I’ve just spent a couple of days away visiting friends. It wasn’t meant to be a weekend away from the computer, but so it turned out.
I took my laptop with me, and my little book of password reminders. I never take the passwords actually written down, just a phrase or abbreviation to remind me of what the password is .. although there have been times when it’s been a bit too cryptic for me, and I’ve had to reset the damn things. Anyway. I checked into the Horse and Jockey (sadly not actually in this charming building but a Premier Inn built on behind it) and plugged in my little T-Mobile dongle thingy and tried to get online.
T-Mobile have been a source of constant frustration for me. On the whole I like them, and they try to be very helpful, but there are serious holes in the service they provide and this proved to be one of them. The connection was there, but so patchy that pages kept failing to load, which meant my log-in attempts kept failing, and it was telling me my passwords didn’t work.  I rang home begging OH to help. He said my passwords worked fine for him, sitting there with our nice strong broadband signal at home. I, on the other hand, couldn’t even get into my webmail, which meant I couldn’t even reset the passwords that might (or might not) have been wrong. It’s a wonder that laptop is still in one piece, but it is, actually, and so is the dongle. But I’ll be ringing T-Mobile later, when I’ve had enough coffee. See if I don’t.
I had a great time though, frustrations aside. I went to see Heathrow Jenn, and Pinky, a lovely friend of hers who never fails to make me laugh – something I sorely needed. HJ took me and P to see another friend of hers, N, and we all had fun just hanging around, window shopping and indulging in a nice, girly day out.  We found a little cafe where we had afternoon tea with home-made scones and gateaux, and tea made with real tea leaves in a teapot which (true to English afternoon tea tradition) wouldn’t pour without leaking tea all over the table. And since it was served in good old-fashioned white china cups with real, actual saucers, we though we’d have a go at a traditional tea-leaf reading.
That’s my cup, that is. See that triangle in there, with the apex pointing upwards? Apparently that’s a Very Fortuitous Sign and means good luck and suchlike. Yay – I could do with some of that! I could also make out a tiny house, with a man digging next to it, which is kind of goose-bump inducing, since one of the main reasons I went away this weekend was so I didn’t kill the gardeners.
Not everything on the menu was lovely though. Apparently they serve cakes made of wood. Or so it would appear from this menu entry -
Later, N very kindly let me gatecrash her birthday barbecue, which was just lovely – she even took the trouble to make sure I had Jay-friendly food and drink available so that I didn’t get carted off to A&E in an ambulance, which was very sweet of her. I can’t drink alcohol anymore, which is a great pity, but it’s often vastly amusing to be the only sober person at a party. Take a look at this.
No, I’m not going to tell you who he is or what he was doing, but he did give me permission to post it. Of course, he had consumed rather a lot of wine, but well, a blogger can’t afford to miss something like this, now, can she?
Now, for those who can’t see what the heck I’m talking about in the tea leaves, I’m adding this picture. Click to enlarge.
The triangle was pretty clear to us all at the time, but I must admit the house and man are disputed. However, the house leaps out at me, personally, and well, I told you the house and man were tiny, didn’t I?  Honestly – you lot have no imagination. Tut, tut …
And guess what? When I got home, I found the house, and the little man digging was back again today!
I’ve looked at those tealeaves and think my optician did a bad job on my new glasses: no triangular thingymebob or little house (let alone the person digging next to it) was to be seen by me. You must have astounding eye-sight!
So, do I understand correctly and you have your garden being upturned as we speak/write/type/read/whatever?
Maras last blog post..Rotel
Teak cake, hard to swallow if it isn’t toasted
Did he have teak cake untoasted and is he trying to work it past his oesophagus?
Is your garden (nearly) finished now? And how is the Sid-situation? Will he be joining your family? Oh I do hope so. He looks so sweet and has such a smiley face.
Evie and Naloma said to give you a warm noseblow
Carolinas last blog post..Caution line, so many different uses
You’ve been ‘little blogging’ again and see how it does you good!!! No internet connection required! x
Kates last blog post..A sense of humour is essential this week!
I can only see a bunch of tea leaves in the cup I’m afraid. No triangle, no nuffink
babs – beetles last blog post..Double trouble?
Mara – I have very odd eyesight. It’s actually quite bad, and I need high-index lenses or I’d be looking through bottle-bottom glasses. But if I take them off, I can see closer than OH! It’s odd. Anyway, I’ve added a thumbnail for a bigger picture, with labels.
Yes, the gardeners are gardening. I’ll be SO glad when they’re done!
Carolina – Hahaha! I think you have it. He’s a teak cake eater! LOL!
The garden’s still being done, so Sid can’t come home yet.
Kate – What do you mean, ‘little blogging’? I’m lost…
Babs – I’ve added a link for those of you who can’t see the pictures I can see. Of course, increasing the size might still not help! LOL!
I think you were meant to be “logged off” this weekend, as it sounds like you had a lovely time without your Internet. I could use a weekend like that.
LOVED the afternoon tea menu! My mom and I used to go to tea at some of the downtown hotels. Of course, it’s different here (you’d probably laugh at our scones!), but it’s still such a nice tradition. As is any excuse for an extra meal.
Haha . . I think you need a huge imagination to see the house and the ‘little man’ digging. I could do with a ‘little man’ around here actually, the place is a mess after all the rain. Gorgeous little pub . . You have my sunshine! It’s horrible here.
Bainos last blog post..Friday Fuckwit
Too funny what all can be read into. If your eyes are poor your imagination is still rich
.
I thought I saw a little high heel too, in the upper left…however I know nothing of reading tea leaves, never even had it done before. Interesting. So sorry you have been sad, Jay. Care to talk about it? Or have I missed something somewhere. Like I said I haven’t been having your feed come through, nor am I able to reconnect to it, so I hope I have not missed anything.
Lots of hugs though – feel better. I hope the weekend did you lots of good! Sounds like it did.
Sistertexs last blog post..Monty Is With Friends at The Bridge
I have now, btw, managed to fix my feed situation. Don’t know why it kicks it out sometimes, but next time I will remember to try and fix it through my ‘Outlook’ first and ask question later.
Can thank my OH for finding that for me.
Sistertexs last blog post..Monty Is With Friends at The Bridge
Glad you came to visit Jay.x
I’ve been looking harder at that cup. There’s a butterfly, a saucepan,a hedge-hog with a long nose and a woodpecker sitting on a log in there too. (it’s 2am and the rum’s all gone… my exuse. but I don’t know what Mr. Stretchy’s is!)
Oh i just LOVE real tea served in good old-fashioned white china cups with real, actual saucers!! I love that your reading was for GOOD LUCK! You deserve it! xoxo
I get soooo frustrated when I cant get online too. I hope things go well with Tmobile and you can get all that straightened out!
meleah rebeccahs last blog post..The Best Commercial. EVER.
Oh please, sir, may I have some teak cake?
Ruth Hull Chatliens last blog post..I love irises . . .
Well, you do have a good imagination, I will give you that. Either that, or there was something else in that “tea”. Having said that, I will agree with Sistertex – I also see the high heeled shoe. Perhaps Sid has a shoe fetish, similar to Englishmum’s Bert.
Don’t Bug Me!s last blog post..Ice, Ice, Baby! Argentine Style
Never mind the little digging man in the cup, get a load of the tea leaves in your saucer! Three definate disconected lines, indicating trouble with the internet! Not only that but the tea leaves floating in the tea puddle, predict a journey over sea (the part not covered in tea looks like Africa) with mountains involved…
PS. Have never ‘read’ tea leaves before, so you know, take it with a pinch of salt – or mouthful of wooden cake..!
Geri Atrics last blog post..INVIGORATED!
Little bloggers together for the weekend! Meeting in real life!! Like what we did some months back!! Oh never mind…. I’m getting confused now!
Kates last blog post..A sense of humour is essential this week!
JD – I never laugh at people’s scones! Although I might laugh at your ‘English Muffins’ which are never anything like ours. LOL!
Yes, I think maybe I was meant to be away from the computer. I guess we all need that from time to time, huh?
Baino – Well, no wonder it’s horrible down there, you’re heading into winter!! Tell you what, I’ll have your sunshine and you can have my little man – who is quite little. He’s very friendly, and clearly very strong (been watching him cart barrowloads of sand and topsoil and sling stone about like anything). Just take him away!! Please!!
Meredith – No kidding! My rampant imagination gets me into trouble on a regular basis.
Sistertex – It’s just the dogs making me sad, still, I’m afraid.
As the time for Sid to arrive gets closer, I’m having to do more sorting of stuff belonging to Jack and Renie, and it hurts. When I sent the PJs to Tailends last week, I cried at the counter …
I’m so glad you’ve fixed your feed!
Jeni – I see the hedgehog with the long nose! And I think the woodpecker on a log is what I call either a bird or a moth and DBM sees as a high-heeled shoe. Clearly a grouping with huge significance, which is different for everyone! I’m going with ‘bird’ for that one.
The butterfly escapes me though. As does the saucepan – although there may be a psychological reason for that!
Mr Stretchy! Has he seen this yet, I wonder? Tee hee!
Meleah – I haven’t rung T-Mobile yet, I’m gathering up my courage and resources, because it will be a marathon phone call. Must do it before I go away again, though, that’s for sure!
Ruth – Have as much ‘teak cake’ as you like – I certainly won’t be eating it!
DBM – I sincerely hope Sid doesn’t have a shoe fetish! Anyway, the thing you see as a high-heeled shoe is what I interpreted as either a bird or a moth! That’s funny!
Geri – ‘ … a mouthful of wooden cake”! Hahaha!
You have a more vivid imagination than I do! I love the disconnected lines = trouble with t’internet!
Kate – Aaaah! I see! No, the other people aren’t bloggers! HJ is a Depp friend, that’s how I know this bunch! LOL!
Oh, so sorry to hear you’re still raw from your losses; but that’s totally understandable.
I think forced time away from the laptop can be a very good thing… although spending it eating Teak Cake may not be the best choice.
Take care.
Maureens last blog post..Damn Those Horror Flicks
Mmmmm – toasted teak cake used to be one of my favorites – don’t eat it anymore though, to save the rainforest!
And that guy… that’s kind of how I feel about my yoga class too – it feels SOOOO good when you STOP!!
these are just the kind of little aways I love sandy have you seen Johnny’s new movie??
sandys last blog post..I miss her so much
Maureen – Oh, gosh, I still cry so easily!
It’ll get easier, and I’m sure Sid will help.
My dentist would agree with you about teak cake! LOL!
Jeannine – I used to love them too! But I don’t eat them anymore because of the yeast content. :p
Sandy – No, I haven’t – it’s not out here yet!