Talisman

Coran and I have just got back from Trans Pride in Brighton - and despite the rain (which was torrential at times), it was great. We all marched from the Marlborough Pub down the seafront to Brunswick Park near Hove, about 2 miles away. Lots of people were taking pictures and asking me about the sign I was carrying - which was of course the whole point, to make people think, although with most on the march with us I think I was probably preaching to the converted. The sign, which was laminated in all the different colours of the rainbow read "I am neither L G or B, but my Trans wife suits me to a T. My only label is lucky". People tend to make assumptions I find when they realise that I am a woman married to a trans woman that I must be either L or B, which I do not consider myself to be. Like the sign says, I prefer not to label myself, but if I have to I would say I am lucky. The sign started a few interesting conversations, including one with Irish TV company RTE who wanted to interview us for a documentary they are doing to be shown next year. You may then see us on Irish TV at some point.

Sorry to hear about the knee - that sounds painful. I hope it will at least a bit better before you go to Croatia. I am going there myself at the end of September (this time of year is too hot for me), so I will be interested to hear what you think about it. What part are you going to? I thought you meant the other C word there for a minute - until I realised you must be referring to a certain religious festival at the end of the year! I don't want to even think about that until at least November. Happy anniversary Noll - and good luck with all the studying. I for one am very glad indeed to finish work for the week. I have worked really hard these past few days. Lots of the clients are moving around to different flats at the moment, so I had to deep clean one of them this week, shampoo another 2 carpets and scrub the kitchen floor, as well as the usual day to day stuff that needs doing. I will be glad when my lady cleaner is back to work after her op - that won't be for at least another month though. She came in for a visit on Wednesday and seems okay. She is a bit sore though as the stiches had just come out. I think she is getting a bit bored at home with not much to do and I can't day I blame her.

My boss treated the entire department (all 9 of us including himself) to lunch at the local greasy spoon today. There was a board (bored) meeting today and another large event with lots of visitors, so I think he wanted to get away from the site for a while - not that I can blame him. Either way it was very nice of him and a great excuse to spend time together and not do any work for an hour and a half.

Yes it was a nice weekend Peacefield. As to what I thought about GOT - it seemed to pass in a bit of a blur if I am honest. It usually takes me a few episodes to get into a new series as it gradually grows on me. One thing I do know though is that I like the new Sansa - she has really matured since marrying that horrible man - which isn't surprising I suppose. Coran and I have another interesting weekend ahead - this Saturday we are going to Trans Pride in Brighton. This is an annual event for the transgender community (Coran is of course trans), which last year was great fun. Everyone walks along the seafront to a small square near Hove which is where the afternoons event takes place. They usually have stalls from trans organisations (one of whose websites' Coran has helped to design, so it is important for her to be there), with talks and workshops going on, among other things - and of course a beer tent. I asked the woodwork tutor at work to make me a placard which will carry an interesting and challenging message (to some at least anyway) and we have had some special t shirts designed as well for us to wear. I just hope the rain stays away.

Coran and I have had a good weekend. We went into Guildford yesterday to stock up on Lush goodies among other things and had a nice lunch in Pizza Express. They really are brilliant as they now do both vegan and gluten free pizzas. Neither of us are of course vegan, but having now tried their new vegan pizza we both agree that is it our new favourite. This morning we went for a walk up the viewpoint at Box Hill, which we haven't done for a while even though it is only a mile and a half from home. This afternoon we had a Game of Thrones fest in preparation for the new series tomorrow night, which we are both really looking forward to. I am also looking forward to seeing a lot of the places in Croatia in September where it was filmed.

We have been re watching Game of Thrones in preparation for the new series tomorrow night - can't wait!

I was going to recommend the other Eckhart Tolle book A New Earth, but I am guessing you may have read that one already too.

runner

Borderline - Madonna

We are having a mixed veg stroganoff with brown rice - it's a great way to get your five a day and use up any leftover veg. I will be using a red onion, broccoli, green beans, carrots, baby corn cobs and a few cherry tomatoes.

It is much cooler than it has been with temperatures around the low 20's. We had heavy rain during the night, but the sun came out at lunchtime, and it looks like a lovely evening.

Finding some gluten free chocolate éclairs in Sainsbury's!

I was about to say the same thing.

That sounds like a great trip. I look forward to reading all about it. I agree though, that is a very good deal I got - which is why I snapped it up quick before anyone else did!

Where are you planning to go? It all sounds very exciting. I am going to Croatia in September and had booked a room in Split which at the time sounded quite nice with good reviews. Thankfully I chose the option with free cancellation as when I checked again a few days ago they had some awful reviews saying how it had gone downhill since last summer and that you should avoid staying there at all costs. I searched then for a different place and found a brilliant 2 bed apartment all to myself at 56 percent off - just £62 for 4 nights. That really is amazing value and was far too good to pass up, so I have booked that and cancelled the other place. I hope it cools down too. The temperature at work today must have well into the 80's which is far too hot for me, especially when like me you are doing the work of 3 people. At least I have some help tomorrow, which is just as well as at the moment even with the fan on I feel as if I am about to melt. I might have to something drastic like cracking open one of those cold beers I have in the fridge!

Absolutely roasting here - far too hot for my sort of work.

heart

bus

Well done Lau Lau and hope you are feeling better Shirley. It has been very hot and muggy here these past few days, and set to get hotter still. They are forecasting temperatures of up to 91 degrees by the end of tomorrow. I hope that's wrong as I really don't like having to work in those sort of conditions. It will be busy for me for a few days, as my lady cleaner has finished work for a few weeks now to have her shoulder operation and my other cleaner is also away for a week, working at a music festival in Poland that he does every year. That leaves me working on my own for a few days. Thankfully our new gardener has agreed to help with cleaning on Friday and Monday next week, the days that he doesn't do gardening. I think he is glad of the overtime, and I am certainly glad of his help. By the end of this week I will probably want to collapse in a heap!

I am on book no. 43 at the moment and will probably finish it today.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. I will try not to get jealous of Brian visiting the Lake District. It was only a week ago after all that Coran and I got back from our summer holiday - it doesn't feel like it though, I could do with another one already. Yesterday we went on another protest march - this time it was against austerity. We were in 2 minds about whether to go or not, but after everything that has happened in recent weeks in the end we decided it was too important not to. We didn't go to the start this time, which was at Broadcasting House, but rather waited for them to walk past Piccadilly and joined them there for the last mile or so to Parliament Square. Somehow the atmosphere didn't seem the same as the last one we went on - whether this was because we weren't in the thick of it I am not sure, but it just didn't have the same feel. It was also definitely a lot smaller - I didn't have to queue for the toilets hardly at all at the coffee shop we stopped at near Trafalgar Square. I am still glad we went though, as it is always an interesting experience. Today we are having a quieter day catching up with things at home. We will probably go to Polesden Lacey later on for the jazz.

I have been reading a bit more non fiction these last few months, trying to educate myself on various (to me at least) interesting issue to do with poverty, the state and how it functions and so on, triggered perhaps by the election result and my need to try and make sense of it. I have also read a fair amount of fiction, but nothing that really stands out. Probably the best fiction book I have read in recent months was by Greek/Australian born author Christos Tsilkas - the Jesus Man. This is quite a dark and disturbing tale about a young man who commits shall we say, certain crimes and the effect this has on both him and his immediate family. It covers quite a few themes including religious shall we say fervour, paedophilia, self harm and suicide. Quite disturbing stuff, but nevertheless right up my street. Those who know me will not be surprised to hear this, as I am definitely not one for shying away from the darker elements of human nature.

Several things - first and foremost the knowledge that it was Friday and the end of the week. Having a cuddle from one our clients was also nice, as was getting home to find an ice cream waiting for me in the freezer.

I went to see another live opera last night - not live as in at the actual theatre (sadly I could never stretch to the Royal Opera House and even if I could I would never be able to get home afterwards), but rather a cinema screening. This time it was Otello and it was brilliant and very moving. This was the last one of the season, but there will be more starting in September - there are some great ones that I am already lining up for.

Glad to hear the grandbaby is going well Virginia - she's a cutie. And hope your dentist goes okay Athena - I don't think anyone likes going. I was back to work yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to find that so many clients had been asking where I was and missing me. I had a lot of cuddles yesterday, which was nice. It seems that I missed all the fun while I was away with the bi annual staff away day (one of those team bonding things) and a barbecue last Friday. Everyone managed fine in my absence, and nothing dreadful happened, as I knew it wouldn't anyway. My lady cleaner K has been waiting for an appointment to have her frozen shoulder operated on, and that has finally come through for next Wednesday. She will be off work for 6 weeks, but I am sure we will manage like we always have. My other cleaner is off next week as well, going back to Poland to see his children, so I will be on my own for a few days.