A busy winter

I have to say I have become pretty slack in updating my blog recently. This is because I now see my life as pretty mundane and boring and nothing I think you will want to read about. While in Cameroon I felt almost everything was interesting from doing the washing to my day to day work and the people I met. Now I see that kind of stuff as pretty dull as it is no different to what everyone else is doing. So the end result is nothing to write about.

December has been a busy month. I have felt totally unprepared for Christmas as I am finding it hard it believe we have been back for over six months and Christmas is upon us. However time is running past and it is now pretty cold which most the time I am not appreciating although going out for walks in a woolly hat and fluffy coat with the beautiful winter sky and leaves on the ground is pretty good.

A few weeks back we went to watch Rich complete the Grim challenge. An 8 mile run across an army tank testing ground, I have to say a big well done to him. It looked really tough with loads of rain fall the night before and huge puddles/ lakes to run through. It was not warm that day and he did really well.

I have been very busy with my involvement in the organisation of the Christmas ball. It was hard work at times trying to get people to pay up but we had a wonderful night and Trinity college and everyone looked beautiful.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I make no promises to be any better at blogging next year!

Terracotta Army

On Monday I had a great day out with Mum and Dad, we went to London to see the Terracotta army. Joe and I would love to go to China to see the army in all its vastness but for now this is all we can do. The British Museum had about 12 whole figures, some horses and a few extra bits. Every face different it must be amazing to see the whole army. The display showed you how the First Emperor of China took over the nation and then prepared for his death by building his temple for his tomb and organising his protection. Not only did the army contain warriors but also civil servants to keep the paper work in the after life and some entertainment was also organised in heavy weight men and aerobatic artists. The man thought of everything no surprise he became the first emperor.

the queues were huge and it took ages to get round, and that was having booked the tickets in the Summer. It was well worth it though and I would love to have the opportunity to travel to China and see it for real.

Lean on me

I have been involved in a new project at work over the last few weeks. Its a quality improvement project where by we are using techniques from Toyota and bringing them in the NHS. Hmmm you may be thinking, well so was I. We have spent the last couple of weeks learning all about lean techniques , which is basically to eliminate waste and to poka-yoke (mistake proof) a system. Apply Lean to the NHS and it will, while using no more resources:

• Improve the quality of patient care
• Improve safety
  
• Eliminate delays
• Reduce length of stay

Sounds far to good to be true, the project will last six months so only time will tell.

The first thing we have been doing is using the 5 S approach to sort ourselves out.
Sort - remove unnecessary items from the workplace
Straighten - locate everything at the point of use
Sweep - Clean and eliminate sources of filth
Standardise - Make routine and standard for what good looks like
Self - discipline - make 5S second nature.

The first thing we attacked was the drug cupboard as it was organised chaos. We have now split the cupboards in two, one for stock and one for dispensing with one packet of each drug in use at a time. It is now a beautiful cupboard and lets just hope we can roll it out across the whole room.

We then move on to complicated things like process mapping, it took us two days to map a patient journey with right upper quadrant pain. The trouble with trying to apply processes used to build cars in to the NHS is the healing people is not as simple as making cars. everyone is different. We spent the whole days saying things like 'well that depends' and we have so much that depends on external departments that we can not control like theatres and radiology.

I hope we see improvement and are able to met the aims of the project to increase safety and give nurses more time to nurse instead of answering the phone or searching for equipment etc.

I am now very tempted to apply the 5S approach to our new house and get rid of all the stuff we don't need and find an appropriate place for everything that would be bliss.

Family Chronology

A couple of years ago Joe came across a website of a photographic family chronology. Each year the family gather and take a photo and catalogue it on this site. We decided this was a pretty cool idea so have started ourselves.

We set the date to 1st October as this is the date we met. The project began last year in Cameroon and continued in a rainy car park. We set on a head shot of each of us and a full length of the family together.

The Talbot photo chronology

Tell me a story

I have lived in Oxford for 10 years now and it that 10 years I never visited the Oxford Story. The Oxford story is a ride along thing telling the history of Oxford. How it grew as a University city and telling stories of all the famous alumni. From the literature from Oxford - Lewis Carroll, C S Lewis and T R R Tolkien to name a few. To the 25 Prime ministers and the first use of Penicillin.

The attraction has had to close after being open for 20 years as it needs so much renovation. I could choose to have commentary from Timmy Mallet or Magnus Magnerson as we rode through the back streets of historic Oxford. It was fun and I can see that every school child in Oxfordshire must have gone on a school trip there at some point. It is quite sad it is closing really, not that I ever went until the last day but at least I knew it was there!

Long time no blog

I have been very lapse at blogging recently. Life has been busy. I have been on a stinking long stretch at work so had no days off for ages. Then all my spare time in the last few weeks has been spent house shopping. Last weekend we accepted a offer on our house meaning it was all systems go. Today we have had an offer accepted on a house for us to buy.

We were a little worried as this house was a little out of our price range, also a little over priced if you ask me, so we put in a low offer. But after a bit of haggling an agreement was made which suited both parties and the plan is to complete in the new year. It is all so exciting :-)

Book Review: The Kite Runner

What an absolutely amazing book. This is the first book in a long time to really get my emotions going. It is just so gripping and so gut wrenching. At times it is certainly not pleasant to read but blows any other book out of the water.

The story of two boys living in Afghanistan who are friends but from very different back grounds. One very well to do with a good upbringing and the other the son of his father's Hazara servant. The story is set in the time of the fall of Afghanistan with mass exodus and Taliban rule. The main character after ending up in America is forced to return to Afghanistan to clear up a long lived guilt. It is very well written and whatever I read next will have a hard act to follow. Must read his next book - on the Christmas list me thinks!

20 years ago today.....

...... there was a storm - it was a bad storm - I nearly died. That is my version of the storms of '87 that hit South East England. Joe always teases me for saying 'I almost died' but I only just found out that is because the storm only really hit the south east so bypassed Swindon.

I remember the night well, I was eight years old - it amazes me it was 20 years ago!! We had some of our neighbours children staying they were about the same ages as my and Rich. Their parents were away for the night. I awoke to an almighty noise outside my bedroom window which was inches from my head. My bed was covered in debris from the trees, that had blown through the frame of the window. There right in front of my face was the top of a tree, had the tree been taller or our house a little further back that tree would have landed in my head. This however was not the only thing going on in the house, the kids from down the road went screaming in to Mum and Dad's room thinking the window has shattered in their room. Dad went to investigate to find a tree had come through the roof and in to the bedroom. I to this day am so impressed how cool, calm and collected my parents were. If a tree were to fall through my roof right now I do not think I would be calm. They did not panic or begin to worry about how they will fix the roof. We all went downstairs and sat in the middle of the living room - deemed the safest place in the house and waited for the storm to blow over.

We used to have 12 huge pine trees in our back garden after the storm we had 6. The huge pine tree in the front was still standing and to this day is the only one that is. The council came to take down all the existing trees, our next door neighbour refused so her remaining trees still stand.

The neighbours whose children were in our house did not fare as well as us. A tree fell on the house and cut the roof in half down the middle, with the trunk sitting on the front and back walls of the house. The tree fell directly on top of the room of the girl who was sleeping in our house - it is amazing they were at our house that night.

East Anglia was not the worst affected area with the South coast getting the worst of the storm, many buildings damaged and 18 killed. I hope we never see another storm like it.

St Ives

To complete our little collection on mini trips away Joe and I went to St Ives (Cornwall) last week to spend a few days with Emily in her family's house. We had a fantastic time and with weather was brill. I have wanted to visit the Eden project for ages so as we were down that way we went. It was fantastic, especially as in the tropical dome they had a Cameroon section - so we spent ages looking at all the familiar plants. The domes are fantastic and the variety of plants they grow is amazing. I was taken by how well they use the space and you do not only walk around the floor of the dome but go up in to the top. We had a great day there.

We had some fantastic food - as holidays is all about the eating for Joe and I. I had some delicious grilled Mackerel to continue my reminiscing about Cameroon and it was so tempting to eat it with my fingers but thought better of it.

Emily and I even donned wet suits and went bodybording which was great fun, I rode some of the waves pretty well and at one point a seal even joined us in the sea!

My Thai

Five years ago from now Joe and I were in Thailand on our Honeymoon, so we decided what better way to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary than with a Thai meal. That is after our plans went wrong as the hotel we planned on going to closed down!

We heard about this Thai restaurant in London with a Michelin star so thought we would give it ago. As our original plan included a hotel stay we looked at local hotels, the hotel attached to the restaurant was getting on for £350 a night to soon knocked that on the head and went cheap and cheerful from lastminute.com. The meal was magnificent, we chose one of each of the five options, soup, salad, relish, curry and main dish. This was all served together after a lovely noodle starter. Then exotic fruit to end, some of which we were familiar with with from Cameroon others were very strange.

We then spent the next day in London (to avoid congestions charge and other reasons) went to both Tate gallery's and had a nice day hanging around in the rain.

All that is left is to say

"Cheers for a great five years"

Oktoberfest

Last week Joe and I went to Munich to visit Conny (fellow volunteer from Buea). We also chose this week to go as it is Oktoberfest in Munich. We had a great time, visited a castle outside Munich and saw all the sights of Munich.

Oktoberfest was like nothing I have ever seen before. Everyone goes in traditional Bavarian dress. The second time we went I borrowed one of Conny's so I would fit in! The first night we went we could not get in to a tent so we sat in a beer garden. We get served beer in 2 litre glasses and enjoy. The fest is basically a huge funfair selling lots of beer. Many drunk people on various rides, the oldest ride is this helterskelter ride where you have to go up a very fast escalator to get up (felix goes first, friend of Conny's then Joe then me with some help!)

The second night we went we managed to get in to a tent which was fantastic. A band playing a great selection of songs, everyone dancing on th benches and generally 100's of people having fun. The tents are amazing structures and to think they only have them up for 2 weeks of the year - only Germans could organise such an event! I am now very tired and could do with another holiday to recover!

Truck Festival

When telling my friends I was spending last weekend at Truck festival they all said they never thought I was in to trucks, truth is I am not in to trucks as Truck festival has little to do with trucks!

The first festival was in 1998, almost a year after I moved to Oxford and I think I remember hearing something on the radio. 10 years on and I finally get round to attending! Truck festival is held just outside Didcot, not far from us yet we have never got round to going. So this year before we even had time to figure out what we were doing with our life Joe was offered tickets. Sadly Truck was called off in July due to the terrible flooding the area suffered. The festival was rescheduled for last weekend so we finally got to go.

Truck is a great festival just the correct size so you do not feel like you are camping on top of each other and you will never find your friends but big enough to have 5 stages. Most the bands are local or ones I have never heard of but the highlights for me were:
Schla la las
Foy Vance
Skylarkin
Tommy Traux

So we had a great weekend and I would certainly go again, thankfully the rain stayed off - mostly. The only thing that bugs me is that whilst camping on Sunday morning I got woken up by a bunch of youths in the tents next door. I was certain Pete and Heidi's kids would be the first in there but oh no it was a bunch of 17 year olds that were the early risers - grrrr.

Drat and double drat

This week has been a week of calamities - and it is only Tuesday!!

On Sunday I had to pop in to town for a quick lunch and do a mystery shopper job. I left Joe in town and went to get the car to go to work. I promptly drove in to a brick wall and burst the tyre. I must add it was a very small brick wall that I could not see and did no further damage to the car or myself. So I phoned my husband to come and rescue me. We got the spare wheel from under the car and proceeded to get the flat wheel off. Got the wheel nuts undone no trouble but the wheel would not come off the car. We pulled with all our might - got some very nice, polite and strong me from the Old Parsonage Hotel but still it would not budge. I thought as time was getting on I had better get a taxi to work and leave Joe to it. A quick phone call to a friend - thanks Nick and the wonders of google they found the secret to releasing a wheel off a Ford Fiesta and Joe was able to collect me from work later. It has something to do with putting on the wheel nuts loosely and wiggling the steering 'till it releases.

So after recovering from my car troubles and spending yesterday in a garage having a new tyre fitted today I get a phone call from Satis House, a very nice hotel and Malaysian restaurant in Suffolk where we were planning on spending our anniversary is closing so we cannot stay there. Gutted. Now we need to find an alternative, any ideas? Nice Hotel and Restaurnt in the Suffolk area?

Book review: Venus as a boy

This book was bought for me by Rich and Clare for my birthday - thanks. They got it off me wishlist, I put it there because it was one of those 'people who read this also read this'. So I thought I would give it a try. It took a little while to get in too but you found yourself getting to attached to the main character. A lad who grows up in Orkney and has a troubled childhood, moves to the bright lights of London and works as a prostitute. Maybe not my usual reading subject but pretty good all the same. Written as if it is Desiree himself was speaking who could never get over his first love. It is very raw but touching and very well written.

Cameroon movie

I have meaning for some time to make a film about our life in Cameroon, so here it is. A snapshot of life in Cameroon. Music by Tata Kingue our pop star friend. the film ends with a snippet of an interview with our best friend Didimus.

This is my first attempt at film making and it was fun once I got a hang of the software.

Enjoy

For Sale

Our house is now on the market, it has been for about a month now. We decided while we were in Cameroon as part of our new 'perfect life' we would move to a similar house but in a nicer area.

This house has served its purpose, we were first time buyers desperate to get on the ever increasing market and went for what we could get meaning location was not important to us.

However after lots of inconsiderate neighbours parking their car in front of our drive and keeping us awake at night we have decided it is time to move up the ladder a bit on to pastures new. There is no better time for us to do it as we have only half unpacked our stuff and it is all in boxes in the loft.

I thought selling up and moving on would be a nice task for me to get my stuck teeth in to after Cameroon. So I got the house ready and on the market. I have enjoyed collecting particulars of houses and now I am just getting fed up. Nice houses come and go and we are still waiting. Estate agents talk the talk and say how sellable our house it - large rooms, next to the canal but still no offers. I am finding it difficult to look at houses now thinking we will lose one I love.

Week in Wales

From Wales

Rich and Clare very kindly invited us on holiday with them this year to a fantastic house in Mid-Wales. so last week we went with them and Steve and Kim.

We had a fantastic time, the house was right by the sea, evenings would be spend eating loads of fantastic food playing ring of fire or sing star watching the sunset over the sea.

Days were spent doing a variety of things, a great long walk in the hills, going down a cave, visits to Portmerion and Harlech Castle and even a day sunbathing on the beach. Then there was Steve's birthday where we decided to do a fancy dress in the reverse of our ages so I became 82 and Rich became 3!! Joe and Kim were able to swap ages with each other!

Due to us being away for Rich's 30th we decided to treat him to a day of fun whilst we we were on holiday. All did not quite go to plan, we had decided on mountain boarding as he is a fan of snow boarding and mountain biking - out the two together and see what you get! Unfortunately all the local centres to where we were staying we closed - boo so we had a mammoth drive to get there. We all got on he boards and had a few trial runs, soon after Rich sprained his ankle but he jumped back up and carried on. To break up the journey home we stopped for fish and chips on the sea front - a true British holiday!

OUCS save the day again

Again we owe many thinks to Joe's colleagues at OUCS. This time it was not my fault! On Sunday our beloved computer would not turn on - grr. I was annoyed as I needed to check something on the internet. Joe had a look at it and still it would not work.

Then we realised if the computer was dead we have lost everything - we backed it up before going to Cameroon but had not yet gotten round to it since our return. that would mean we would have lost all our photos of Cameroon, all the work did there, it was a very depressing thought.

So Joe took the computer to work this week and the wonderful staff not only saved all our data but also restored and updates the machine - yippee!!

We then went to back up the machine and our external hard drive would not turn on - why do all these bad things happen to us! So thankfully it is under warranty and Joe has to get it sent back.

We will now remember to back up all the time!

Book review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

What can I say, what a book. Life has been busy so I have been struggling to find time to read Harry Potter, every spare minute was spend with my nose in this book.

The seventh and final book certainly did not disappoint. Harry and co. have a great adventure in the final battle against he who must not be named. I will not give anything away but the book gave a very satisfying finish to a fantastic series. It will be sad to think no more Harry Potter books will come but we still have the films come.

So this is a fond farewell to a fantastic series of books - bye Harry!

The Lost photos

I have mentioned before that whilst in Cameroon I stupidly deleted all my photos of our send off parties from my camera without putting them on to the computer - doh! Well Joe told me to fear not they will just be marked for deleted and as long I did not over write them they can be salvaged. So i started to use my other memory card and left that one well alone. Once Joe started back at work he set a couple of of very nice computer people to work and they saved them. yipiee, the videos and a few photos were lost but most are there - my husband is great. So you can view the album on Picasa.

From Send forth

Thanks Joe and the great staff at OUCS