vanuatu the week I am in New Zealand! Apart from this obligatory visiting, I have weekend trips to Melbourne and Sydney to think about, and maybe meeting some online friends in person.

Still in Paris

2010-05-13T13:01:00.002+03:00

Yesterday I went to a needlework shop that shall be nameless - because, although they sell a good variety of threads, they do something very funny. I arrived with a list of GAST and WDW that I need for a few pieces and find that they organise them by numbers! They were quite cross that I only had the names of the colours, and the procedure was that they looked up the numbers of the colours in the book, then looked for them on the rings on which they were stored, then snipped through the cardboard bit to get the hank off the ring! So now I'm going to have to sellotape them together again so they don't fall off my rings.... honestly, I've never seen a pattern that gives GAST or WDW numbers as well as or instead of colours.

But I did get most of the threads I need, so at least that is the good part.

I am more or less on track for departing for Tasmania on Monday, although I still don't have final approval for my ticket - but the resources director told me to go ahead and buy it, since I have authority from the work doctor and the big, big boss, we are just waiting on HR, and it is a public holiday today in France, so they won't be there.

My plans for the day include going to the hairdresser, then coming home and stitching, I am still on the scissor bed. Tomorrow I need to buy some more scissors to put in it, because the ones I lost at Hobart airport were the ones this bed was for. Also need to go to the office and do one last set of expenses, sigh.........

Another Trip to Tasmania

2010-05-10T20:14:00.002+03:00

Some of us just have all the luck, I heard today that I should go back to Tasmania again next week, so I've booked a seat and am just waiting for it to be approved. This time I am not allowed to go via Bangkok (too dangerous for our work travel agents), so it looks like Abu Dhabi, where I've never been. But it seems to be quite a good flight, direct from Paris, two hours in transit in Abu Dhabi, then straight through to Melbourne, where I can stay overnight and sleep before going on to Tasmania.

At least this time, I can pack properly before I go, so I hopefully will not be dragging too much stuff around the world. But this time I am taking my Nespresso machine and a square pillow, because the rectangle pillows in the hotel did nothing for my neck. I won't even begin to describe the coffee.

I also may be able to go to New Zealand for a week at the end, since it will be my summer holidays. That will please my mother and sister, although it may kill me, being yet another series of plane trips, something like Hobart - Melbourne - Auckland - Napier. Why, oh why, are there no international flights from Hobart when the airport is called Hobart International Airport?

A WIP

2010-05-08T16:06:00.003+03:00

This is what I am working on at present - the LHN scissor bed from this year's Nashville Market. I'm using an unidentified linen I had around, and it is lighter than that used for the model, so I'm replacing the Tufted Yellow with Gold Leaf, and it seems to work - you can't see that in the photo, because the photo was yesterday, and I've done a bit more today.

I've also been excavating in the wardrobe and have two bags of clothes for the next charity collection. A few date from when I lived in Australia, so it's high time they went. Apart from that, I have not being doing much, apart from stitching, watching the news and buying books for my Kindle. That volcano is going to cause trouble again - I'm half hoping that it will delay my going anywhere in the next week or so, I'd like to get a bit more done here. Although it is back to work, remotely, on Monday.

Miss Paris

2010-05-07T10:31:00.003+03:00

Here is one I bought yesterday, on my delayed excursion to Des Fils Et Une Aiguille - "Mam'zelle Paris" by C'Est Mon Monde. I think it is a must for all the Francophiles out there!

I also bought a few CHS charts, and some linen, nothing very exciting though.

I am still feeling very tired and have not done very much at all this week - the suitcases are upstairs, but not fully unpacked. There's no word from either Australia about whether I am going back there or the work doctor about whether I am allowed to travel, so it's still up in the air what I shall be doing after the end of May. I still cannot believe how totally disorganised things are, although, after all this time I should not be surprised. While I was at work on Tuesday, I did hear that the new French project should start "soon", added to which it is in the centre of Paris, five metro stops from my place, and will be virtually Snowflake-less. I say virtually, because apparently she is going to have some sort of part-time advisory role for the client. Probably advising them that I am wrong about everything, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

Today is going to be another idle day, with some stitching and some washing, some unpacking etc.......

Home and More or Less Awake

2010-05-05T12:31:00.002+03:00

There is still one suitcase sitting at the bottom of the stairs, however, as it is too heavy for me to carry up - I've already brought one up, after half emptying it and carrying the contents upstairs. I had a lot of luggage, since I did not know what the weather would be like in Tasmania, and I bought things there, and I took stuff from Tallinn because of only having about eighteen hours at home between trips.

I've just about recovered from various events along the way - the scissors, of course, but also the man who checked me in in Hobart. He was weird, he looked at my luggage, grabbed my passport and announced that this would cost a lot to send to New Zealand. I pointed out that I was not going to New Zealand, but to Paris, upon which he announced that this would cost $50 per kilo and who was going to pay for that? He finally managed to understand that first I was going to Melbourne and was perfectly happy to pay excess that far, after which I would put myself at the mercy of Thai Airways. So I paid $200 for the luggage to get to Melbourne, on a virtually empty plane, mind you, and nothing at all to get it from Melbourne to Paris. What really did not impress me was his assumption I was going to New Zealand and the "who is going to pay for that?" Maybe he was ratty because it was so early in the morning, check-in people are usually nice - and I am always nice to them, because I know they have to deal with some people who are horrid to them.

Melbourne to Bangkok was quite a turbulent flight, which I hate, and there were a few little shrieks, but I consoled myself with watching "The Young Victoria" (really good movie) and "Did You Hear About the Morgans?", which was so funny. Also bought a beautiful Links of London silver bracelet with a red heart dangling from it. At Bangkok, we had to go downstairs, outside and get on a bus, which drove us miles around the airport before arriving at the terminal - and there was still about a kilometer to walk before getting to the gate for Copenhagen.

Bangkok to Copenhagen seemed very long, and there weren't any movies I wanted to watch really. Everyone else seemed to be watching "Avatar", but that's not my sort of thing. I did get some sleep, and I had a lovely breakfast of spinach and cheese pancakes. One thing I really like about SAS long flights is that they have a snack bar, where you can go in the night and get a sandwich or fruit or a glass of wine or some juice or Coke. They also walk around very softly and offer those who are awake water or juice from a tray, so it's all very peaceful.

I was very happy to land in Copenhagen and go to the lounge and have a shower, second breakfast and a long nap in a lounger covered by a red blanket. They have a quiet room which was occupied only by me and someone else who was sleeping. My plane to Paris wasn't until 3pm, and I was still tired but this plane was empty as well, me and one other person in business. finally I got home about 6:30pm, managed to go and buy food and carry essential baggage upstairs. I went to bed at 8:30pm!

Yesterday I was going to do all sorts of things, but I only did what I had to, which was go to work and see the doctor there. We have to do this once every two years, but she also wanted to see me because of the business class thing. We had a long discussion about it, and she agrees with my doctor that medically it is not a good idea for me to do long haul flights sitting up in economy, but she has to talk to HR before filling out my "fiche". There are questions of setting precedents apparently. Then I had lunch and did a whole lot of expenses claims, goodness those take ages. By the way, the term "decoupage and collage" for these has now spread from France to Australia, the colleagues down there liked this expression!

Today I have brought one suitcase up - luckily the hall downstairs is not accessible from the street except by residents, and no-one has yet complained about suitcases sitting there for two days. They are labelled, and I guess people realise they are mine, and that I can't lift them upstairs for the moment. My poor little flat is crowded with suitcases at present, and I have to do some significant unpacking and rearranging, particularly of wardrobe space. I don't think I will be doing anything else today!

On the Way Home

2010-05-01T13:01:00.002+03:00

Today I am in Melbourne, but very tired as I came on the 6am flight from Hobart. I had a bad experience at the security at Hobart Airport, they took a pair of scissors from me - but I really didn't know that small ones weren't OK here. The whole thing is so inconsistent, because there were people with water bottles allowed through, which would not be in France. Sigh, I just smiled at the guy and said I hoped Charity needed embroidery scissors when he told me they would be donated to charity.

But when I got to Melbourne, there was a car waiting for me, because I had had the foresight to book one, and the nice driver collected my luggage from the carousel, so that I did not have to touch it at all until it was in my hotel room. And I lucked out on that, because the hotel was not full last night, so they gave me a room at once, and I could shower before going my merry way in Melbourne.

I went to Bustle and Bows in Surrey Hills, then Sunspun in Canterbury, then the Needlepoint (which used to be the other Bustle and Bows) - I did buy a few things, but I have to say I now prefer Des Fils et Une Aiguille (my LNS in Paris). Where I will hasten next Tuesday afternoon after I have done my duty in the office. I will be on a mission to buy as many CHS charts as possible - I heard the sad news that Kathy Barrick is giving up designing. I have so many CHS charts, but there are still some that really I would love to get, many of the earlier ones from before I started to notice them.

Now I have to try and get a good night's sleep before going to the airport tomorrow and catching my plane to Bangkok, Copenhagen and Paris - I'll get home about 6pm on Monday, all being well. Then it's off to the office on Tuesday, I have to see the "work doctor", the occupational health specialist, as we all so once every two years. I'm just hoping I can still walk by then...

Still In Tasmania

2010-04-17T12:34:00.003+03:00

Actually I am counting the days until I can go home again - presently 15! This is probably a good thing, in the light of the airline chaos, I am hoping it will have cleared up by then. I keep hearing from my friends in Europe, who are either stuck somewhere, or paying exorbitant amounts to cross the English Channel. If you can get a Eurostar ticket, it is a minimum of 250 euros one way. There's also a few people in my hotel in Hobart who are stuck, as they should be taking planes home to Europe from Melbourne, but cannot until at least Monday.

But why count the days? Well, partly I am quite bored by what I am doing here, and partly I am homesick. I think Hobart is a very nice place for a couple of days of holiday and sightseeing, but five weeks of it is a big ask when home is Paris, or probably anywhere so far away. Today I wanted to buy some conditioner for my hair, I had run out - and I knew I certainly wouldn't be able to get what I had been using, which was Kiehl's, but I didn't think it would be so hard to get something that I would like. I spent an hour in the city centre and finally got some Greek Apivita from a rather exclusive-looking shop - the price was exclusive-looking as well. Hobart is like Nicosia as far as shops are concerned, I think, with many small expensive shops that I can't see how they make any money. Plus a selection of the usual chain stores. In fact, in my opinion, Hobart and Nicosia have a lot in common, although I am sure the respective citizens would be horrified to think this, so I won't say it aloud in front of any Tasmanians or Cypriots. And if my readers are either, well, reading is at your own risk.

What do I do here? Well, every morning, I wake up, have breakfast etc, and walk up a steep hill to be at work about 8:30am. I have meetings every day at 9am and 1pm, so at 12 noon, I walk down the hill to get lunch, then back up again, and then finally I walk down again at about 6 or 6:30pm, depending upon what I am doing. Then I walk down to get some dinner and back up again. At weekends I walk up and down many hills in order to explore a bit of the centre of Hobart - I've walked all over the centre, Battery Point (where I am staying) and Sandy Bay.

I have visited some nice shops, there is one called "A Stitch in Time" in Sandy Bay Road, a convenient half hour walk from my hotel. I was there last Saturday, and managed to buy some things on sale, a couple of magazines I didn't have, plus a Just Nan kit, also some things that were not on sale, some green "Stitches and Spice" linen, and the Just Nan winter humbug. There is also the Needlewoman shop in Liverpool St in the centre, which is more for patchwork, but has some nice things, and there is another patchwork shop, "Quilted Crow" further up the same street, and that is very nice, lovely wool felt for emboridery, as well as lots of nice fabrics that I can use for finishing.

But let's hope the skies clear up soon and it is safe for flying again - I'm not sure how our expenses people would take a trans-continental taxi ride!

Easter in Tasmania

2010-04-05T06:08:00.002+03:00

Happily I have been allowed to have Friday and Monday off, but not Tuesday, which is also a holiday in Tasmania. At least this means I have got some rest, just not on Saturday motning, when they have a market around the corner, for which they start preparing noisily at 5:30am. I was lying in bed muttering about how in Paris markets could be set up quietly several days a week.... the market itself was fairly interesting, especially the food bits, although I thought the crafts were overhyped in general.

I've been going for walks each day, so feel fit and slimmer, at least with all these hills Tasmania should be good for losing some weight. So far I've walked all around the city centre and as far as Sandy Bay, where there is an embroidery shop, that of course was closed for Easter. At least now I know where it is, so I can go back next week. There is also one in the city centre, but it is mostly for patchwork, with some nice stuff, I may have to stock up on fabrics for backing and making things up. No decent knitting shops yet.

The whole place is quite picturesque, but very small - the others on the project tell me that business hours are short and it can get tedious at weekends, as only tourist places are open, and they can be expensive. So it sounds like a cooler version of Cyprus, in fact..... I am amazed at the prices. Yesterday I had breakfast at one of the cafes, and it was 25 dollars for toast, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, orange juice and coffee, and it wasn't that well made either, the eggs were square!

At work things seem very disorganised to me, and it's difficult to tell exactly what they want me to do. There are only a few other people from my company, and one of our partners, although they do include someone I knew very well about ten years ago, which is nice. And she lives across the road from me as well. I'm kind of hoping they don't need me for longer than a month, though, as I find I am homesick for Paris, and just Europe in general.

Act Justly

2010-04-02T22:19:00.003+03:00

This is it, as finished in Bangkok Airport Royal Silk Lounge....... I'm not sure the colours show too well, they are quite rich in real life, but it is about 6am. I got wakened by the setting up of the Salamanca Market, at least that's what I presume it is, a lot of trucks and sounds like metal poles and so on down the road in Salamanca Place. Will check when it is light.

I've now started on the LHN Nashville Scissor Bed, only put a few stitches into it so far.

Other Side Of The World

2010-03-31T03:51:00.002+03:00

I think I've recovered enough from the jetlag to describe my journey a little - my long journey, goodness, it was long with all those connections, including eight hours in Bangkok airport.

I had sleeper seats from Copenhagen to Bangkok and Bangkok to Melbourne, although they were not as good (or as expensive) as Air New Zealand sleeper seats. However I could at least stretch out and nap a little, so that was something. At Bangkok, I had a shower and sat in the lounge dozing, it was way too complicated to try and find anything else to do. Oddly enough, in the lounge there, they had beer and spirits, as well as regular soft drinks, but no wine. But, in this lounge, I put the last few stitches into my La-D-Da "Act Justly", as I hadn't quite got to them before I left. I now need to unpack the camera, and also whatever new stitching and WIPs I packed. Which I actually cannot remember, as it was all done in a blur. Not sure if there's any needlework shops in Hobart, so any advice will be gratefully received.

At Melbourne, there was the usual chaos - why do they make one lift one's suitcases through a security screener? I haven't been to any other airport that does this, I suspect that other airports do put all the suitcases through something behind the scenes, but it just seems weird making the passengers lift them up to do this after baggage claim. Not to mention that, after a long flight, some of us are not as coordinated as we might be, and drop the suitcase.

Finally I got to Hobart Airport, I was really quite exhausted by this time, and the taxi drive to my hotel seemed really long. I distinguished myself by pulling out 50 euros instead of 50 dollars for the driver. I've since put away all other money, but keep on saying "euros" instead of "dollars".....

The hotel is nice, my room, which is really a studio apartment, is actually bigger than my apartment in Paris. It's right in the centre, near the harbour, and the Salamanca Market, so is conveniently located. I suspect this is an expensive area, judging by how much everything is in the supermarket, athough it is confusing for me, as everything comes in bigger packets than in France.

I had to come to work on Monday, which I told our Resources Manager was cruelty to the aged. I was nearly asleep by 6pm, you can imagine, but yesterday and today have been better. I really, really hope that I get to take the public holidays on Friday and Monday, I need some time where I don't go anywhere and don't have any obligations.

Really Tasmania

2010-03-26T09:14:00.002+02:00

I leave this afternoon at 6pm from CDG, and here I am still in my bed - I suppose it is only 8:30am, but I have lots and lots to do this morning.

Yesterday I came back from Tallinn with four suitcases, which was not great fun, although when I got home, there was a delivery man in the foyer, and he offered to carry them upstairs for me. Really nice guy, I gave him 20 euros, because it is four flights and they were heavy, and he tried to tell me that was too much. But he was just the right person sent at the right time for me. I had had a hellish ride from the airport, the taxi driver was screaming into his cellphone in Vietnamese (I think) all the way, and we nearly crashed into another car at one point. Then he dumped the bags right in front of the front door, so it was very difficult to open it and drove off, after taking 60 euros from me. So Mr Delivery Man was sent from heaven after that.

Now I am going to get up, do packing, tidy apartment, go to the bank and the pharmacy, then in the afternoon, off to CDG again to catch my flight to Copenhagen, so I can be on the late flight to Bangkok and Melbourne! Such fun.....

Completely Disoriented

2010-03-19T14:02:00.003+02:00

Things are quite, quite mad here - which is Paris until Sunday, then Tallinn until Thursday, then probably off to Tasmania on Friday. I say probably because of course we are still waiting for a signed contract plus approval for my airfare. Meanwhile I am going mad trying to decide what to pack, as I have no idea what the weather in Tasmania will be like, plus stressing about the flight, because we all know how much I love flying - not!!! One of my colleagues yesterday gave my manager a rather good description of sitting next to me on the Easyjet flights to Belfast, which I endured twice a week for eight months. I hoped it might make them change their minds about sending me, but no luck so far.

My readers are correct in thinking this whole thing is quite crazy. I don't think I could go much further from Tallinn than Tasmania, and I love the phrase from Kathryn's Mum, "from the sublime to the corblimey"! Apparently there is an urgent short-term need there, and of course I don't need a work permit, so that makes it feasible. I am still being told by all my colleagues how lucky I am, and how they want to go! And now I am also being told my my sister that I really must come to New Zealand while I am there, which is neither cheap nor quick from Tasmania, given that there appear to be no international flights from Hobart. I am actually going to turn the tables and suggest she come to Tasmania instead, thank you again, Kathryn, but I am fairly sure that there will be a lot of reasons why she can't....

By the way, our Special Snowflake thinks people who don't like flying are silly - I think she means me again! Whereas I tend to think anyone who likes sitting inside a giant tin can wedged against strangers is silly, it's really not my sort of thing. It's actually really funny, there is another guy from work who is going on holiday to Thailand about the same time as I am leaving for Hobart, and he is so looking forward to his flight - he has a really cheap flight and is only taking a small cabin-sized backpack for a month's holiday, and the whole idea makes me shudder, but then he is at least twenty years younger than I am, and I am sure that he doesn't have to worry about whether his knees will ever work properly again. This is the thing about Snowflake, she assumes that everyone is like her, without thinking that people's situations may be different.

With all this stress I have not been stitching much, except on the plane on Wednesday, when a nice flight attendant admired my very nearly finished La-D-Da "Act Justly". This one WILL get finished pre-Tasmania, because I have a few things from Nashville that have arrived and cheered up an otherwise horrid week. I will take some photos when I can, some things are quite nice, I am very taken with the LHN pin bed and pillow, which I think may be the first start of the bunch. By the way, "Mrs Waddelow" is recommended to be done in one strand of reversible cross-stitch, that could be interesting!

Monday Again

2010-03-15T20:34:00.002+02:00

I've spent the weekend packing things, and not sleeping well. Also I spent three hours on Saturday on our corporate travel site trying to book a ticket to Hobart, this was just such fun, since every time I put in "Hobart", the answer was something like 5000 euros via Katmandu. I have ended up, I hope, with a ticket for Melbourne, so I have to brave the site again to get a Melbourne to Hobart return. Honestly I'm not sure how they expect us to do long-haul stuff on a website that is weird at the best of times.

Of course I still don't know where I am staying or what I shall be doing there.... I've sent off emails about these things, but answer comes there none, hence the not sleeping well.

On Wednesday I'm going home for a few days, to try and sort out a few things, and get a head start on packing for Hobart. I really, really hope my Nashville package is there, that will be the one positive note in the whole thing. I was talking to David earlier, and telling him that I was rather annoyed and disorientated about all of this, and unusually for him, he said he didn't blame me. He tends to try and make me see the funny side of things, but Tasmania for a month at short notice defeated even him.

Such Fun

2010-03-12T22:18:00.002+02:00

Well, it started snowing again today - after a thaw, so the footpaths are nice and icy. Great, I loved going out to dinner tonight in that weather. Mind you, I have consumed prawn cakes, chicken curry and naan bread, plus rather a lot of NZ Sauvignon Blanc.

And remember the idea that I should go and work in Australia for a while? Well, what do you think about Hobart for the whole of April. Which means I leave Paris on 26th March - two weeks today!!! Apparently there is some crisis there....... it means that (as of now, it could all change tomorrow), I have to leave here on a Thursday, spend twenty four hours at home, then get on a plane for Singapore, Melbourne and Hobart on the Friday night, arriving in Hobart on Sunday morning. Before then, I have to go home next week for a couple of days, as I have to do a few things, like go to the doctor, the bank manager and the hairdresser, so basically I may as well take up residence at the airport.

This has all happened over the last twenty four hours, so little wonder that I am slightly disorientated at present. This will be my last weekend in Tallinn, so I have to do a little shopping, plus a lot of packing.

I suppose there are some bright spots, on my credit card I noticed a charge for my Nashville purchases, so they will arrive home before I leave. And I am making a lrge list for Singapore duty-free.

Visite A La Campagne

2010-03-06T20:37:00.004+02:00

I have made some progress with my La-D-Da WIP:

Even though I had two days this week when I did none, because I went for an overnight visit to my friend Roddy, who was at his French home near Saumur this week. Saumur is in the Loire, so naturally has a castle:

But Roddy's place is outside, not even in a village, but in a hamlet of about ten farmhouses. He doesn't have land, apart from a reasonably sized garden, but there are fields around and we met the farmer and some other neighbours, who are all lovely. There was another person there from our team at work as well, he's actually had the week off and was staying with Roddy all week. I caught the train down there, it's only 2 and a half hours, on Wednesday morning, and we did sightseeing and shopping - because the neighbours were invited to dinner and we were cooking. It was a lovely evening, very late, but we all slept in, and then went for a long walk on Thursday. I was home again about 9pm on Thursday, so it really was a flying visit. The weather down there was great, although windy, so I felt quite refreshed by the excursion.

Yesterday and today I've done some shopping, off to Modes et Travaux for some linen and DMC threads, and today to Muji for yet more storage boxes. It's off to Tallinn again on Monday for my final month there.

Spring in Paris

2010-03-01T16:00:00.002+02:00

Well, today is beautiful, the sun is shining and it's warm, no rain so far at all. You wouldn't think there had been a storm at all - but sadly nearly 50 people were killed, mostly on the west coast of France, where it was very bad indeed. We were very lucky in the Paris area, from what I saw on television. There were trees down, including some at Versailles, but nothing like the storm of 1999-2000 when the park at Versailles was terribly damaged, as well as many other forests in the region.

I've been to the office to do my expenses cutting and gluing (I'm actually a week late with this, but I tend to spend my time in Tallinn working!), then left immediately afterwards, as the only other person there was Sylvain, who depresses me, and I don't want to be depressed. It's nearly the end of my working day now - when I'm at home, I try to stop at 5pm Tallinn time, since I always check my email when I wake up , which is 7am or earlier. It's worth doing that, to get a headstart on the day, and to know whether I'm going to be able to finish early and take advantage of the lengthening days. The weather is so much better than last time I was home, and I've already been able to walk around quite a bit, without freezing to death or being rained or snowed on.

Time to go and do a bit of work, then get the stitching out!

Getting Out The WIPS

2010-02-28T12:43:00.004+02:00

I had a nice birthday trip from Tallinn to Paris on Friday - it was punctuated by various texts and phone calls throughout the day. I was sitting in Stockholm airport waiting to board when David called me to sing happy birthday in a variety of voices. I was laughing out loud in the airport, people must have thought I was crazy! I had upgraded myself for the Stockholm to Paris leg, so it was a good trip, especially as the plane was totally full.

Since I am bringing stuff back from Tallinn on these last trips, I had a full suitcase too, and it was fun bringing that up the stairs - but I managed, which is a good indication that I am feeling fairly strong these days. I don't think I could have done that so easily a year ago. Yesterday I was tired, though - I slept in the afternoon for three hours, but then got up and did quite a few things, including hauling out the "travelling" bag of stitching, to work out what I should finish before my Nashville haul arrives. I spent last evening working on this:
It's from La-D-Da, one of my favourite designers, and I am aiming to finish it this week. It's on 32 count "country" linen from Zweigart, this is the sort of mottled linen, which I like very much. There are a few other small pieces in this bag that I have to get out and finish, you'll see them over the next little while, I hope. It's great, I suddenly feel like forging ahead with my stitching again - last year was a write-off really for stitching, sometimes there is a year like that. 2009 was not great all round, but 2010 should be better, I hope.

Today we have the "Big Storm" that is sweeping Europe, it seemed to start here about 5am, and there was rain for a time, but that seems to have stopped, and we are just getting gusts of wind, which is supposed to be up to 100 kilometers an hour. I think it will pass by late afternoon, and it is supposed to stop somewhere near Denmark tomorrow. The Bristish papers are saying that there will be five days of rain and high winds over the UK, I assume that must be a different bit of weather, because so far our one has not been too dreadful, at least in Paris.

I'm now going to look at some more Nashville releases, and may be tempted........ then back to the stitching.

A Little Bit of Snow

2010-02-25T10:27:00.004+02:00

This fairly bleak view is from my office window, which is just over the front entrance of our building, so that you can see the small path in the snow that we use to get to the front steps. If we are lucky, our taxi will be able to stop by the red marker, otherwise we have to get around other cars and find the path somehow.

It really has snowed for the past week until today when suddenly we had sunshine, and I spent most of the weekend inside, plus yesterday which was a public holiday here. I had gone to Joller knitting wool shop in the Old Town to buy some Estonian wool on Saturday, in preparation for my forthcoming departure from Tallinn, and I spent some of yesterday winding 800 meters of wool from a skein into a rather large ball.

It's been a very quiet week, since there have only been two or three people from our team here, no Snowflakes or anyone noisy like that. She and her entourage departed before the weekend, so there have been several days of no shrieking or tea leaves (that's the latest, tea drinking about ten times a day is incredibly fashionable, and it has to be made with loose leaves - of exotic blends found only in one shop in Paris that imports them from Outer Mongolia and sells them only to people who know where to find it - whose soggy remains you then leave sitting around the office for hours).

Some Birthday Treats

2010-02-22T09:27:00.006+02:00

Since it is my birthday at the end of February, Nashville Needlework Fair is very well timed! This year, I have ordered Mrs Waddelow's Huswife:

And from Exemplars from the Heart, this one about Philomena who lost her tongue (a problem I never have!):

And, most indulgently, a new Goode Huswife book, with Quaker samplers, I am really looking forward to getting this:

Plus a few other odds and ends, new GAST threads and so on. They won't arrive for a while obviously, but it will be fun looking forward to them, which is good, because there isn't much fun around lately, just a lot of snow.

It snowed all weekend, more or less, and was down to minus 15 on Saturday, with a very cold wind. I went out for about an hour, but that was enough. The only other person from our project who was here at the weekend was Sasha, and he didn't set foot outside his hotel, he told me. We are the only two in our room today, and for the rest of the week, which may make it a better week than last week. Snowflake and her cronies made so much noise all week that I went home with a headache every night. I have to say that their normal conversation is like something out of a teen soapie, I try to tune it out, but the volume can be horrific.

We also unfortunately have a guy back who was here temporarily last year - although, thank goodness, he is on the other project now, not on ours - the one who used to yap on all the time about football or cellphone operating systems and other equally fascinating subjects. At least I don't have to be in the same room as he is this time, although he did come and sit at the same table one lunchtime last week and he is on the bus home in the evenings. Even if he sits at the other end, I can still hear him droning on at whoever is sitting next to him. He told me once that, if he is on a plane at night and the person next to him is asleep, he goes and talks to the flight attendants - poor things, they can't pretend to be asleep, I bet they wish they could!

I also haven't heard anything about what I am doing after Tallinn, so that is mildly stressful, but I am trying not to think about it, as there is nothing I can do about it at all. I have been watching Winter Olympics and Tartu Ski Marathon as a way of keeping my mind off things, and that is relatively successful.

Shawl for Polar Climates

2010-02-13T13:48:00.006+02:00

I've been struggling to get a half-way decent photo of my "Citron" shawl, but this one shows the colours fairly well, I think:

It's made with 2 skeins of Rowan Kidsilk Haze and one and a half skeins of Noro Kureyon Sock yarn, which is rather different from what the pattern called for, but this is the polar version of the Citron shawl - I could see myself doing a tropical version in silk, actually, but this seemed more suited to the Tallinn winter. It is actually very warm, I had it over my shoulders in bed last night after I finished darning in the (very few) ends.

It is freezing here again today, -3 and no sign of getting any warmer in the afternoon. I'm almost looking forward to the Tallinn weather, it's probably not much colder, and the shops are just downstairs instead of around the corner! I have to say I need a holiday somewhere warm, and I am definitely having one if I have to go to Australia in winter. This is by no means certain, and it would only be for three months, but of course it will be Melbourne in the winter. Great. Of course everyone in the team who has not been to Australia thinks it is wonderful and is highly envious that I may do this. It would actually be interesting for some of them to go there, it's really not at all like they think it is. Not that I have anything against Australia per se, but I did choose to move to Europe for a number of reasons - better public transport, more cultural activities, chances to improve foreign languages, more opportunities for travel etc, to name a few. It wouldn't even be cricket season when I was there! The others seem to think there would be opportunities for surfing every day after work - I just smiled, and said, yes, they could take their pet kangaroos to the beach as well....

And just think of the longhaul flights in economy class - we have to fly economy for work, every time you see me writing that I was in business class, I used points for this or even paid for an upgrade, and I'm not sure either is possible for a long flight. We have a rather disapproving and negative American colleague, who always says I am spoilt (and naive), maybe this is true? Mind you, this guy says Alec is inflexible, David is arrogant and Nicky is not too bright, so normally I do not believe a word he says.

Well, I guess I should stop moaning and go and do something more practical!

Stitching Finish

2010-02-12T11:57:00.004+02:00

Here is the Loose Feathers needlebook, sitting ready to be assembled, with its print lining and the wool for the needlebook pages:

The wool was a find at Fete de l'Aiguille, which I went to yesterday morning, and it's a great match for the red thread in the stitching. It came from a quilt store from the Netherlands which had a stall there. So funny, the lady there was telling me in inexpert French the prices, and I was asking in slightly more expert French, and then we just looked at each other and laughed, and said, well, we probably should be speaking English!

I had a good time, but heavens it was cold, and getting there was fun. Not the metro, that was easy, but from the metro to the Grande Halle de la Villette, there was icy snow on the ground:

Where the red arrow is is the entrance, and you had to walk along there on the ice! Fortunately I was wearing my Tallinn boots, so I didn't slip too much. I was fairly early and managed to whizz around everything before the real crowds started arriving, and when I came out, this path was total slush, with the number of people who were beginning to arrive. Good thing I was not wearing shoes.

Apart from the wool, I bought some patchwork fabric, some felt, a pair of bag handles and two charts - Eiffel Tower Quaker and a heart-shaped stitcher's pocket from Drawn Thread. These two were from De Fil En Aiguille, my favourite shop, and I saw the nice lady from there who knows me. I some some lovely things I would have liked to buy, but moderation, since Nashville is coming up!

On the way back it was snowing madly, nasty sleety sort of snow. In the middle of that, I got a phone call from my project director, who told me that I will be finishing in Tallinn at the end of March. Which wasn't too much of a surprise, I had expected it would be either March or June. They are keeping only four of our team until they can go live, which will be when the other project - for a system that interfaces with ours - is finished. Of course, they wanted us all to stay, but that's not possible, so they are keeping the people who deal with the areas where there could be complications, or further things that need to be done. I guess I should be happy that they think my stuff will not have problems.

So, from April, I don't know where I shall be.......... there is actually a possibility of Australia, I believe, but who knows?

Backwards and Forwards

2010-02-10T11:46:00.004+02:00

I seem to go back and forth between Paris and Tallinn more often this year, or maybe I am just so bored with planes that the travel looms larger in my life? At any rate, I am in Paris this week, working from home, and wishing I had company. I have had only various UPS and Fedex guys at the door, to deliver things, including my new Kindle, yes, i finally succumbed and bought one. The price is attractive when converted into euros, and delivery is less than a week. I think I ordered on Thursday, and it was delivered Tuesday, and would have been delivered Monday, if I had not gone to the office all day.

It was a jolly good thing I went to the office on Monday, because it has been the only decent day this week. It is currently -1, at nearly midday, and yesterday it snowed about this time. Ah yes, I just looked out the window and guess what? Snow again, right on time, and I think heavier than yesterday. Tomorrow I have to go across town to see a doctor, and after that I am hoping to reward myself with a trip to Fete de l'Aiguille, since it is the first time in about three years I have been in Paris when that is on. I don't plan to buy a lot of things, given that I have just bought a Kindle and that Nashville market is coming up, and there are a few must-haves there.

I still cannot find my camera battery charger, it didn't seem to be in Tallinn, which really makes me wonder what I have done with it. I have been experimenting with using the phone camera, and here is a photo of my Miss Marple shawl that I have been wearing constantly this winter:

It isn't too awful a photo, considering my own limitations as a photographer, I think, and it does show the colours really quite well. I think I'll persevere and photograph the backlog of projects with the phone, watch out for more!

A Week In Paris

2010-01-30T13:55:00.002+02:00

I've spent this week working at home, in my apartment in Paris - I don't especially like working at home, I like a change of scene from time to time, but I think I'm in the minority, since everyone else on my project would rather work at home than not, it seems. I tend to miss my colleagues and the clients, and I always forget to buy lunch food and have to go out and get a salad or something. This week going out has not been much of a pleasure, it has been extremely cold and windy, below zero each morning, and with snow often at night. I've had the heater up very high, which is unusual for me.

When I work at home, I always think I am going to get lots of other things done, but it almost never works like that. If anything, I tend to overwork a bit, and this week was no exception, I've been advising on configuration problems from afar. I have finished the stitching on my Blackbird Designs needlebook from the Loose Feathers series, and of course my camera battery is flat and the charger is in Tallinn! Which is a shame, as I have the nicest matching fabric for the backing. Cannot find the iron-on stiffening at all, though, and I know it has to be here somewhere! I think I'll have to excavate a large basket of sewing materials this afternoon, it may be in there. Sometimes it is annoying having a small flat with not much storage space, and you wouldn't think it would be difficult to find things, but it is.

I go back to Tallinn for on Monday, but only for a week before another week at home, and then back again for two weeks. But I don't know how much longer I will be there, as some people will leave the project in March, and we don't yet know who. I could be one of them, as there is work in France apparently and I am one of the small number of French speakers (a propos of which, my landlady called the other day, and among other things remarked how much my French has improved, she hasn't spoken to me for about two years, so it's noticeable for her, I guess). When I next spend a weekend in Tallinn, I will buy lots of Estonian yarn, some linen and lots of candles and soaps from Joik, which is my total favourite Estonian product. I sent some to my sister for Christmas, and she loved them too.

In fact I am a bit nervous about working in France again, after what happened last time... but I guess I just have to hope that there are no weird people at this client. Apparently after I left the other one, it was realised that the woman there was practically psychopathic, and things did get better for the others, but it was too late for me. I still shudder to think of the screaming and the four hour meetings with no breaks. I did hear that a lot of the permanent staff there had left and I can understand why.

Homeward Bound, Almost

2010-01-22T13:40:00.003+02:00

I'm going home tomorrow for a week, and I have to say I am ecstatic, since the temperature in Paris is 5 degrees and in Tallinn it is normally about -15, sometimes even colder. Someone told me they were expecting -30 over the weekend, but I don't know if this is wild exaggeration or what. Anyway only one more sleep and I will be on my plane to Copenhagen and then another one to Paris.

This week has not been particularly great from a work point of view either, and it has been a bit of a struggle to keep on an even keel, since there are again many people in the room, and quite a few of them have no concept of how to behave in public, it seems. If I had one euro for every time people had not closed the door properly and left it rattling, I would be extremely rich. I wish Alec were here, he's rather good at getting people to close doors properly, they just don't dare not to. Also they don't dare to drivel on the way a couple of people have been doing today, it's so silly, some of the conversation here, that I can't possibly give an idea of it.

I'm going to try knitting on planes again tomorrow, as well, since I got a Knitpro needle set for Christmas (pink!!!) and the tips detach, so they can go in my pencil case and pretend to be pencils. I'm halfway through the Citron shawl, and I want to get it finished, so I can say that is one out of ten. Mine is from that excellent combination of Noro Kureyon sock yarn plus Rowan Kidsilk Haze in heathery mauves and greens, and I would really like to have it round my neck - I am wearing my Miss Marple every day, so a change would be nice. I also have yarn from the shop in Murivahe opposite the knitwear market by the Tallinn walls for the next shawl, which is Revontuli.

I have been doing a bit of stitching this week, also, but no great progress to report, I hope that will change by the time I come back. There's a fair bit to do at home, also work of course, but let us hope for progress!

Tallinn Again

2010-01-17T16:53:00.004+02:00

This is the park next door to my apartment building in the centre of Tallinn. As you see, there is a great deal of snow here in comparison with the UK... I have to say the trees look lovely with the snow on their branches.

It's certainly a lot livelier here than Reading was in the snow, all the shops are open for one thing. I'm finding it a good deal easier to get around than last winter - I have my boots, which are quite good for walking on slippery bits and also I know where things are now, instead of just having to walk out into the white wilderness and find where I am going. The weather has actually been good since I got back, with very little wind or other unpleasantness, and we can see the days getting longer, a few minutes each day, which is good news.

I haven't been going out a lot, other than to work, but I did go for a bit of a walk yesterday, the Old Town looks so beautiful with snow, but parts of it are pretty hard for walking. I'll have to be braver the next time I am here for a weekend!

Snow!

2010-01-09T12:02:00.003+02:00

Yes, in Reading we were snowed in at the hotel - view from my room:

This is the very centre of Reading, the hotel is between the railway station and the main shopping street. Our office is outside the town in a business park where it is necessary to take a bus, and on Wednesday that bus stopped running! So we asked the hotel for a meeting room, fortunately they had one spare, and we spent the rest of the week there. Most of the shops in Reading were closed, so it was a good thing I had gone to John Lewis and WH Smith on the Sunday afternoon when I arrived - at least I had something to read, and I also bought some Debbie Bliss Donegal Tweed that was on sale. £5.95 per 100 grams, it would be twice that in France, and they certainly would not have had 20 skeins of gorgeous purple flecked colour here. It's going to turn into a tweedy jacket, ideal for spring in Tallinn.

I was slightly nervous about getting back, aince Eurostar had problems again, but I turned up early at St Pancras, and they put me on the next train, so I got home a bit earlier than I was scheduled to, even though the train stopped at Ashford for technical reasons and also at Calais, to let people off. St Pancras did not seem to be as shambolic as it was shown on tv the day before, they were well organised, putting colour-coded stickers on people's tickets, and just announcing "Red train to Paris boarding now", "Green train to Brussels" and so on. The only thing was that there was no bread with meals, they hadn't been able to get any, but they were showering us with chocolates and champagne, so everyone was quite happy.

The tv reports and the newspapers in the UK were treating the snow as a national disaster, so much so that I had email from my sister saying that my mother had rung to find out if she had heard from me, or was I stranded somewhere. So I called Mummy last night to tell her that it was all much exaggerated in my opinion, and everyone should have been out shovelling instead of sitting inside moaning about the weather. Tallinn would be shut for six months a year if the same sort of behaviour prevailed there.

In Paris today, in fact we have snow, which seems to have started falling overnight and is still doing so - it is pretty quiet, but I expect that buses and so on are running, at least inside the city, there may be some perturbations in the suburbs. I am off to the hairdressers after I've had something to eat, and I may look in at Le Bon Marche to see if there's anything nice on sale (memo to self, do NOT NEED any more handbags), but that will be the extent of my deplacements for the day.

2010 - Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T11:21:00.004+02:00

A little belated, since yesterday all I did was sit here and listen to a Ruth Rendell book and feel cold - it is below zero here. I did nothing on New Year's Eve either, as again it was cold and extremely foggy, so not conducive to going out. I hope you all had a slightly more exciting time, however.

During the day on New Year's Eve, I went to the office to do a load of expenses, of course there was no-one there, so it was quiet and peaceful. I also took the opportunity to call my bank and open a new savings account, as it is part of my New Years resolutions to save more this year. In France we have rather a strange system of savings accounts, there are different types, with different tax rules and restrictions on how much you are allowed to have in each. I already have one where you may keep small amounts with quite good tax conditions, the new one is for larger sums and not so good interest, but still good tax conditions. You can only have one of each type, of course.

Apart from that, New Year's resolutions centre mostly on stitching etc this year....... I want to finish the UFOs from last year, there are about five smallish pieces that have been in limbo for a while. I also hauled out my Marquoir de Justine, which has only one stitch in it, literally, and I will work on that, then choose another large piece after that, and so on. That should see some progress. For knitting, I haven't really set any specific goals, except to use up some of my yarn, to which end I joined the 10 Shawls in 2010 group on Ravelry. I'm not at all sure that I can do ten, but there are a number I want to do - Ishbel, Revontuli, Citron - that I have the yarn for and can get on with. I cast on yesterday for an evening shawl in a fancy Katia yarn that I have had for a while. it won't take long, so that is a good one to start with. When I get back to Tallinn - about ten days time - I think it will be Revontuli, as all my Aad Long yarn is there.

Now I should actually get dressed, it is nearly 11am, and I am still sitting here in my pyjamas! Tomorrow I can't do this, or for the foreseeable future, as it is off to the training course this week, then back to Tallinn the week after.

Another Long Train Voyage

2009-12-30T11:49:00.002+02:00

Did I say the journey back to Paris should be trouble-free? Haha. I got to the station at Hyeres on Monday morning and found that the trains as far as Toulon were cancelled, because of what the French call a "mouvement social" - I personally call it an anti-social movement, because I think strikes are anti-social. Anyway the woman at the ticket office assured me that from Toulon there would be trains, so I got on the bus from Hyeres to Toulon, which took nearly an hour, but represented good value for money, as it was only 1.40 € and quite scenic.

At Toulon, there were trains, and I got on one for Marseille that stopped every station, again this was more scenic than the TGV would have been. At Marseille I had quite a wait for my train, but at least I got there in time, it would have been bad to miss it, because all the trains were fully booked. At least I arrived home at the scheduled time, although pretty tired because of lugging my case - now heavier with some algae bath products - on and off buses and trains, and finally up my four flights of stairs.

Yesterday, I overdid it madly, went to the bank at La Defense, tried to go to La Droguerie (gave up because the queue was enormous), went to Des Fils Et Une Aiguille and to Le Bon Marche and the supermarket. I was exhausted, and today I am still in my pyjamas at 11am - although thinking about getting out of bed and tackling the washing mountain.... I need to get back to normal and start preparing for 2010. 2009 has been a strange year, where I've been busy, but not accomplished much (certainly not on the stitching front), so I need to make some lists and set some goals for 2010. More of that later!

Christmas Holiday

2009-12-27T21:52:00.002+02:00

I've been in the south of France since last Monday, at Hyeres, to be exact, this is between Toulon and Nice.......... I came on the TGV, and had another delayed journey, the train was for 10:15, but we eventually pulled out of Gare de Lyon at midday. I'd spent a couple of hours sitting inside Gare de Lyon with snowflakes falling around me, clearly their roof has holes somewhere. And the place was so crowded that I couldn't get into the shops to buy a sandwich and a magazine. Which was a shame, as there was an enormous queue for the bar car on the train - I watched when people went and came back, and it was a good 45 minutes to get served.

The train was packed, of course....... one really strange thing, though, I was wearing my Miss Marple shawl (which has been a lifesaver the last week or so) and just opposite me, there was another woman wearing hers!

By the time I got to Hyeres, we had got past the snow which was supposedly causing the delays (I couldn't see why, it didn't seem unusual to me, but my views on snow may have changed since I spent so much time in Tallinn), and there was only rain instead. Heavy, beating rain, the likes of which I have only seen in Bangkok in the rainy season. And Hyeres apparently has only one taxi and the line to wait for it is not under cover. I was quite wet by the time I got to this hotel, and dinner wasn't for an hour! I should have arrived at Hyeres Station at about 2:45 in the afternoon, but it was 6pm or so by the time I got there...... the taxi actually seemed to be driving through water, which was slightly alarming.

I'd love to say the weather improved and the week has been fine and sunny, but unfortunately it has rained most of the week, and the rest has been windy, about hurricane force, I think. What I can't understand is why there are still flamingos en masse in the wetlands opposite the hotel. If I were them, I would have flown off to Africa long before now.

But the point of the holiday was the thalassotherapy, and that has been great. Four treatments a day, either morning or afternoon, and the rest of the time I've just been eating or resting with a book and some knitting. One of the daily treatments is water aerobics in a poll with powerful jets, and I thought I would hate this, as it is with other people, whom one doesn't know, but it was actually rather a highlight, as I found I could lift my leg further out of the water than anyone else. The other treatments are a mixture of wraps in algae, massages and therapeutic showers and baths. I feel quite a lot better after all of this, and it has been quite good for my psoriasis (which is not terribly bad, but can be uncomfortable sometimes). Psoriasis is the only skin disease that you are allowed to go to thalassotherapy with, and I had to get a letter from the doctor about it. One of these days I'll get myself to the Dead Sea, that is supposed to be the best place for psoriasis, and in fact a Danish friend who has it very badly was prescribed a cure there - it did wonders for her.

My last thalasso session was this morning - water jet aerobics, an aromatonic shower, a massage bath and an algae wrap - and I actually slept for a couple of hours this afternoon after that. I have to say my skin feels soft after all the sea water, and I'm pretty sure my thighs and my backside are rather firmer after all the water aerobics and jets of water that have been directed at them the past few days. I would have liked to go out and walk a bit as well, but the weather has made that pretty much impossible.

Back to Paris tomorrow, and I think the trains are running normally again, so it should only be about four and a half hours, as opposed to all day horror. I've got a mountain of things to do before next Sunday, when I am off to the UK for a training course (what are they going to train you to do? asked my mother, sounding very worried).

Home Again

2009-12-19T22:24:00.002+02:00

I have been really hanging out to get home again for Christmas, and yesterday I finally made it, but it was a twelve hour journey instead of the normal eight or so. First the plane from Tallinn was delayed an hour, and of course there was some man doing his nut at the steward about how important he was and he couldn't miss his connection from Copenhagen etc etc. I could have told him that would be late as well, given that the reason we were late was that the incoming plane from Copenhagen was late. Anyway, when we got to Copenhagen, there is Air Force One sitting there, surrounded by tanks. That would make me nervous, but I expect Barack Obama is used to it.

And in Copenhagen, I looked to see where my plane was leaving from, and it said it was five minutes late i.e. leaving in twenty minutes, but no gate. Hmm, I thought, more than five minutes late then. We finally left three hours late, and it was packed, I had to sit next to a guy who had no concept of personal space. Then when we had practically landed at CDG, we had to go up again suddenly (the pilot explained straight away that it was because we were too close to another plane) and of course I screamed, the guy got a real fright.

When I got to the baggage carousel, who should I see there but Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark, together with baby Prince Henrik and the dog! I knew there was someone important on board because there was a car beside the plane, but they boarded last and I was just a little too far back to see who it was. Last I saw of them Prince Joachim was looking at the baggage carousel with a worried expression, I hope it did turn up, nothing would surprise me. I just heard that my colleague Giulia's luggage got lost again yesterday on route from Tallinn to Rome, it's only about the fourth time. Another colleague was stuck at Schiphol for hours, but no-one was on Eurostar, thank goodness, that's a mess. I'm hoping it is sorted out by 3 January, when I have to take it, I have to go on a course for a week in the UK.

Now in Paris, it is about minus 5, which is unusually cold for this time of year, and there has been snow - I'm watching the weather forecast with attention, as I am going to the south of France on Monday for a week. It has got to be warmer than Tallinn! I was worried I was getting a cold, because Snowflake has been coughing madly all week and started nose-blowing every three seconds on Wednesday. This was a cause for concern, because there was one guy from the other project that actually has been in quarantine for swine flu all week, and he is one of the Snowflake drinking crowd. Yesterday I felt light-headed, but I think it was just the cold outside and in the airport, then the strain of the journey. And today I had sore arms, but that would have just been carrying my suitcase up four flights, it was pretty heavy. Since I've turned the heater on and warmed up the place, I feel better for sure. All I've got to do now is pack tomorrow, then go to Gare de Lyon on Monday, print out my ticket and get on the train.

A Long Gap

2009-12-03T13:54:00.003+02:00

I haven't posted for a while, I've been rather busy with work, as we had a deadline at the end of last week. This week has been rather scrappy, but I've been going home tired at the end of every day, as we have been in a very small room for three weeks now, and we have sometimes eight people in here, around a table that is not big enough. And the room barely contains the table and chairs, there is no space left when we are sitting down. I am very much hoping we will not be in this room next week.

There are various tensions here at present, since the Snowflake is one of the eight people, and two others are young women that think she is wonderful and agree with everything she says and does. I read a rather nice book recently called "How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World", Audrey and Paris, respectively, of course. In my opinion, they are all what this book calls "silly girls", who do not realise yet that saying four letter words every three seconds and coming to work in the clothes that you were wearing the night before is unlikely to lead to a fulfilling career etc etc. Although I did have to laugh, one of them was proposing that our group Christmas party be fancy-dress. I told this to David, who said, oh she can wear what she wears to the office then.

Tomorrow I am going to Copenhagen, on the 1pm plane, hooray, and I am staying there for two nights, going to Paris on Sunday, staying there for two nights, and coming back here, until the 18th December, when I am going home for Christmas, double hooray!! I have to saying I am longing for the Christmas holidays, I cannot wait to get away from some of these people, there is far too much closeness in this room.

Plans for Copenhagen include Christmas shopping and going to the Christmas market in Tivoli - I went to the Tallinn Christmas market last weekend and enjoyed that a lot, as well. Lovely lambskin mittens that I have recommended the whole group buy, they are so warm.

A Boring Week

2009-11-19T09:46:00.002+02:00

We have a deadline tomorrow, so this week and most of last week has been spent testing things and dealing with errors. Plus lots more new people (not from our company, in general, but from companies who are helping our client with other parts of this project) have fronted up to ask me questions about things that I have got no idea why they are asking me or why they want to know in the first place.

Also we are in a new room, which is right by the lobby door in this building, since our usual room has been taken over for a training course. This room is very small, and we have seven people in it, mercifully not the Snowflake, who has not fronted this week. If she comes back next week, I may have to be ill or something and stay home. I am going to miss one day next week anyway, because I'm going home for the weekend and not flying back until Monday evening.

I think the only exciting thing I have done this week is to book my Christmas holiday, I've decided to go to thalassotherapy at Hyeres in the south of France for a week, because it must be warmer than Tallinn and probably warmer than Paris, and I can go there by train, and not by some horrible crowded plane. I mean, the train may be crowded anyway, but there are not all the other attendant horrors of the airport etc. I have not been to Hyeres before, so hopefully it is nice even in winter. I did think of going to Spain for thalasso, but it's impossible to find anything open that is reasonably priced. All the reasonable thalasso deals are either in France, or else in Morocco or Tunisia, which involves the whole airport thing, and thus cancels out the relaxing effect of the thalassotherapy!

Oh, I have to go............ someone has come in and said they have an error message that mentions the word "person", so of course it is I that has to look at it. I bet it is nothing to do with any of my customisations, but the word "person" is the trigger.

Tallinn Again - This Time With Snow

2009-11-11T13:47:00.004+02:00

I got back here on Saturday night to find that the city was covered in snow, from a big snow fall on Friday. Yesterday we also had snow throughout the day, but now it seems to have stopped. I wonder if we will see clear streets again before April? Although a lot has melted, there are mini-piles of snow in places, and I have a feeling that these will become maxi-piles before too much longer.

Our dear Snowflake has gone home for a few days, which is extremely good, as far as I am concerned, because on Monday she distinguished herself by proclaiming loudly that knitting was "******* boring". She knows how to do it, of course (since actually she knows EVERYTHING), but doesn't actually do so because of this. I just ignored her, and pretend now that I am extremely deaf whenever she is around. After all, I am the one who has a constant supply of warm new scarves to wear - I now have both a Miss Marple and a Just Enough Ruffles, which I will post photos of when I sort out the camera battery (again! I don't know why it decharges practically every week).

We do have a couple of extra people here at present - one of them managed to poison himself somehow at a Russian restaurant last night, and has spent most of the day in the bathroom, while the other has been suffering from extreme jetlag and is presently asleep in the corner of our office wrapped in a shearling-lined coat. I don't think some of our colleagues are as hardy as we old-timers who are veterans of last winter in Tallinn!!

And just a note for Kadri - yes, I'm Allyparis on Ravelry. And I like Tallinn, for the history and the knitting, but I sometimes moan about the cold and the dark.

Working at Home

2009-11-03T17:55:00.002+02:00

I've decided I hate working at home! I find myself talking to the potplants, as there is no-one else here. I have to go out in the middle of the day when it is still light and hopefully not raining or else go bonkers.

Yesterday I did go to Des Fils et Une Aiguille and did NOT find Joyeux Noel sadly, but I did find the pink breast cancer scissors from Kelmscott. Also went to Ulla Popken and bought six vests (caracos, as they are called in French), first time for years I've even thought of wearing these, but necessary in Tallinn, I think, plus a fleece jacket, a cardigan and a tenue d'interieur, which is fancy velvet pyjamas for wearing at home at the weekends. I'm wearing the top part of these now, having put them on this morning, then exchanged the bottom half for jeans to go out in.

Today I went to visit a cafe called L'Oisivethe, quite a long way from my place, it's in the 13th. They sell yarn as well as food - I had lunch, which was two boiled eggs with bread fingers, ham and salad, then a coffee with cookie, icecream and fruit, and I bought two skeins of yarn to make a ruffled scarf. I'm into ruffles at the moment, having finished the ruffled Miss Marple shawl.

Tomorrow I may go to the office, I have this heap of receipts, so I think they owe me money.... sigh, all that gluing, I hate glue, I always manage to get it over everything.

Paris Again

2009-11-01T18:14:00.002+02:00

I'm here for a whole week, until next Saturday! And I had a perfect trip down here yesterday - perfect means the planes were on time, my bag arrived as well, plus there was no turbulence or other disturbance en route. In fact, on both planes I had an entire row to myself, so sat in the middle seat and spread myself out.

It is much warmer here, about 15 degrees, although it has been raining and heavy rain is forecast for the next two days. I have a mountain of shopping to do - I really want to buy some boots. Something practical, Giulia turned up last week with cream suede embroidered ones, they are beautiful, however good thing it has not rained too much, they will be useless when real winter starts, a single walk from the car park to the front door would ruin them. Suzette has coffee-coloured suede, also impractical, and Snowflake has stiletto black patent leather with bondage-looking zips everywhere. I'm looking more for dark brown calf-length ones with fur insides, for outdoor wear, with soles that will be ok on ice and definitely leather, so I can weatherproof them. I wouldn't say it's not important what they look like, but they probably will not be a fashion statement.

Apart from all the shopping I have to do, and work of course - I have to go to the office one day to do all my decoupage and collage (as we call the submitting of expense claims, it involves vast amounts of glue), plus continue what I am doing in Tallinn, but just at home - I want to have a fairly restful time. I really want to see if I can get to the patchwork shop in the 11th, as I still need fabric for my needlebook lining, and tomorrow I will go to the rue Chabanais, in the hope of finding "Joyeux Noel" by Blackbird Designs. I'm sure she will have it, as she knows the BBD ladies, hopefully it has not sold out yet. The woman there is very nice, she has a NZ daughter-in-law, and always remembers me when I come in.

Now I'm logging off and going to do my stitching - La-D-Da calls!

Warmth Update

2009-10-25T13:57:00.004+02:00

Even though it continues to be somewhat warmer, I am in the middle of knitting this:

It's the ruffled Miss Marple shawl by Facile Cecile, a French designer - it's a free pattern, using one skein of Noro Kureyon sock and the same amount in length of Kid Mohair. The pattern says Rowan, but I am using one I got from Sommerfuglen in Copenhagen that is a very good match for the yarn. The ruffle is around the edge, and there will be several hundred stitches by the time I cast off.

I also finished this one just before the recent cold snap, it's a "pelerine" to go over my shoulders under a coat (or if the office heating goes off):

It's a Danish pattern from Sys Fredens, and the yarn is Noro Kochoran - I have leftovers, so I'm making a headband to match. Everyone at work admired this one, I get a lot of comments about the next one being for them - but I have offered free knitting lessons all round, although no-one has taken me up on it.

I hadn't realised, but virtually no-one else is in town this weekend, the Snowflake and her sidekick (who is sweet, but under the influence) disappeared on Friday morning early. Our PD is off to Paphos for a week of sunshine. I'm not sure why so many people go to Paphos, I much prefer Limassol or Larnaca, but I guess the sun is the sun, and there are some good deals.

Next week is my last week here before a week at home, which will be quite nice, although I have a huge number of things to do there. Last time I was at home, I was sick and I know there is a pile of washing to be done, plus I have to go lots of places like the doctor, the pharmacy, the hairdresser etc. I feel a lot better now, so let's just hope this continues.

Tallinn Ghost Walk

2009-10-22T09:20:00.003+03:00

Last evening, we had a "corporate event" which was with our whole team for both of our company's projects in Tallinn, plus the client, so there were over 40 people participating. The first part was a Ghost Walk in the Old Town of Tallinn. We went in two groups with guides and walked around the town, while they told us legends and stories about the buildings and other landmarks we saw - we learned about the Cat Well, the Devil's wedding party, and the Mummy of Tallinn, plus quite a few others, such as the Danish flag descending from the sky in a battle in Tallinn. I knew that one, of course, but the others were all new to me. Above is our guide, in front of a house where quite a few strange things happened. The colours of houses in the Old Town are quite beautiful.

The second part was to go for a dinner at the Olde Hansa restaurant, which is mediaeval themed, and has a lot of candles, also musicians playing on mediaeval instruments, such as recorders, lutes, two-drone bagpipes and so on. The meal was huge, with various appetizers, such as smoked salmon, quails eggs, dried beef and horseradish, pate with onion jam, then main course of lentils, spelt, sauerkraut and turnips with elk and wild boar stew, fish, game sausages and some sort of game bird. Finally a creamy pudding scattered with rose petals.

We had various drinks, for me a couple of glasses of wine - however I noticed at the table where the Snowflake was (we had three long tables, there were so many people) that large quantities of vodka were being ordered and it was getting rather rowdy. I left at about 10pm, since it was the first night that I had been out since getting sick (and getting better again, now, fortunately). It's actually got quite a lot warmer, we are up to 7 or 8 degrees, which seems pleasant after 0, but I didn't want to risk a relapse. Plus I get up at 6:30 am for work. This morning I thought we would have a missing Snowflake, but no, she is here, although clearly suffering from a surfeit of vodka.... a couple of others seem to be the same, but are present. I am not especially sympathetic, I have to say. I don't mind the occasional vodka, but not before a work day and not to that quantity in front of customers. I believe the last ones left at 1 am.

Yesterday we did also hear that our request for a winter clothing allowance was refused, no great surprise that, although I know some people will be upset by it. Giulia was very keen on it, she was going around saying there was no way they could refuse. Oh yes they can, if it involves giving us money.

So I had better finish now, as I have a heap of stuff to do today, and I want to go to bed not too late tonight.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2009-10-19T13:14:00.003+03:00

I am all for rain, having lived on an island where it rains once a year if one is lucky - but this weekend, Tallinn seems to have had as much rain as Cyprus would have in ten years. I guess I have been spoilt spending the past three and a half winters in Nicosia where the temperature doesn't go below 10 degrees during the day in winter. I hear Cyprus is even now having 35 degrees, which is unusual for October. Quite different from here, where it is still dripping away.

On Friday I did got to the new shopping centre, it wasn't raining until after I got home, so I walked there and back (not very far) and looked at the bookshop and the supermarket, also the flower shop - I am fascinated by Estonian flower shops, they always have such beautiful flowers and plants, but this one is extremely expensive.

Saturday I did not go out at all, I even went to my local shopping centre via the car park rather than out the front door and along the street. So yesterday I was feeling as though I was never going to be able to go outside again and madly decided to go for a walk - I caught the tram to Kadriorg and crossed the road to the sea front, but I gave up after about half an hour, because I was getting so wet and cold. I went back to the shops and bought multivitamins, I think I may need them. In fact I think I will go back today and get some echinacea as well, I don't want to take any chances with the weather and my health.

Today we are having a very boring day at work, at least I am, because my testing environment has collapsed with space problems and is unusable - I am sitting here catching up on everything else possible, in a room with the Snowflake and her acolyte, who are still able to work, because they are one phase behind us for the project, so not up to testing yet. Think Snowflake may have had too much to drink last night, as she was late this morning and looks extremely morose, plus I can tell by the way she is wearing her hair that she has not had a shower this morning.

Well, I should try and find something productive to do. Still no database and still raining...

Zero Degrees

2009-10-16T10:55:00.002+03:00

It was extremely cold when I got up this morning, really zero degrees. There were forecasts of below zero weather, but they do not seem to have come true, except possibly in the middle of the night when I am asleep.

It takes extra time to get dressed before going out now, for example this morning, I was wearing a knitted collar under my jacket, a hat and a fur muff as well as my padded jacket. I have not yet got to the stage of polar fleece footlets, but I have a pair in my computer bag, just in case. I am not risking another bout of flu. Yesterday our office was so cold we had to move, but fortunately today they have fixed the heating.

We have actually asked our company to provide a winter clothing allowance, but I am not sure this is going to happen. Some of the others seem quite optimistic about it, but I cannot see our company handing out something like this - or, if they do, it will be enough to buy one glove. I would actually like a pair of shoes that do not slip on the ice, but I expect these would be expensive. The other awful thought is that they may see their chance to get us clothing with the logo on it!!! I am so NOT wearing that.

Today we are going home quite early, so I have plans to visit a new shopping centre that opened last week in the middle of Tallinn - I hear it has a very good bookshop and a good supermarket, so I should be able to prepare for the weekend quite adequately there.

By the way, my suitcase did arrive back, covered in labels and looking a little exhausted!

Weekend Trip to Paris

2009-10-13T16:26:00.002+03:00

So, I had this brilliant idea - I would pack my summer clothes in a suitcase and take them back to Paris on Friday, then bring my winter clothes back to Tallinn on Sunday. With a quick stop at Ulla Popken on Saturday to get a warmer coat. Of course, one can make these plans. One can pack the suitcase with summer clothes. All sorts of things one can plan!

But when I got to Paris, nearly an hour late, by the way, on Friday night, my suitcase was not there. So I stood around for about an hour while they tried to find it, then gave up and went home, in a very bad temper. I called them three times on Saturday, and finally in the evening, they had located it - in Manchester - and were waiting for Air France to send it back from there.

Naturally it didn't arrive before I had left again for Tallinn, with another suitcase full of winter clothes, fortunately including a new padded coat, so I've had another series of conversations with baggage people, the highlight of which has been spelling my Estonian address for several French people. Although talking to the man at Tallinn airport who called to tell me it was here was also quite interesting.... the actual case may or may not turn up at my apartment some time after 7pm today.

Also my plane from Copenhagen to Tallinn on Sunday was late, they said it would be 50 minutes, then it took at least half an hour for everyone to get on board. I have got no idea what the people down the back of the plane do when they get on that causes this sort of thing, as I am nearly always at the front and so I get on as near to last as I can. And if I am near the back, I get on earlier, put my baggage in the rack and sit down so that other people can get past. I do not stand in the aisle doing my exercises or whatever it is these other ones do to hold things up.

So I started the week a bit tired, and then - lo and behold! We had a fire alarm at 5.25 am this morning, it was a false alarm as usual, but it did nothing for my sleep patterns. Fiona said that, on Sunday morning, there were three false alarms between 5.30 am and 9 am, at which point she gave up, got dressed and went to the shopping centre for coffee and breakfast.

After all of that, I am really hoping for a good night's sleep tonight - I don't feel ill any more, but I want to try to build up the immune system a bit, so that I don't get the flu again. I am refusing all invitations out at night, for the next days at least, as it has suddenly become extremely cold at nights and has rained icy rain as well. The Snowflake is back as well, and I don't feel like spending any time being told that I am old-fashioned, wrong, stupid or whatever she dreams up this week. Our poor lead architect still hasn't recovered from the time he opened a restaurant door and stood aside to let her go through it - at which she told him a very rude two word expression, which we took to mean that she disapproved of his kind gesture.

I Went Where for the Weekend?

2009-10-05T10:33:00.002+03:00

Not Melbourne, but Helsinki has green and yellow trams as well! I rode around in these all day Saturday, they are very convenient for getting around the centre of town if you don't want to spend too much time walking on the cobblestones - which I did on Friday evening and Saturday morning, my feet were a bit sore after this.

I visited two yarn shops - Menita and Helsky - and two bookshops - Hobboks and Academic and General, plus assorted other shops, where I didn't buy anything, plus the Picasso Exhibition at the Ateneum, just across from my hotel. I was lucky enough to be given a suite in the hotel, they were fully booked and for some reason chose me to be upgraded.

At the yarn shops and the bookshops, I did buy a little bit, including three novels, three knitting magazines, two knitting books, and quite a lot of Drops yarn at Menita, and at Helsky some lovely hand-dyed silk / alpaca yarn. Helsky is very conveniently located, on the South Esplanade and they also have handcrafted goods, very nice jewellery and household things. Menita is easy to reach on the number 10 tram, get off at St John's Church (Johanneskyrkan), it is really a great shop, a huge variety.

In Helsinki, it is funny, everything is in both Finnish and Swedish - street names, tram stops, signs in shops, whatever. But virtually no-one seems to speak Swedish, which seems strange to me, but I guess Helsinki may not the place where many Swedish-speaking Finns live. I must read more about the history of Finland, I think it would explain a lot of the questions I have about this.

The other linguistic remark I have is that I can now understand a fair amount of actual Finnish on signs, and this is due to knowing some Estonian words. Although some are different, for example the Estonians call Stockholm Stockholm, while the Finns call it Tukholma.

Margaret, the linen is Weeks Dye Works 28 count, light grey / straw gingham. I actually had to wait ages for it to arrive, I don't know whether Loose Feathers caused a run on it and they had to dye more. It is very nice, and I am glad I did wait. I was nearly on the point of going out and buying some Graziano gingham, but I don't think this would have been anything like the correct colour.

A Little Photo

2009-10-01T09:44:00.003+03:00

This is the nearly finished front of my Loose Feathers needlebook - note the nice checked linen, the difference between the colours is a bit more pronounced in real life. I've been doing this on and off between the necessary knitting (of which I think some colleagues are a bit envious, they have started to see that knitting is a practical activity in Estonia).

Last night I went out with the team for the first time in ages, and actually we were minus the Snowflake, who is obsessed with yoga and had a yoga session. We went to the Villa Thai, which everyone loves, and the manager is always very nice to us. Our PD had ice-cream, which always puts him in a good mood, and there was no excessive drinking or gluttony, and we left at a decent hour. I was happy not to have the Snowflake there, as she had been pouring scorn on me earlier, because I am silly enough to buy music from Itunes instead of illegally downloading it like she does.

And tomorrow afternoon I am going to Helsinki on the fast ferry, to stay two nights in the Radisson SAS there, I got a really good weekend deal, as this is mostly a business hotel. I have not been on the ferry to Helsinki before (when I last spent a weekend there, it was by plane from Paris), so let's hope there is no sea-sickness involved. I only plan to do a little sightseeing and shopping there, nothing strenuous!

Wet Weather

2009-09-28T12:27:00.002+03:00

Today it is pouring with rain, prompting the usual litany of complaints from colleagues - we now have all the people from our company's second project on the bus with us in the mornings and evenings. All I can say is, if they think the weather is bad now, just wait a few weeks and it could get significantly worse, depending upon your point of view. Of course, if you don't mind staying inside and doing your sewing, knitting, reading etc, it could be perfect!

In fact, the weather at the weekend was not bad, and I went out walking a bit, although to nowhere new, just around one of the shopping centres and the Old Town. There was one of the new guys who went to Helsinki for the day on Saturday, and came back saying how much more exciting than Tallinn it was, and he would rather spend weekends there in future, but I do think that is a little unfair, Tallinn has quite a lot to do and it is a lot more economical than Helsinki as well. After all, why do all the Finns come here for the weekend and go to restaurants, clubs, spas etc? And the Old Town is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

I am still feeling a bit weak and am using this as an excuse not to do very much with the others at the weekends or in the evenings. I am so glad I dipped out on the Friday night "quick drink", apparently it turned out to be some extended session with the Snowflake consuming to excess. She evidently lay on her bed all day Saturday! Today she seems in fine form, in fact she is sitting next to me, which is a pain, as she makes quite a bit of noise, what with her computer noises, music noises, humming to music etc etc. She is actually not wearing the hairy thing today, maybe it doesn't like the rain, because she has a really ratty black acrylic cardigan jacket over a red jumper and an orange scarf, must be colour blind.

Ah well, better go and do some more testing, I have stacks to do this week!

Worldwide Flu

2009-09-24T14:22:00.003+03:00

I think everyone I know has the flu...... I had email from my lawyer, who is in Canada (don't ask, yes, our company is very weird sometimes), and evidently all her office is suffering. Our Project Director is at home with it, and he is so bad that everyone who speaks to him on the phone remarks upon how bad he sounds. I've got no idea how he actually got home, I felt bad enough on the plane on Thursday, he must have been much worse on Friday, and he has a longer journey.

Yesterday it was not too bad flying, I had the front seat to myself and dozed most of the way to Stockholm, where I ran around buying Swedish meatballs and a new purple Kipling bag for my computer. When I got to Tallinn, I managed to keep my eyes open for about half an hour, then I went to sleep until 9pm. Got up for a couple of hours, then slept until 8am. I arrived at work and checked in with our lead architect, who looked guilty when he saw me, he thought they must have been meant to wait for me to catch the team bus this morning! Actually he looked guilty and sick, he has been off work for two days this week as well.

Giulia is sitting in the room with me, wrapped up in goodness knows what, with a hacking cough also, and, get this, going out to smoke periodically. She keeps on about how cold it is, and I guess it is cooler than Rome, but it is not too bad, it is over 10 degrees, and the weather is fine, albeit with the usual nasty wind at times. The Snowflake is somewhere as well, I saw her briefly this morning, still wearing the black hairy thing, I wonder if she wears it to bed as well? I have a feeling we could get very very tired of seeing that thing this winter.

We are all supposed to be going out tonight - we have new colleagues, about seven of them, I think, because there is another project for another of our company's products that is starting this week - but I am not going, as I can't face sitting in the Italian cafe for hours on end while the door opens with people going in and out from smoking. I shall stay home with the Swedish meatballs ans the nearly finished Baktus scarf.