Bouquets and Brickbats

Now this doesn't happen much anymore because I have seriously curtailed my blog reading (and writing) of late; but I happened over to DJ Kirkby's site 'Chez Aspy' (heh heh heh, that cracks me up) via my friend Jill over at Twipply Skwood (btw: congrats on making 'The Guy Who Knows A Song About A Chicken' into an honest man) at the precise moment that she posted THIS. No, click over, really, you have to, it's worth it! (Especially you Unka Dick and Oscar Zed!)

Well, after picking up my jaw and trying desperately to work out what was actually going on in the picture, I realised it was a caption competition, so I threw my natty, nay witty, hat in the ring! Now, I'd love to say that I won outright but awwwwwwwww, WTH, any win is a win right? And it's nice to get a bit of blog love in a time of such miserable blog paucity on my part!

Anyhoo, if you want to read some of the captions people came up with, including the pithy and yet scythingly insightful witticism from moi.....click over to here.

Meanwhile, I am on HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!! So I am about to start working on my La Jeune Fille summative post, with bonus Kangaroo Island pictures. As per usual at Chez Arizaphale, nothing goes exactly smoothly and there are plenty of stories to tell.




WHICH reminds me!




Remember I told you I was up on the roof cleaning out gutters last week? Well, having found a number of problems, I called Gutter Man and he came a visitin' on Friday. As the two of us were sitting up on the roof, examining straps and ties and flashing and whatever, No2 Son (aka 'The Obnoxious Boarder Whom We Infrequently See and Who Never Contributes Anything to The Household in Any Way Shape or Form') wandered out into the garden and looked up at me.

"Hello," he said bemusedly.

I wondered whether this was a request for information and decided I couldn't be bothered trying to figure it out as I wasn't at work and didn't have to make allowances for any crazies on my own time. Even if he is related. I smiled and waved and he went away.

Later, as we looked at the collapsed gutter on the front of 'his' verandah (the one in front of his bedroom, that's it in the picture on the right) he emerged again.
"What's going on?"
This was more promising, a question I could answer.
"We're just looking at repairing some of the guttering."
"Ah! Well, now is a good time to mention this. I was wondering if you and Dad would mind if I did an extension to this verandah, to create an area out here to entertain my friends and to do my art projects. Don't worry, I'd pay for it myself...I'd get a few mates in to help put it up..."

The loud thud that followed was my jaw hitting my knees. For moments I was rendered speechless; and then, no......I was still speechless. The trouble was there was so many things I would like to have said.

1) Why on earth would I want a jerry built verandah extension on the FRONT of a property we are trying to fix up to sell? Or live in...if we don't sell....

2) Why would I want an art 'workshop' with it's associated cigarettes, beer bottles and unwashed youth congregating out the front of a property etc etc (see above)

3) HE would pay for it? He doesn't even pay board!

4) HE would build it?????? He doesn't even clean out the gutters or put up shelves!!!!

Sometimes I think that boy is living in la la land.

He then proceeded to tell me how paranoid I was about money, based on the fact that I am paranoid about my cooking. These two things are comparable. Apparently.

And on that note I'll leave you to go and take the BA off to the Salt Mines. And I MEAN the salt mines! When she's been doing fries she comes back with it encrusted in her eyebrows :-D