Here we are, Tuesday 1800hrs, sitting in the almost black (I think it's supposed to be the longest day, but they didn't reckon with the weather) it's the first day of summer 2005, and I won't forget it in a hurry, last night was the 3rd in succession with no sleep - too hot,humid (32C at 0100hrs). What I had forgotten was that (as I told you) today is also the National "Fete de la Musique" when stages are set up in all the towns,cities,villages,hamlets all over France, artists (or those trying to become so) present themselves on the stages, and normally it starts throwing it down - at around 2200hrs, just as everyone has arrived after dining! Here there are 9 or 10 musical events all going on at the same time, outside my window is a stage for groups that are going to sing and play French chansons. Thank goodness for that, and I hope there is no last minute change in plan. Last year I had the right to listen to "rap" stuff, up to 0300hrs - quite a cha...

once upon a tyre! 

Good beer though! 

Well - and I thought I had made a mistake! No grand Prix, then (shi-) sorry people etc. Now I know that MY blogspot is worth a fortune, but I ain't gonna put it all onto 4 rubber tyres! Since these things were from "Mr. Michelin" who resembles me a little (around the nether regions) and since I am the marquis, I could almost get a complex and feel quite ashamed. If it weren't for the fact that I know that the Americans only go to these things to see others kill themselves, munch a couple of hundred 'burgers, shag (old anglo-saxon word) themselves stupid over a couple of days, and generally do mayhem, then I would feel some kind of fault from the european side, and would address all complaints to "Bernie's boys", and let Ecclestone put the bolt in! (for those of you who are too young, of the wrong nationality or just otherwise stupid, "Bernie, the Bolt", was a phrase used in the 60's, by a WORLD FAMOUS BRITISH COMEDIAN on a WORLD FA...

Oh dear - my sports are not those of all men! Apparantly (my tv tells me so) there are, contrary to my statement, a few grand prixes under way this weekend! There are, for example, the prixes that "cruise", there are a few of the prixes that swim (on boards, in boats, and others), a couple of prixes that fly, and probably god only knows what else. I hadn't forgotten (well, I had actually) the Formula 1 Grand Prixes that are going to present themselves in Minneapolis, USA - but as you know, I consider everything that happens in USA as being unimportant, a product of "under-the-sheet-talk" between "Tony-baby" and "George-dear". Hard men, like Formula 1 - Grand prixes - drivers and organizers, only have a limited importance under such circumstances! So there we are - I understand now why I can't get hold of my mate Chippie or Tinkerbelle - they must be "Grand-prixing-it-up" in a motel bath tub near the course, this Friday and Satur...

l'etang second try 

grandson with a fish from the etang 

the furnace-your's truly! 

inside mas-large table etc 

It's Friday, my days off can start - no more gardening or doing stuff indoors for old ladies, until Monday evening! Not a lot has happened this week, I'm still waiting for my sympathetic credit-shark to turn up trumps, I'm still waiting for my lotto numbers to turn up (which, considering that I don't play, would be annoying) and I'm still scratching at night!! We've had upwards of 35C for the last 2 weeks or so, and last night, at 2330hrs (when I go to bed roughly) it was still 28C, and a little on the heavy side. We are not so far from the Pyrenees, and only 3 miles from the coast, so normally, at this epoch of the year, we can count on 4/5 days of heat, and then a thunderstorm or two in the evening/night to cool us down. Unfortunately, we haven't had the thunderstorms yet. We've had the heavy menacing clouds, but nothing has dropped, so it's like trying to sleep in a greenhouse. This makes you scratch like crazy, and with the little bestialities wh...

This seems to me to be as good a time as any other to introduce you all to my friend Gunther. I will sometimes (rarely) spell it: Gunter. Occasionally Guenter, because the name really needs the German accent "umlaut", to be correct, but I have no intention of changing my keyboard to German, everytime I want to write his name! Looking back on the typed words (to date) I think most people would understand "GUNTHER" better than most things, so I'll stay (as often as possible) with that! Another thing I have to explain, is the difference between "my mate Chippie" and "my friend Gunther" (after all, I don't want Tinkerbelles wrath to descend on me!) There is no great difference, except that "my mate Chippie" came after "my friend Gunther". "My mate Chippie" is someone whose opinions and ideas I take into account all the time - when the subject matter falls into certain realms. "My friend Gunther" is s...

I'd just sat down to a Sunday morning session, when I looked at my "in-mail" and discovered around a dozen messages from "Mueller-whatever" telling me that mail, sent by me, was in a "pending" stage, or had been refused. Well, I wouldn't have minded, except I'd never sent all this bloody mail! I don't know anyone in Russia, and if addresses like dandair@kuku.ru ain't Russian, then what are they? On top of which the stupid little hoaxer had actually gone to the trouble of changing his keyboard to write Russian (cyrillique) characters.Each message had an attachment, none of which I opened, and I managed to group them all together, and send them back in a reply, then in a forwarding and then ALL as one single attachment! Don't know if they got back and blew the little buggar (or at least his PC) into a million pieces. Even better - maybe his Dad got them all, and realised that the apple of his eye had been playing silly-billy's. ...

or spend the weekend in bed with the divorced neighbour! (She WAS wed to the hat man!) 

or buying a hat for the feria! 

Feria at Vauvert for example 

There are other sports events this weekend! 

make your own picture!! 

Schumacher does! 

Similar sport! 

You see - you all thought that with the excitements of the last few days ( Gasoline, re-boot, re-install etc) I would forget about this Sunday's event on the sportive side. No - no - no - Knowing ( as I do ) how much these GP1's contribute to the success of bath-nights etc (and for the entire week-end therefore) for my mate Chippie and Tinkerbelle, it would lacking in civility and courtesy if I didn't say "HAPPY GRAND PRIX"-to all and sundry! (and happy bath night too!)