Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Tannin Poisoning Alert!!!!

Hello Reader,

Well the weekend there was a normal weekend, first one in quite some time (IKEA still suck - shop elsewhere) and the last for quite some time probably. During our weekend we went through to Glasgow to meet Mr Fridge Dad and then Mrs Fridge to meet her friends for lunch. Mr Fridge Dad had a nice Italian meal in an Italian restaurant in George Square, enjoying traditional fish and chips. (Yes, I know). Mr Fridge Dad was getting ready to go off on holiday with Mr Fridge Uncle and Mr Fridge Aunt, down south to Engerland somewhere. Long drive with an overnight stay to pick up Mr Fridge Aunt. Well the point of this ramble is that Mr Fridge Brother has been concerned for some time about the sheer quantity of tea that Mr Fridge Dad drinks and was worried that he may be giving himself tannin poisoning! Well Mr Fridge Brother, you can see from the picture below that you have nothing to worry about. Mr Fridge Dad takes his tea so weak and tea-less that he is effectively drinking hot milk. In the picture it is soooooo weak that only the bubbles on the froth of the milk show that there is actually something in the cup at all : the tea bag was not infused, no. It merely stood nearby and looked at the pot.

If you look carefully you will see Mr Fridge in the teapot.

Mrs Fridge Housewife has been doing a marvelous job getting Property Empire ready for letting and after less than a day's advertising the first person is coming for a viewing tomorrow! Wish us well! Well done Mrs Fridge! What a wife!

Last night we went on a tour round the maternity department in the hospital we hope to have Ice Shelf in. Just like the first visit to the antenatal classes, it makes it all the more real and for only the second time in years and years I felt nervous but Mrs Fridge seemed nice and calm and the visit was very helpful and useful.

3 weeks to go. I am an expectant father with one more house move to go.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Mr Fridge Normal Day

Hello Reader,

A normal day today! I know this as I had sandwiches with me. I went to work, home and no packing, unpacking, cleaning or anything like that. In fact Mrs Fridge is on maternity leave so I have a housewife to come home to for the next coming months. I came home to a tidy flat, food ready, beer in glass and her standing dutifully by the dining table in nice clothes and hands clasped expectantly in front of her.

That said, going to work was not so much fun today. The temporary move has added a few city centre miles onto my route (which was fine Mon-Wed as I was in very early) but today the schools went back and it took me 1 hour 15 minutes to get in due to fat parents driving their equally fat kids to school in their fat carrying 4x4s and therefore clogging up the arteries of Edinburgh, which is not helped by a stupid amount of road works while we have new infrastructure fitted to make way for our new tram system.

Today I received the most stoopid letter I have seen in ages. (Not since I was told I was overcharged by Costco on my £41.98 purchase as it should have been £41.98) My bank sent me a letter saying. 'Thank you for letting us know that you have changed your address.'

They sent it to the old address.

One has to assume it is automated. For those who are worried about us being taken over and dominated and ruled by sentient computing machines need not worry. When letters like that from my bank, and Costco, are sent out then all we need to worry about is the Space Muppets that code them up and design the systems. At worst we would by ruled by officious bureaucrats who ignore common sense and what the population need or want. Hold on . . . it's too late . . . our political leaders are like that . . . (except for the SNP Scottish Government in Scotland, of course! Phew! Close one - just saved myself from an earful from Mr Fridge Dad on Saturday).

Oh! Hello to new reader, Huw, the cricket plank. Thanks for adding me and hope the journey back home went smoothly!

Booby - I have no contact me page on this . . . yet. You have my email. Had your number 2 child yet?

Monday, August 18, 2008

Stage One Move Completed! IKEA REALLY SUCK!

Hello Reader!

(Just in case, the following is my opinion of a bad service).

What a week it was last week! We had packing up of our lives, Ikea doing their level best to provide poor service and leave a pregnant woman to sit on the floor for a day! (Ikea are you reading this? You need to do work on the 'after the customer has handed over the money service' service). We had arranged a delivery of furniture to Property Empire on Thursday morning so I could build it all and Property Empire be ready for Mrs Fridge and Ice Shelf to move in and sit down and relax on Friday. Well, Ikea did not show or call: After many calls they said they would not deliver (one item on list so they do not deliver, erm . . . hold on . . . on the contract it states that they will deliver as much as they have in stock!) Mr Fridge was mad in the furious sense of the word. They said it would now be Friday at 1pm, as a favour mind. Mrs Fridge, had to sit on a yoga mat with 4 cushions waiting for then not to show up on Friday while Mr Fridge worked with our removal company to empty old flat and storage facility. Ikea still did not turn up. Long story slightly shorter, they turned up on Friday at 8pm! 8PM!!! Even then the furniture was dumped in the flat and outside the front door. Once the sofa was turned, so as not to face the wall (cheers guys - you were useless) we found there was a missing cushion on the sofa!

So in summary, Ikea broke delivery agreement, did not inform, lied to me twice (that was you Murray - you told me it was on the van - Laura in customer services told me it was loaded onto the van after 15:30!) and then turned up late and literally dumped the stuff on us! Mr Fridge finished making the bed at 10:30pm and we then had to eat carry out food 11pm!

IKEA! You reading this? It seems that you are happy to take the money but your after sales service sucks and you are happy to let 8 month pregnant ladies sit on the floor! 2 days late in delivery.

So far I have the delivery and picking fee back, when I drove into to pick up the missing sofa cushion. I will keep you updated.

IKEA, YOU SUCK!

Mrs Fridge Mum did an excellent job helping us clean old flat and Mrs Fridge Dad was great at helping us move every day living stuff to Property Empire. Thanks to you both! Mrs Fridge was a lady soldier throughout the whole thing and kept my angry spirit from becoming a berserk fit.

Sunday was Mr and Mrs Millars (her of swishing hair) son's first birthday and all had prepared an amazing buffet! Great party and cannie believe the wee man is a year already!

Time for me to put the oven on for our tea tonight (Haggis, cabbage and tatties).

Mr Non-Angry Fridge will return.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Changing Times if Fridge Life

Hello Reader!

A hello there to Kathy K in the USA! Got your comment Kathy - good to hear form you and I saw your mail today (even though I am out the office - sad, I know). Glad you looking after yourself and planing for the professional future! Good to hear from you. Hugs back over the Atlantic.

Mr Fridge Dad and Mr Fridge Aunt are away on a Jaunt to rest and recuperate in an ooohh so posh seaside spa, don't you know! Relaxing and spoke to them both and they sounded good. Mr Fridge Aunt even has an Irish coffee in a glass with a handle. I suggested she have another . . . with less coffee. She's a truly international lady: half Irish, half Scottish and with an Engerlish accent.

Well in the Fridge household it has been a busy old day! We are packing up all our stuff into boxes to go into storage and it is amazing just how much one (okay two) can distribute within a small one bedroom flat. Mrs Fridge has done a great job, but have had to make sure she took it easy. We went out for lunch and she fell asleep watching the Olympics.

Tomorrow is delivery of furniture to property empire ready for us to move in on Friday! I will be four days short of exactly seven years of living here. It does and does not feel like it.

That bit above the window finally got painted.

Just before I go for the evening, some more hair swishing.


Monday, August 11, 2008

Extraganavanza 2008

Hello Reader!

It has been a very enjoyable weekend and then a very busy weekend with the continuation of our packing for the coming Friday move!

Saturday saw a wonderful long lie and then getting ready for our guests to arrive ready for the Extraganavanza 2008 : The Fringe Festival Party!

We had bought some extra fizzy wine, champagne and cava, and some beer for our guests : other than Mrs Fridge who can not yet let Ice Shelf get tipsy yet. We still have it as all our guests were very kind and brought along lots themselves, so as dictated to by etiquette, it was polite to open and drink it first. Thank you all.

After a few drinks we headed into town to see our first show : Isy Sutty. She had her show in a portocabin so on the humid wet day, it was not the most comfortable but that is the nature of the Festival - you never know where or what you will get. Mrs Fridge did very well and I passed along the line the restaurant menu (pre-ordered food for the 12 of us) for her to fan herself with. Isy was a character comedian and seemed almost too much or too act-ty in her natural persona for the show. I think she appealed to the female audience more as I only heard female laughs, except James when he found a recipe very funny : beef tomato hollowed out, egg put inside it and cooked in the oven for 30 minutes (I dunno). Still, not a chore and an enjoyable show with comedy, introspection, songs with no clock watchers in the 60 strong audience. Still, I felt she needed some therapy.

Next on for tapas food and hair swishing from Mrs Lynn!




















After that Mrs Fridge has to head off home again so not as to be too tired or worn out, but only after some more hair swishing.


After a few missed calls with each other and text and voice mails so that we know that Mrs Fridge was home safe and sound then we went into see Nina Conti. Very funny and with a talking monkey (on the end of her hand) and she fully exploited her father, Tom Conti, in a video where he gives full permission to exploit and ridicule him. Actually very funny. A well put together show that had belly laughs throughout the show.

After that there was another photo opportunity (no hair swishing this time).



Then on for more beers, checks on Mrs Fridge and beers. A few bars later and we were treated to some good singing, which I will need to post as a video after some very careful editing. Thanks, James.

Home by train then bed. Sunday was Olympics and then packing!

Off to relax more as Ice Shelf has just treated me to some Mrs Fridge tummy kicking!

Night all.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Mr Fridge London Adventure

Happy Friday Reader,

Mr Fridge has been away for a few days on a business trip down to London Town. Well not quiet London, he was in Bracknell, which is a dreadful place - bit like the place the sitcom, 'The Office' is set. All office blocks, car parks and no real town centre, character or heart. Bit like Livingston. Good folk in the office though and after some work we had a good night out in nearby Wokingham, sampling warm local ales and traditional English fair: Thai food.

I had my first experience with Heathrow's Terminal 5 - very nice building and well organised , although I was careful not to have any luggage to check in. Turns out T5 had its problems when real luggage came through - all the testing was done with empty test luggage. When real luggage came on the conveyor belts they had not calculated the weight and how that would affect the conveyor speed so threw the whole thing off. Idiots. BA business lounge had a nice 15 year old Glenlivet aged in a French brandy cask so that more that made up for that for me.

Tomorrow is the Annual EXTRAGANAVANZA DAY 2008! Lots of friends through, sans children, to drink fizzy wine and take in a couple of Edinburgh Fringe shows interrupted continuously by drinks, food and some drinks. We have Mr and Mrs Millar, The Sids, The To Be Married People, Mizz Don't mention Rangers being dumped of out Europe, Mrs Fridge, Mr Fridge, and Mz 'drives 200 metres to work'. Looking forward to it. I love the festival!!!!

Sleep well.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Ice Shelf News

Second Happy Tuesday Reader!

Mrs Fridge was at the an appointment with the midwife today and Ice Shelf got an excellent bill of health : perfect size, now in the right position, good strong heartbeat, and Mrs Fridge was just as healthy too.

Mr Fridge is very happy.

Mrs Fridge is Hair Slated!

Happy Tuesday Reader,

Mr Fridge has been nothing short of slated for having slightly longer than normal hair. In fact, Ian B comments that "Fridge's hair takes 6 hours to dry - that's why he was being careful - Ian B :o)". Now it may actually take not too far off that to dry, but how does he know!?!?!? Mr Fridge will have to remember this when Ian B comes out of retirement again to play football!


Here he is reshaping his face in an effort to disguise himself.


Monday, August 4, 2008

Monday Post

Hello Reader,

If you thought that I had a rant last week when I described the marvelous attitude of our proud and hard working public sector workers then think again! I was truly humbled today by Maverick.

Maverick owns and works the independent garage we go to in Livingston and he does a great job with William and Lydia, not only in engineering but also in pricing, despite some generally dodgy chat. I usually have to pay more if my jokes are bad and if he remembers I am a St Mirren fan.

Anyway, I was humbled by the quality, quantity and sheer passion of his rant! I don't know if it was a passion that surfaced, a raw nerve that I touched or if he is equally as delusional as the Hearts owner. All that I did was humorously suggest that Hearts were going through a good patch, their best in quiet a while in fact : they won a friendly home game, so that's one in a row, and have so far managed to keep a manager for nearly 2 weeks now. There was even a rumour that he picked the team! Maverick went off on one, quoting Romananov and how he was right about the Larg's mafia, talent not being developed in Scotland and the bias against Hearts' different path. "Hearts have never been in such a great position!" I was clearly foolish to point out that Hearts are £20 odd million in debt, have a team full of Lithuanians and Nigerians and finished in the bot om six for the first time in years. My ears still hurt.

Well done though, a true fan is a rare thing and Maverick certianly is!

Fortunately Maverick is off on a holiday this week, which is a good thing as he clearly has some need of rest and relaxation. Have a good holiday, Maverick!

Mrs Fridge continues to blossom and from this picture you can see she is pregggggnannnt! Bless, she is doing such a good job and looking great but Ice Shelf, who has been busy kicking, elbowing and pushing her/his/his/her bottom out, is truly getting ready for his/her/her/his debut in 6 weeks time.