Calling Notice for the 6th BlogOlympic Training Camp

6th BlogOlympic Training Camp

1st May 2006

Calling all BlogOlympians, experienced and greenhorns!!

OK, time to wipe up the drool and get down to business, business being the 6th BlogOlympic Training Camp.

I begged, I cajoled, I grovelled, and Barbara agreed I could host a Camp over here in the UK.
And I'm preparing early because I will be out all day tomorrow at Glastonbury (weather permitting).

OK - the rules are very simple.....actually there are none - but I've had a lot of interest in this event amongst my readers.....so, first-timers - read on!

1. This is FUN!!

2. Anyone can take part!

3. These events need nothing more than a blog to take part!

4. Nothing too serious - it's FUN!

5. Preparation for Camp just comprises reading this information!

6. The camp runs for 24 hours, but each training session should take no more than 5-10 minutes of your valuable time.

7. Did I mention the FUN??

8. And you get to put funky little buttons on your blog like mine over there [nods to sidebar]. Medals are awarded in ratio to your scores.

9. The camp kicks off at 10pm UK time (British Summer Time) on the 1st May (tomorrow) and the start time has been cleared with Barbara in BlogOlympicHQ.

10. Remember - FUN!

11. So that'll be somewhere between 2pm and 4pm in the US, depending on your time zone. Check here (damned Daylight Savings/Summer Time - screwing up all the times!) And if you're still not sure, there is a countdown clock on my sidebar to make it just that little bit easier....

12. Finally, I'm sure our intrepid reporters LazyDaisy and Killired will be there noting down all the scandal - I mean results :-)

Now, just to reassure you, the training camps are usually comprised of games or exercises you put your blog through to see how you score on various measuring websites. We've had loading speed, balancing blogs against previous winners, blog parties to measure number of bloglinks, and a Technorati search. I can't tell you what my training camp will be until tomorrow, but it's something I check regularly to see how my blog is 'getting out there'!

And - while you're waiting for 'kick-off', I can strongly recommend WendyWings' monthly Casting Call! A great way to meet other bloggers you might not normally get to see.....

cq

Self-Indulgnce is not a Sin....much

While cruising Google for images last night, I pulled up my favourite search parameters.........and got these........

Hubba hubba!!!!! Thank you John Christopher Depp II :-)

cq

more news on the BlogOlympic Training Camp coming later today - when the whole world is awake! :-)

A Little from Column A, a little from Column B!

ok, round up time at the Palace..... please have hankies at the ready :-)

First - and most important. Don't forget the 6th BlogOlympic Training Session this Monday! The format and competition is secret, but all will be revealed in good time.

As I am in the UK, it is starting at 10pm British Summer Time. Check the countdown clock in my sidebar for your start time!
Ha! I bet you'd all thought I'd forgotten! Nope! :-)



And I was pleasantly surprised to get 'Fanmail'. Yep, got my first honest to god fan email this week, from a lurker:

Dear CQ...Hope you appreciate fan-mail!!

Just had to let you know what a huge fan I am of both CQ's Palace and the BRITCATS blog. I've been following both almost from the start ....and would love to join in properly, but alas, I don't currently have internet access at home. I have a cute little female cat (tortie and white) called Tinker who's always in trouble (her name reflects something of her "cattitude") and as soon as I get my own computer, I'm going to start a blog for her too. Like you, I love writing (& would love to do so either for myself or the pussy cat) but at present I'm just a rather frustrated blogster... but you have inspired me, nonetheless!
However, I'll probably just have to "lurk" for the time being (sigh!).

Please keep up the excellent work CQ, and I'll carry on reading and enjoying.
Thanks for all the entertainment, and Tinker says to tell you "meow (hiya)" too...!

Thank you for the message, PB, and I'll do my best to keep standards high here in the Palace!

And, just to massage my fragile ego a little more, this comment was tucked away in yesterday's post.......

13 fings about me

1. Miss CQ
2. Miss her lots
3. Boo misses her
4. Boo misses her lots too
5. We both miss her
6. We both miss her lots
7. We sometimes miss her every day
8. We sometimes miss her everyday lots
9. We sometimes miss her 50 times a day
10. Ummmmmm....we miss her loads
11. We miss her hugs
12. We miss her hugs loads and loads
13. We miss her shoulders (slight little dig here....'member??)

from silentmum and my god-daughter in Calgary [brave smile] that made me cry! :-)

and yes, sm, I remember the shoulders :-)

So thank you all, for visiting my modest little blog about my modest little life. I am constantly overwhelmed by the love out there.

Can't beat a bit of bloglove :-)

And finally, this was sent to me at work - I LOVE it (especially 'Pretty House and Big Scary Road!) :-)

cq

ps - kudos to anyone who can tell me where the title of this post comes from - ie, who said it and in what film.......

Friday Firteen

Thirteen Reason why I didn't do a Thursday Thirteen.....

1. I went out! I know, I know - a rarity in the Palace.

2. As we were going to the cinema anyway, I got the night off from kitchen duties and went shopping.

3. First stop the optician. Good news; my eyesight is improving slightly (as sometimes happens with short sight). Bad news; I now need varifocals [wails in despair 'oh god, I'm getting OLD!!']

4. And more bad news - the lenses alone were £250+, then add frames, insurance, eye test.......£400!! :-(

5. To cheer myself up I bought a book I have been promising myself for ages. Since reading Mo Hayder's wonderful 'Tokyo', I have been itching to read 'The Rape of Nanking' - which I now have.... :-)

6. And in three weeks, I will be able to read with my new specs on!

7. More good news - Pizza with cyberkitten and bionicdwarf (the latter just about the only non-blogging crazie!).......two of my absolute favourite male type people :-)

8. After dinner, I got a cheap version of Queen's Greatest Hits, falling in with kitty on a 3 for £18 deal - CDs are SO expensive here.....[wriggles in seat[ listening to it now!]

9. Then off to the cinema to see Tristan and Isolde with Rufus Sewell.......[dribble]

10. Bearing in mind it's a love story, the leads were excruciatingly wet.

11. The film was saved by the DELICIOUS Rufus Sewell as King Marke [beatific smile]. That man should come with a health warning - he is positively edible! Although this time, he cut off all those lovely curls :-(

12. The battle scenes were rather good - and very graphic...lots of severing of limbs. Even Rufus got his hand severed in the first ten minutes of the film...didn't affect his performance at all [snigger]

13. Did I mention Rufus Sewell?? :-)

cq

Wordless Wednesday

cq

And still they come.....

Anyone notice the little comment from bob-kat on my last post?

Hello CQ, Bet you can't guess who this is :-)

Yeah, I did - and I was thrilled to see that person on-blog. She's been lurking for ages!

She's a she - and that's all I'm gonna say.....except I've known her for a few years now and I love her to bits....

She's only just moved into Bobkat's House, so go on over, take a dish and welcome her to the neighbourhood. She'll have that place looking like home in no time! :-)
"random musings here on just about everything and anything. Also, look out for the occasional mini-rant." - should fit in fine [nods head sagely]

:-)

cq

ps - no more history for a bit, I promise :-)

Monday Memory

This week's Monday Memory is a lament for my lost post.

Half an hour of careful choosing pictures and words, sculpting a lovely post - and as I hit submit Blogger disconnected and ate it....

[soulful rendition of The Last Post]

....and a moment craved of your time to answer OldOldLady's question.

"Where does St. Crispin fit in?"

St Crispin was/is the patron saint of cobblers (shoemakers) and his feast day is the 25 Oct.
Which, coincidentally enough, is also the day of the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 when 6,000 English defeated 30,000 French (or so the history books say).

Which, in turn, led to Shakespeare's wonderful St Crispin's Day speech in Henry V :-)

'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's Day'
William Shakespeare King Henry V, Act IV, Scene 3

In the preceding Act (III, Scene 1), King Henry V makes the pre-battle speech that begins with the now everday phrase:
'Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;'

and finishes with the famous phrase,
‘Cry God for Harry, England and St. George!’
(abridged - it's a VERY long speech.....!)

cq

St George's Day

ST GEORGE - PATRON SAINT OF ENGLAND

ST GEORGES DAY - APRIL 23RD

Each country in the UK has its own ‘Patron Saint’ who in times of great peril is called upon to help save the country from its enemies. St David is the patron saint of Wales, St Andrew of Scotland and St Patrick of Ireland - St George being the patron saint of England.

But who was St. George, and what did he do to become England’s Patron Saint?
Very little is known about St. George’s life, but it is thought he was a high ranking officer in the Roman army who was killed in around AD 303.
It seems that the Emperor Diocletian had St. George tortured to make him deny his faith in Christ. However despite some of the most terrible torture even for that time, St George showed incredible courage and faith and was finally beheaded near Lydda in Palestine. His head was later taken to Rome where it was interred in the church dedicated to him.

Stories of his strength and courage soon spread throughout Europe. The best-known story about St. George is his fight with a dragon, but it is highly unlikely that he ever fought a dragon, and even more unlikely that he ever visited England, however his name was known there as early as the eighth-century.
In the Middle Ages the dragon was commonly used to represent the Devil. Unfortunately the many legends connected with St. George’s name are fictitious, and the slaying of the ‘Dragon’ was first credited to him in the twelfth-century.

St. George, so the story goes, killed a dragon on the flat topped Dragon Hill in Uffington, Berkshire, and it is said that no grass grows where the dragon’s blood trickled down!

It was probably the 12th century Crusaders however who first invoked his name as an aid in battle.
King Edward III made him the Patron Saint of England when he formed the Order of the Garter in St. George's name in 1350, and the cult of the Saint was further advanced by King Henry V, at the battle of Agincourt in northern France.

Shakespeare made sure that nobody would forget St. George, and has King Henry V finishing his pre-battle speech with the famous phrase, ‘Cry God for Harry, England and St. George!’

King Henry himself, who was both warlike and devout, was thought by his followers to possess many of the saint’s characteristics.

The celebration of St George's Day is currently fairly low key in England and much more celebrated elsewhere. However, the Royal Society of St George, St George's Day and other movements seem to be succeeding in their constant efforts to revive St. George's Day as the day on which to celebrate being English.

An interesting piece of trivia - Shakespeare was born on St. George’s Day. 1564, and if the story is to be believed, died on St. George’s Day, 1616.
An appropriate end perhaps for the man who helped to immortalise the Saint in English tradition.

Text from Culture UK

Even Google is getting in on the act!

Update: in repsonse to Barbara's good wishes.......St George's Day is *not* a recognised holiday - how 'bout that then?? But then - neither is Trafalgar Day - or Armistice Day........it's 'pick an historical event' time!

cq

Saturday

It must be Saturday [points to heaps of laundry].

MB is out playing golf, Pandora is sleeping the sleep of the elderly and Charlie is roaming about the house quietly (for a change!!)

Showed my boss my TT and he grinned - told you all he was cool!

I had a quirky conversation yesterday. After a meeting where I took the minutes, I was tappeting away zealously on my computer.

'What are you doing?' asked boss
'Typing up the minutes while the meeting is fresh in my mind,' replied me.
He looked amused.
'I should have them out by Tuesday,' I said.
'The members will have heart attacks,' he grinned. 'They don't usually get them for a month after the meetings........'

Perhaps I am being a little over-efficient?? :-)

Ah, well...laundry.......and Michele.....beckons.......

cq

Frolicking Friday

How To Give A Cat A Pill

1) Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2) Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3) Retrieve cat from bedroom and throw soggy pill away.

4) Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right fore-finger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

5) Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.

6) Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees. Hold front and rear paws firmly. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7) Retrieve cat from curtain rail. Get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered Doulton figures from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8) Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to stretch out flat on top of cat with head just visible from below arm-pit. Put pill in end of drinking straw. Force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

9) Check label to make sure pill is not harmful to humans. Drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10) Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11) Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of your last tetanus shot. Throw tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12) Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil-wrap.

13) Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table. Find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed, force cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet steak. Hold head vertically and pour pint of water down throat to wash pill down.

14) Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room. Sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Stop by the furniture store on way home to order new table.

15) Arrange for RSPCA to find a new home for cat and ring local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.....

Classic :-)

- and when I showed this to my mother, she nearly had a coronary laughing.....and fell off her chair!

cq

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things Things I like about my new job 1. My new boss [waves at boss]. We've known each for a few years and I'm enjoying working for him. 2. My new colleagues - there are only eight of us in my immediate department! 3. My new environment - eight of us tucked away in a corner of the office :-) 4. I knew more than I thought I did! 5. After running the 3-man section single-handedly for three months, my boss is happy for me to help pick up the wayside jobs using my skills. 6. My boss is a bloke. No offence to the women out there, but in my 20yrs only two women bosses have ever been any good. 7. It's nice and central - ie near the shop! :-) 8. Because I am now in a much more central part of a 7,000 person site, I am making contact with old friends I haven't spoken to in years. 9. My boss tells me to go home at 3.30 [big grin] 10. I don't, of course....... 11. I can use my experience and it is welcomed. 12. I have already put some new processes in place. 13. I think I'm gonna like it there :-) Thursday Thirteen Blogroll - All Thursday Thirteen participants can be seen on the Thursday Thirteen blogroll to your right and down a bit - go on...have a wee surf! Thursday Thirteen Blog - Yup, the phenonomen has its own blog!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants via this linky thing

cq

Wordless Wednesday

I'm handing you over to the BBC as words fail me..........

Vandals wreck children's centre.

Vandals wrecked a newly-refurbished children's centre the night before it was due to reopen.
Attackers threw rocks and stones at Whaddon Children's Centre in Cheltenham on Easter Monday, smashing 67 windows.

When staff arrived at the centre on Tuesday for their first day of work, they found shards of glass littering the classrooms inside.
Three children aged 11, 13 and 15, have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, Gloucestershire Police said.

The centre, run by Gloucestershire County Council, provides 65 full-time daycare spaces for youngsters.
It had undergone a government-funded £713,000 rebuilding and enlargement programme.
Two rooms have been sealed off while workmen repair the damage, which is estimated to run into thousands of pounds.

Centre manager Joanne Rack said: "It's very sad. There's equipment here that has never been played with that we'll now have to throw away.
"There are shards of glass everywhere and when you're dealing with babies and small children you can't take any chances."

Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/4923216.stm

ps - wanna know how they knew who did it? The little vandals were BRAGGING.....bragging about this despicable act.....and someone turned them in!

cq

Blogpimping

Time for a bit of blogpimping, I think - which in layman's terms means;

a. I can't think of anything to write
b. other people have such cool stuff on their blogs!

Aginoth! Aginoth and the family have just come back from a weekend living in the 14C and making soap (each to their own!) - catch up with their doings here!

Fizzy is holding a fun game on her blog! The Adjective Game. Dig out your dictionaries, and bimble over for a fun game!

Mah Blogsistah Dawn is going through the mincer trying to arrange her wedding - some blogsupport would be nice :-) It'll all come out right in the end........ :-)

And over in Genuineland - it is Genuine and Genuine Wife's 7th wedding anniversary [altogether now........ahh] - someone buy that man a Sheep!!

Over in the Hills, our very own OldOldLady is celebrating her 100th post (actually her 101st post!) with 100 Things!

Over on the Enterprise, Jean-Luc Picard and Beverley Crusher are Undercover! Check out Jean-Luc's latest adventure.

Daisy has a very sweet A-Z of friendship on her blog....

Fancy some Grilled Chocolate Sandwiches?? rashbre has the recipe [wipes mouth]

Uisce has actually blogged! I was beginning to think he'd broken all his fingers!

And finally, my Sweeeeeeeeet Georgia Rose is celebrating a very special birthday today :-D

Enjoy!

cq

Monday Memory

Whilst doing the whole 'Michele' thing, I wandered over to JennyPenny's blog and was intrigued by this Post.

How did you start blogging?

Well, my 'blogparent' (one who gets you into blogging) was Aginoth. Best mate, colleague, pseudo-bruv. He came into work and constantly talked about his 'blog'.
Intrigued I visited the site and discovered it was like a funky internet journal.

I was itching to comment on his remarks, so I created myself a profile. I used Craziequeen, as I have been 'Queen of the Crazies' for some years now. My original picture was a green dragon - anyone remember that?

I commented on Aginoth's blog for a while, visited some of his blogroll (mostly similar journal stuff) and after a few weeks of constant nagging from my beloved friend, I started my own blog.

It was originally called It's A Cat's Life, and I made my first post on the 28th Sept 2005. I had an ulterior motive, in that I was intending to learn to ski and had given myself a punishing training schedule - and this blog was part of my support!
I must say, my blogroll looked a lot different in those days, as did my blog before I learnt to play with HTML!

In those days some of my regulars thought I was a boy, and I can remember posting this to cyberkitten's delight.

I struggled with blogging in the beginning, thinking my life (or what I wanted to reveal of it) was too boring for everyone else, so I posted jokes, emails, pictures.

On Oct 14 2005, I rebranded! Of course, what I didn't realise is then no one's links worked! So it took a few days to find everyone and tell them the new URL. Form then on my blog became The Palace!

And it was about this time I started talking about my cats. Now, anyone who knows me knows I am barmy about my felines.......what a surprise I had in store!

And on Oct 16 2005 my dear friend Cyberkitten started his blog too - seeking answers to those eternal questions from a wider audience!

A sucker for punishment, on the 25 Oct 2005 I opened my Storystore. Somewhere to put my junky scribblings, really. In fact, I am considering closing it soon unless I get the urge to write some more. My writing muse is MOST fickle.....

And on Oct 31, I created blogs for my cats! :-) And boy, were they popular! SO many cat and dog bloggers out there! I swear they get more comments than I do! And there are more starting up every day. Having two blogs for them was too much work, so a couple months later they had one shared one..

By this time I had discovered the aforementioned Michele, and my blogroll just grew and grew. Some became distant and I took them off, some new ones arrived and I put them on.

Christmas was the month of my ambitious Blog Advent and the ambitious Christmas Memories posts - remember them? January and February were mostly skiing and the recovery from the injury [sigh] yep, I know!
And, on a more personal note, I came clean about my depression and I started blogging more personal stuff.

So here we are, April 2006 - 7 months old and my blog seems to be thriving. I have made lots of friends, I am using my blog to help with those awful struggles of conscience, I am using it as a sounding board when my depression threatens to overwhelm me (although I keep my writing in check - don't want to scare everyone off!) and I use it as a journal. Sometimes exciting, more often than not boring....but it's mine, all mine.

I leave you with an excerpt from Oct 14;

I sent my mother the first page of my blog, to illustrate my new venture into IT. She said that blogging seems essentially narcissistic.

I wonder - is it narcissistic? Or is it a reflection of the loneliness of the modern technological age? Or is it taking advantage of a wonderful opportunity to put oneself 'out there' and meet new people?

edit: Laquet has had a crack at answering my question.......have a looksee on her blog!

cq

The Weird Meme

I have been Tagged by My Sweet Georgia Rose!

Here are the rules of this tag:
Go write weird facts/things/etc. about yourself in my comment box and on your blog, then tag six more people!

Then leave a comment that says "You are tagged" in their comments telling them to read your blog.

Weird things about the Queen? Now this is going to be hard...[snigger]....

1. Since I had abdominal surgery I sleep curled around a pillow!! We had to sleep like that in hospital to aid the healing and protect the staples. Now ten years later, I can’t sleep without a pillow snuggled into my belly.
2. Spookily like YellowRose, to go to sleep I used to rub my feet together...it's really something I do unknowingly. I agree, it's a comfort thing and I did it since my surgery. I gather I don’t do it any more.
3. One of my bumper stickers reads ‘I believe in dragons, good men and other fantasy creatures’. The other one reads ‘I brake for fairies, elves, gnomes, leprechauns, and other invisible creatures that only I can see.’ I love when I see people stop behind me in queues and crane to read the words, then giggle…. I want ‘Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons - for you are crunchy and good with ketchup!’
4. I am allergic to an endless list of things……… but the weirdest one is I am allergic to my own adrenaline. Cool, huh??
5. In the Zodiac I am a Scorpio, in the Chinese horoscope I am a dragon, and according the Shaman calendar I am a snake…….very cuddly - not! The one I agree with is the Chinese one.
6. I think Johnny Depp actually managed to make Willy Wonka sexy…. ‘Let’s boogie!’ - let's be honest...he'd make paper towels sexy!

I'm not tagging - but if you want to steal this, feel free to leave a link or comment.

cq

Happy Easter!

To my blogging friends,

To my Crazies,

To my lurkers

And to my colleagues who lurk(!)

Happy Easter Everyone!!

wanna freak yourself out? Say the kitty words in a Joey Tribbiani chat-up voice - puts a whole new perspective on the picture........

Update: What's that saying? Cast your bread upon the waters and it will come back tenfold (or buttered, depending on your interpretation)?

I have just been given a big box of my favourite chocolates and some little coffee chocolate eggs by MB.

cq

Moral Dilemma

Folks, today was Moral Dilemma Day in the Palace.......

Why, I hear you ask.....

Well.......

When I was visiting Aginoth in hospital they had an Easter Raffle running. I paid a quid and got tickets, just to put money in the pot - I mean, I never win these things, right??

I won.

Not only did I win, but I won the main prize, a basket full to bursting with chocolates, eggs and all kinds of Easter yummies.

I was thrilled......then I was concerned.......then I was guilty.

Thrilled - like I said, I never win raffles.....oh apart from that one time I won an adjustable screwdriver..less said about that the better!

Concerned - I have an eating disorder (they came free with my depression - I'm on my second now!) and bingeing is second nature to me. What would I do with a whole basket of chocolate.......?

Guilty - oh dear, I have always thought I should be Jewish (no offence!). I am extremely good at the guilt thing. Why should I have all that chocolate when there are kiddies out there who would die to get it?

So I rang the hospital back and said 'Can you arrange to get my prize up the road to the Children's Hospital?'

As I type this, there is a huge basket of chocolate and goodies in Ward 33 (long stay children's ward) and lots of very poorly children who don't yet know the Easter Bunny will be visiting this year.

I did right, I know I did.
Of course, now I feel guilty that I told you........oh dear.....

cq

The Aftermath

Well judging by the mess, a good time was had by all!

Amongst highlights;

Cyberkitten pulled my maid!

My valet, Walt, was most accommodating - or so I understand! Amongst others; Dawn and OldOldLady were taken by his youthful charms and - er - energy!

Rashbre turned up with a delicious hamper of food for all including skewered Garlic Chicken with Coriander Chutney; a selection of Peking duck wontons, deep-fried and served with Plum Sauce and rather improbably some mini Yorkshire puddings with pink lamb & minted gravy. Not to mention the char grilled asparagus with the scrummy Hollandaise sauce - the latter were a big hit with Dawn! That girl knows how to party!

Aginoth and Mrs Aginoth took a short break from sewing and the media circus to join us for a few drinks and dave managed to sample most of the cellar!

Kerry left her Little Princess at home and partied down with us, enjoying the champagne a lot!

We were also graced with the company of Paste and Cheeks. The former was, I think, stopping off on the way home from somewhere else. But even in his alcoholic haze, he managed to charm Jane! Being Royalty, I won't harp on about what he did to my very expensive carpet and a Louis XIV chair!

Music included Queen [pokes tongue out at Keda), Nina Simone and The Mad.

Wendy turned up with her film crew and Yellow Rose made it all the way from Georgia, bearing a gift of Krug, Clos du Mesnil [which was duly hidden by me. Here it is, see?


I finally gave in at 2am.......not bad considering certain people had had me up since 3am yesterday morning.......[glares at felines]

Dawn and I managed a quiet blogsisterly moment before I headed off to my bedchamber. Walt and Clara looked after the guests that arrived later.

Cat and Kitty had a late night raid of my champagne stores and OldOldLady came back for more partying.....and Walt from the sound of it!

Barbara, Derby's Mum (Derby is a pal of Charlie Cat's!) and T came later to sample the champagne and dig into my crab cakes, shortly joined by Stephanie and Ribbiticus.

And to top it all off, Rashbre turned up this morning with fresh coffee and croissants for me, Ribbiticus finally found her way back to the drawing room (I think she got lost in the 23 reception rooms!) and Jane popped in to see if anyone had survived.......

btw - has anyone seen Genuine's underwear? Clara??

and now, it being Good Friday, I am going to binge on hot cross buns!

cq

Palace Easter Blog Party II

Wow, the first (UK and others) phase of the party was a roaring success and with over 300 comments, its time to open a new thread.

Champagne flowed, there was dancing and singing. Good food was eaten (and brought, thank you rashbre).
Clara has cleared away the debris and restocked the buffet tables, which are now groaning under the weight of food. Walt has cleaned all the glasses and is as we speak bringing cases of wine, beer, spirits and, of course, champagne up from the cellar.....

The Brits are now fading away to bed, and it's over to our American and Canadian [coughs and others!] cousins to keep the party going.

So eat, drink and be merry and remember - your only constraint is your own imagination.

When I retire to the Royal Bedchamber, Walt and Clara will look to your every need........and with the reputation they are both getting I mean; every need!

cq

Palace Easter Blog Party

Flings open HUGE doors..........



Welcome to the Easter Party at the Crazie Palace!!

Right a few directions around the estate;

This is the Great Hall



This is the Drawing Room where there will be dancing



Here is the den, booze and nibbles on the table over there and Walt will take care of your every need. If you have brought some additions, Walt will make a space...



and we have lit candles in the arbour, if anyone fancies a moonlit stroll


Everyone, have a lovely time!

Clara will be circulating with drinks and nibbles throughout the afternoon and evening and Walt will be manning the tables.

cq

remember - we are nothing without our imaginations! :-)

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things Things I have to do today (which are real and which are fake!) 1. Write Thursday Thirteen. 2. Do a big grocery shop. 3. Wash the floor of the Great Hall 4. Top up the fluids in my car. 5. Dust down the bar in the den. 6. Have lunch out with friends 7. Put new drapes up in the drawing room. 8. Watch friends on news. 9. Go to cinema. 10. Pay Clara and Walt overtime. 11. Move the Rolls to the back of the palace. 12. Supervise making of crustless cucumber sandwiches. 13. Visit other Thursday Thirteeners. Thursday Thirteen Blogroll - All Thursday Thirteen participants can be seen on the Thursday Thirteen blogroll to your right and down a bit - go on...have a wee surf! Thursday Thirteen Blog - Yup, the phenonomen has its own blog!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants via this linky thing

cq

Meet the Staff

Hello [dipping curtsey] My name is Clara and I am Her Majesty’s personal maid.

The dress code for the Royal Blog Party is ‘anything goes’ from Black Tie to Bermuda Shorts. Her Majesty knows you all have busy schedules and don’t have time for extra shopping sprees. Her Majesty will be wearing scarlet. Of course, it would be much appreciated if you could describe your outfit during the evening.

On arrival Her Majesty will greet you in the Great Hall. There will be dancing in the drawing room and drinks and nibbles will be in the den. Feel free to use the romantic arbour in the garden if you wish to be alone with that special someone.

You are free to advertise this event on your blogs, and Her Majesty has given permission for her gilt edged invitation to be reproduced locally for your readers. Your blogging friends are more than welcome to attend.
As Her Majesty says ‘More the Merrier’.

Gifts are not necessary, although you are welcome to bring your own alcohol and nibbles to add to the fare.

To get here; close your eyes, click your heels together and say 'Take me to the Palace' three times, click on the link - then you're here!



Hello [slight bow] My name is Walt and I am Her Majesty’s personal valet.

I have been instructed to pass on technicalities. This event is unusual in human blogging circles, but has proved immensely successful in the feline fraternity.
Finnegan and Buddy,
Lady Patches, Mittens and Mistrie.
Feel free to go on over and visit their blogs to see how the virtual party works.
Principally, the party will be held within the comments section of the Party Post. You may comment and chatter as much as you like. There will be other people there to talk to [quietly crosses slender fingers]

I have here the international times for this event [clicks on mouse]
World Clock
Please use this link to identify your own time zone. To make allowances for the time differences between the UK, US and NZ, we have scheduled the party to begin at 10pm British Summer Time (that's GMT+1hr).
I have, for the OldOldLady, noted that the start time in Los Angeles is 3pm (allowing for Daylight Saving!) on Thursday afternoon. However, we are having open season at the Palace – which means if you’re not sure, pop in and see what’s going on! :-)

Of course, some of you may be working on Maundy Thursday, in which case you may drop by any time in the evening your time – I’m sure Her Majesty would be pleased to know you have been, even though she may have retired by then.

The party will continue until…….well, until everyone leaves!

So, eat, drink, chat and be merry…….

Blogging Invite

What's up, Doc?

Time for a quick Palace roundup.....yeehaw!! [coughs] sorry.....

My new job is going quite well after a bumpy start. I know more than I thought I did about Health and Safety! My new boss is very nice - we've known each other through work for years .......and he has the link to this blog :-) Being more centrally based now I am making contact with old friends I've not spoken to for ages. I was approached after a recent training session and the young lady said 'I love your blog!' I was suitably impressed.......

My back is steadily improving. It had a slight setback last week but on the whole is almost healed.

Bird flu is here in Britain - it's official. Just thought I'd drop that in!

I have signed up to host a BlogOlympic training session. For those who haven't 'got' this yet; it's an exercise you put your blog through to see how you score on various websites. We've had loading speed, balancing blogs against previous winners, blog parties to measure number of bloglinks, and a Technorati search. I can't tell you what my training camp will be, but it's something I check regularly to see how my blog is 'getting out there'!

Oh, and I will shortly be sending out invitations to an Easter BlogParty at the Palace. It's easy to get here; close your eyes, click your heels together and say 'Take me to the Palace' three times - then you're here! Bring booze, food, anything you like. Costumes are welcome, but you do have to describe them! It will be an all nighter to ensure all the US bloggers can come. To see the theory in action see this link - same principle albeit animals! And watch out for those invites....... :-)

Remember this? Well, Norman Kember was released last week with his two Canadian colleagues. Sadly, Tom Fox didn't survive as he was executed just weeks before the forces went in to free the hostages. Prayers to the Fox family and I hope Norman is settling back in at home :-)

Edit: Anyone curious about the new arrival on my blog? It's a lickle ol' dragon fetus to keep George comp'ny.....any suggestions on names for the little fella/girly? I got the website from Killired and chose myself a ickle dragon! Of course, Killired had to have the PINK one :-)

And finally - it's the weekend, so I have done a full trawl of my blogroll. Thuis is now going to happen once a week, to ensure I stay in touch, as well as my regular daily chitchats! :-)

cq

NOT a Friday Feast

Unlike a lot of bloggers, I don't do Friday Feasts.

From now on the Palace will be having Frolicking Fridays - when I post the best/funniest emails received in the Royal inbox - like this!


This is for those born 1920-1979! (ps - yes, the little 'angel' in the picture is me!)

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright coloured lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pickup on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank lemonade made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because....

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day.

And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable or satellite , no video films or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms..........

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from soil, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given pop guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

We had football and cricket trials and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to cope with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.

They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

If YOU are one of them . . . CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?! [snigger]

cq