Google Doodle - British Museum

The 255th Anniversary of the foundation of the British Museum, the first public museum in the world. It wasn't one of the stops on our honeymoon as we'd both been there in our youth, but it hasn't dropped off our radar.

From recollection it's a time and time again sort of place. You need to go with an objective in mind and then revisit for a different objective. I was seventeen the last time I went (over 20 years ago!) so the new courtyard wasn't in existence back then.

We are spoilt in London for museums. The best bit is that they are free entry, charging generally only for 'special' exhibitions - although all encourage donations! Exhibition Road out in Kensington will yield the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. Head over to Bloomsbury for the British Museum, or off into the City or Docklands for the Museum of London.

There are also numerous other smaller collections and art galleries to be found hidden away in unexpected places. Watch this spot for our future travels...

Auto-awesome

Google Auto Awesome had an excellent New Year's gift for me. Two in fact, one for each email address. This is the better one as it uses pictures from the blog and is mostly 'places we went on our honeymoon'.

The iPhone and the Photostream are all well and good; but I find the Samsung Galaxy S4 and it's integration with Google and also Dropbox to be way more useful. It's easier to have photos anywhere this way; and the 'sparkle' and 'snow' that have been added to some of the winter photos are cute. I can't wait to see what Spring and Summer will bring.

By the way; it is an awesome camera; I continue to use my phone in preference to my now largely defunct compact camera.

Just another Monday

Don't let the weather fool you. It might look nice out, but it is child as anything.

My plans for the day went out of the window after miscommunication meant the cat didn't get tea at tea time last night and woke me up to discuss the situation. This meant everyone overslept this morning.

I did have tidying/organising plans on the burner, the cold snap meant that the house was generally freezing and the best course of action was to join Husband on the Sofa of Sloth and with technology and TV pass a quiet day.

We were joined by the cat who had rediscovered our sofa and Husband's desk chair... usually choosing to sit in whichever Husband is about to occupy. Casper even reverts to sneak tactics on occasion to get his own way!

Today is also our six month wedding anniversary. The weather meant that going out and doing anything was swiftly ruled out (too cold). We had a cozy evening and a nice dinner "chez nous" and watched Sherlock - so really dinner and the movies, in the comfort of your own home.

Sunday Social (84)

Linking up with Ashley and Neely again. Every so often we reintroduce ourselves... Sunday Social is well into it's second year, so welcome new readers!

1. What is the name of your blog? How long have you been blogging?
My blog is called 'London Calling' - I'm in London and my blog is 'calling' out to readers everywhere!
How long have I been blogging... on this blog officially 7 years. One post in late 2006 and seriously since February 2007. I had blogs before this one, so actually about a decade. For one reason or another those blogs vanished into obscurity; to paraphrase Oscar Wilde (badly) in 'The Importance of Being Earnest'; "Two lose one blog may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness". There were two before this... one on a server I didn't own and the owners shut it down; the other was on Blogspot and may still be out there somewhere...

2.Why do you blog?
I enjoy sharing things. Sometimes places I go, sights I see, pictures, my life, my cat (professionally cute).

3. What is the first blog you ever followed?
Honestly I'd be guessing.

The two in contention (very sadly) aren't active any more it was either

4. What was your favourite post you wrote in 2013?
Far and away the retrospective of our wedding! Magical wonderful day. The picture below was our wedding gift from one of my bridesmaids who made the wedding cake topper for us. The dress is my dress, and we are both wearing our baseball caps! (photo will take you to the post).

5. What are you blogging goals for 2014?
Back to basics. Engage with the audience; get back to London (get out and about around London!); write regularly (will be easier now I've learned how Blogger on my phone acutally works) and interact with other Blogging friends; I've found my Google Take-out from Reader so I can properly catch up!

6. Top 3 favourite blogs to follow?
I have to choose just three?! There are a lot I'd choose who are reading right now; fellow Sunday Social hoppers. I've chosen three that maybe you don't read...

The world of Formula One. Fantastic read if you need to keep up with whats going on but don't catch qualifying or fall asleep in the race... Liz has a fantastic view of the world of F1.

Linda gives little views of Scotland, with some amazing pictures. If you've never visited Scotland this will make you want to go!

Chris mixes little views of life with fantastic pictures, it is like a lovely coffee table book in a blog.

Human Error

There will shortly be a bunch of missing posts published on the blog. I have been using my phone to make posts. I thought maybe I was missing an authentication key, or using the wrong account (I have two email addresses). I even wondered if the app was broken and needed an update.

Finally logging onto the computer; there were all the posts lined up in the queue as drafts waiting to be posted.

A small amount of Googling revealed the true problem. Personal incompetence. I had been touching the wrong button on the phone. Instead of pressing the arrow for 'publish' (I thought that was going to take me to another screen!) I was pressing the little disk button which I thought would save and publish. As it happens, only save.

Now I know.

Usual service will resume from here onwards!

Afternoon out

Charlton's home match against Burnley was cancelled this afternoon; which I discovered when instead of 'started' my phone alert at kick-off was 'ended'. The boys (well Husband and Best Man) were still at the pub so I took it on myself to break my cabin fever and join them.

I had the usual fights with things that should fold and not take up the wheelchair space; but also some beautiful views of sunset over South East London. The photos don't do it justice... the bus never stops in the right places!

We had a good time catching up in the slightly noisy pub (a few more fans that stayed on after the game was cancelled) and then a very long trek to our bus stop.

Sunset from the Bus (1)

Competition in the wheelchair space; a buggy shopping trolley

Sunset from the Bus (2)

Sunset from the Bus (3)

Sunset from the Bus (4)

Sunset over Charlton Stationn

Sunset over the Woolwich Road

Sunset through the pub doors

My goodness my Guinness. 

It's allowed, it has health properties (unless that is an Urban Legend)

On the way home, Husband had to marshall the wheelie-walker. 

Two pantechnicon buggies were taking up the wheelchair space. 

More bed days

Furry friends? Hot water bottle covers! 

So many cushions they have spilled onto the bed from the Sofa of Sloth 
(where I spent a large part of the afternoon) 

Bed days

 Better weather today; quite pleasant from the window. 

Still recuperating from the mystery virus, so still in bed.

 In Google's "Auto Awesome" world it is (still) snowing. 

I can't wait to see if I get butterflies or blossom as the seasons change.

Casper has finally claimed the box (well one of them) that the wedding album arrived in. 
He is now five box cat!

Stuck in bed

Sick day, some minor virus is laying me low. 
A minor temperature annoys all my MS symptoms.  
Casper is watching over me (guarding me?).

Looked out the window. It is grey and dismal again. 

In Google Photo's "Auto Awesoeme" world, it is snowing. 

Really New Year

 Still dawning as we pass Big Ben. Good morning London.

 New Year, time to clear away the rubbish? Rubbish exceeds collection capability.

 Waiting for the lift (on the fifth floor) so watching the fossils in the limestone flooring.

 A few bits of the Japanese goodies my boss brought back with him.

 More Babybel than we needed, so still getting Christmas friends for lunch!

Time to throw away my Radio Times; faithfully purchased for me by Husband

Twelfth Night

Time to take the decorations down. The house is very bare now.

Conversations with cats

Casper does not think much to the winter weather. The fact that we live in a big, draughty Victorian house doesn't help. He is on a constant quest for a warm place to sleep, failing that he wants people who have found a warm spot to get up and play with him, brush him, feed him, see to his litter or just generally follow him around for company.

Casper (when we first adopted him) was called Squeak. As he's got older his vocals have got more varied, and louder... and we can rather imagine why he had his baby name!

He always was loquatious on car journeys to the vet (keeping up a constant monologue which I always imagined was "are we there yet, are we there yet" or possibly "why am I shut in a box").

I read somewhere that cats don't miaow to each other but rather take it up to communicate with their human companions as they hear people talking to each other and work out this is the way to get attention. I also read that cats can make over 100 different sounds. Living with Casper I believe both of these things.

Casper and I may not really be able to talk to each other, but we really do understand each other (the fact that he usually chooses to ignore me is neither here nor there).

Some examples of converations that Casper and I have (ear position and tail position are also important):-

It's morning, I am hungry. Feed me now. *Mrreeow* (loud)

Seriously, I'm sleeping (moves paw over eyes) *mmh*

Pigeons! There are pigeons! *chitter, chitter, chitter*

I want to play with the water *meeoow*

I want you to follow me up/down stairs *yoouwl*

You serve food to slowly *mrow, mrow, mrow*

Time to play (significant looks) *myup* (softly)

I want the bed (kicks and kicks) *purrr, meep, purr*

Sunday Social (83)

Linking up with Neely and Ashley (a new year of Sunday Social)

1. Do you plan to change any of your eating habits in the new year?

Probably not. I kind of did that Summer 2012 and kept at it (mostly) so I'm pretty happy with my eating habits. I guess I need to change white bread back to brown if we're being really picky - but otherwise I've kept to my adding fruit and veg to my diet, eating smaller portions and cutting down on the alcohol.

2. Any workout tips to get us back in the shape after the holidays?

Actually go and do it! Haven't been to the gym or swimming for one reason or another since before I got married. Due to my physical limitations I absolutely recommend swimming or aqua aeorbics and MiL and I are discussing going swimming together.

3. What is your favourite thing you did over the holidays?

Just hanging out with my family. My mum came and visited so we had lunch (Husband and I) with our mothers... we had more family time on New Year's Eve Husband, MiL, the cat and I. I loved the cosy times when it was grey outside snuggled up indoors.

4. What is something you hope to accomplish in 2014 that you did not in 2013?

A list too long and lengthy to contemplate! I have piles and lists all over the place. 2013 was the most amazing year as Husband and I were married. This meant that an awful lot of other things fell by the wayside. Once I start the list we'll be here for hours! An important one is to see more of friends and family; seeing so many of them at the wedding made me realise how long it had been since I'd really see lots of them.

5. Name three things you are excited about this year and why?

- Our first wedding anniversary. Being married is still a delight (just over a week away from our six month anniversary). I think the first anniversary is going to be magical...

- I'm finally going to get to be doing my new job full time. I started in Spring last year, but staff shortages and other issues meant I kept slipping back to my old role. There have been five new staff since then so now I'll have a chance to get my teeth into my own job.

- Once I get used to three days a week again, Husband and I still have places in London to see... two weeks in our honeymoon only scratched our list!