I have moved - yes the era of the MSN space is at an end.  It has been a great experience but in the end has proved too limited in its features.  So, from now on you can find my blog herer:

 

 

Cheers - R ;)

I am *toying* with the idea of moving my blog - to google (namely blogspot.com).  It will allow me to completely control the style and content and hopefully not crash my router ever time I run multiple uploads....

 

Watch this space - http://rakh1.blogspot.com

In the office today and it is an amazing 25C outside with blue skies and no wind.  Lovely....shame I work inside with computers :(

Was eating dinner last night - pasta and meatballs (kind of Swedish meats Italian) - anyway, as I was eating I coughed accidentaly.  I then felt a nasty feeling in my sinus under my right cheek.  It fealt like something was up there, not in my nose but actually in my sinus.  After about 30 secs of blowing and coughing I finally got it out - a 4cm long bit of spaghetti.  It was horrible - I was nearly sick! :(

Suddenly noticed yesterday that our Cherry tree had dropped nearly all of its blossom in about 3 hours.  The front garden looks pink!

Nick and Laura came for dinner on Sat night.  Nick (my step-brother) bought his new car......  Lets just say that this exact model and colour hung on my wall as a kid for years.  I am green with envy and am thinking of selling the cats to fund a similar purchase ;)

Completed the Embassy on Sat morning with the addition of some shelves....K has now been using it regularly for yoga.  Also spent the day pulling sat-cable from the attic downstairs ready to run to the Embassy once the power cable arrives.

It's Friday afternoon and I am booked on the penultimate RyanAir flight for the day back to England.  We have plenty of time for the usual 40 min journey from the office to the airport but even so we plan to leave about 3 hours before the flight is due to depart.  The next hour is spent waiting for the first taxi that is perpetually 'just around the corner'.  We eventually ditch that idea and order new taxis that arrive in 10 mins.  Once in the taxi we see the probem - all of Milan is gridlocked.  Still with nearly 2 hours to do the 40 min journey we should be ok.  Unfirtunately in the end we arrive 5 mins after checkout has closed - and despite the fact we only have handluggage and they know of the traffic problems we are not allowed to check in :(  Luckily there is another flight that day in 3 hours time and amazingly they have seats left over.  I eventually rolled up at home at 01:00 in the morning instead of 9ish as planned.  Whilst in the airport I took this photo of one of the many RyanAir posters dotted around the place....look for the placement of Luton and Stansted.  I hope their pilots are better geographically inclined!!!

Continuing my car spotting whilst in Italy I saw this Bently outside 'Bently Milano' this morning.  The hotel is opposite the Bently garage and this is the first (and only) one I have seen!

Had news from Sweden this morning that two new baby elks have been born at one of the zoos.  See how small they are - cannot see why K will not let me have one at home for a pet??

 

Am in Milan atm spending a couple of days with our parent company for a world-wide gathering slash technical meeting.  Went out last night to the centre of town, saw the newly restored La Scala (lovely) and the galleria.  However, il Duomo is still covered up :(  Had a great meal at Bagguta which is every bit as good as I remember it from 5 years ago.

Parked up at Stansted yesterday and thought it would be clever to take a pic of where I had parked rather than remember it.  Also saw a nice 360 a few cars down and then an AM Vantage in the airport itself (lovely inside!!).

Have been reading Neowin.net and see a post regarding NTL.  My 2Mb/s BB connection is to be upgraded (for free) to 4Mb/s and the upload speed to double from 200kb/s to 400kb/s.  Work starts next month.  Excellent! :) :) :)

So, it turns out - a young as I am - that I will in the not to distant future become an Uncle.  As exhillerated as I am for the parents-to-be it leaves me feeling suddenly quite old.  When distant friends start having babies it is one thing but when it is this close it certainly strikes home.  I just hope this doens't mean I am going to have to grow up, mature and play sensible from now on - you can have a crazy Uncle right???  http://fishboyone.blogspot.com/

With a bank holiday upon us and nothing else to do K and I set about finishing the Embassy.  I finished painting the roof and then laid the flooring.  K had also gotten roman blinds which went up.  I then ran mains electrics to both rooms and put up lighting etc.  It was topped off by mounting the Swedish flag on one side!  Quite impressed with it tbh... 

Got home on Fri to find the weather lovely.  Went to Tesco and found whole tails of monkfish and some whole cooked lobster.  Took them home and made a fantastic bbq along with a light salad, toasted ciabatta and some vegetables.  K was v impressed :)

Was back in bath Thu/Fri.  Stayed at the usual Windsor hotel - they upgraded my room this time as a thank you for repeat business.  I was given one of the more 'romantic' rooms.  Being there alone on business it was a little lost on me....

In Bath today and noticed this in the car park.  First one I have seen up close and I have to say - why would you want to spend all that extra $$$ for a 911 when you can have this for less.  Gorgeous!  And, of course, I love the colour :)

My MINI came back from the body shop and the bonnet is as good as new.  However, they had refused to fit the lower aero grille (too much modification) so I had agreed that if they supplied it I would fit it.  The top half is easy - bolt off the old one, bolt on the new one.  The lower part...well, that is another story.  I had to remove the whole bumper, take off the lower grille, modify the aero grille to fit and then bond it in place.  Sounds a lot easier than it is :)  However, the end results are great - no more chrome :)

Been having a lot of bible-bashers visit recently - guess it's something to do with Easter???  Anyway, I have the camera on at work and Marco and I saw these two come knocking at the door.  We watched as they hung around for 2 mins until they noticed the camera and waved - AND NOW YOU'RE FAMOUS!!!

 I got this feedback today - left me laughing...

 

Pays quicker than a mouse in a cheese shop sale! Top ebayer A+++++++

Seller:

smithselectric(1266)

My MINI went in for surgery today - front bonnet being taken off and resprayed following stone chips form a lory about a month back.  Am also getting a free aero grille :)  Unfortunately I have been given a plastic toy as a loan car for the 4 days :(

The Lytton Arms has been having one of its famous beer festivals.  AL, Mark and I went on Sun night for a few light beverages :)  There were many many beers, a bbq, some singing and random people dancing on tables!

Went to my Mom's for Easter dinner on Sat.  Ate far too much!  Snapped this flattering pic of one of her Danes :)