Inconnu

A dodgy start morphed into a fine day. This is true of both my work and of the weather. Had you seen the torrential downpour at midday, you wouldn't have believed the blue sky at 2pm. Is this the effect of storm Abigail?
Today's WOTD is 'Inconnu' which I guessed at (and was nearly right); it means a stranger, someone unknown. 
This is the first year that the met office is naming storms in the UK in the same way that the US has been doing for years. It is believed that naming a storm, gives it an identity makes it easier to track and report on the news.
The full list of names chosen for future selection are: Abigail, Barney, Clodagh, Desmond, Eva, Frank, Gertrude, Henry, Imogen, Jake, Katie, Lawrence, Mary, Nigel, Orla, Phil, Rhonda, Steve, Tegan, Vernon and Wendy. Hello, what's my son doing in there?

Storm clouds building over Beachy Head

A colleague mentioned feeling irrationally peeved when someone spells her name incorrectly and I totally sympathised, especially when the error is made by someone you know well (and therefore should know better). I feel a little flutter of excitement if I see my name mentioned in a document, or on a list of attendees at a seminar, and a special pride when I see it written in my mother's diaries. I feel that my name is an essential part of ME, and helps to define who I am. I like to inhabit spaces where people know who I am, and that I know most other people by name. I don't do well in a room full of new faces.

During my holiday in Canada, I found myself feeling like the inconnu at a couple of events. The effect on me was paralysing. I didn't have a name, any identity, I was a stranger, someone unknown, and I froze into uncharacteristic silence. Now the reality of the situation is that I wasn't a stranger to the others (they all knew I was a BA - British Auntie) but they were strangers to me. How bizarre that, in these circumstances, I should feel the effect in such a personal and negative way. Of course, I was soon made to feel welcome and recovered my identity. 

Dinner tonight was a first-rate prawn curry, cheesy chips and garlic bread, all made by Neil. 
My cider of choice is a Koppaberg strawberry & lime (not as good as the Rekordalig) and music has been provided by The Cure, Portishead, Porcupine Tree, Cream, Jethro Tull, and Anathema

Saporific

My nephew Mark, who writes an excellent blog describing the start of his day as he takes his dog Brooklyn on their morning walk, has commented how the time difference between us gives a strange twist as he reads about the end of my day just as he is starting his. And vice-versa I suppose. I am alarmed that he and Brooklyn have to dress up like funfair bunting to avoid being mistaken for deer and subsequently shot. Take care M & B
Today's word is 'saporific', a word I have never heard before and which means 'producing, or imparting flavour or taste'. From the examples given, it seems that this doesn't just mean adding a little grated ginger to your curry sauce, but something more fundamental, suggesting that the conditions under which you eat can be saporific; that picnics on the beach taste better than the same food eaten in your dining room; that chips taste better out of paper than from a polystyrene tray;
I was made to experience this in a most personal way, many years ago, and I hope my sister Julia won't be too picky if the details of this story are not spot on - the punch line is the same!
I had been having a discussion with my sister during which I must have stated that all this wine glass snobbery was stuff and nonsense; wine would taste just as good out of a plastic tumbler. Like all the best siblings, we agreed to differ and life carried on. But that year I spent Christmas with Julia and her family and everyone had beautiful glasses at their places - except me; I got a green plastic tumbler and no, my wine didn't taste so good. Fortunately, we all saw the funny side of it and I was duly given a proper glass for the rest of the meal.

Now, even I support the use of the wine glass (as above) for my Pinot Grigio and the champagne flute for prosecco as I realise the saporific effect of the correctly shaped glass. And the soporific effect of too much of it!

Magnanimous

I love the word for Wednesday - 'Magnanimous'. I enjoy the sound of the word, and the noble sentiment behind it. For it means generosity of spirit, easy in forgiving an insult or injury, free from petty resentfulness. And we would all wish to be like that, all the time, wouldn't we? Wouldn't we?
It was a strange day at work, with a busy hour, followed by an intense staff meeting, followed by a corporate lunch. Then everyone other than me went to a target sports afternoon - you know the sort of thing: bow and arrow, rifle shooting, axe throwing (yes!), all harmless fun. I decided, for my own personal reasons, to opt out of this particular variety of team bonding event. They may as well have asked me to go skiing.
This left me in the office alone, and I did some essential tasks before sliding out 3/4 hour early. Why did I feel naughty? I have flexi-time. Maybe because no-one had expressly told me I could go early, but then I hadn't asked. 
Anyway, it was great to get away early to Crawley, to see Dave Gorman, one of my favourite comedians, getting 'straight to the point', ably supported by Nick Doody. We were very late home, which explains why this blog is late.

During our delicious pre-show meal, I had a text exchange with a friend of mine. She has recently had a birthday and we had agreed to spend a few pleasant hours together chatting, eating, maybe a bit of shopping or a film. My friend has made various changes to the original plan, all of which I have accepted unless it involves driving at night which I find difficult and stressful (i'm not talking about the 10 mph crawl home in traffic on lit roads). Finally, my friend has postponed the date indefinitely until 'you are not so rushed'. 
I like to think that at this point I show my magnanimity, that I am free from petty resentfulness, easily forgiving an insult. But it took me a full 24hours to achieve that happy state of mind. She has been my friend for 20 years or more, and I am happy to meet her on her terms, at a time and place of her choosing, even if she does change it 10 times in the process. 

Logophile

Word of the day is perfect for me,  and for my blog.  It's what I'm doing,  what drives me to commit to writing this daily page;  'logophile' -  a lover of words.  I suppose it's my inheritance and something I share with my siblings and many members of my extended family.  I was not surprised to find bananagrams being played in the Kennedy house,  and everyone pleased to join in.  The online games I play are mostly word games and I love crosswords and scrabble.
 Tuesday still feels like a strange day to be starting the working week,  I must try to stop thinking it's Monday. A taxi driver tried to mow me down at the notorious Ravenside roundabout,  and would have driven into me if I hadn't let him in.  Bully!
Today was busy and productive at work and I put my love of words to work,  drafting the first few pages of the new staff handbook.  What a legacy I will leave behind in that document!
Dinner was chicken, JP,  vegetables,  chocolate ice cream.  No footie,  so I got to choose TV,  which was a nature programme about Scotland followed by a knock out pottery competition.  Stupidly early to bed, but sitting doing this until 11pm.  For the first time this year I feel cold.

Lassitude

The weather has been surprisingly sunny, although very windy later. Not much chance of lassitude today. This is defined in one sense as 'weariness of body or mind from strain, oppressive climate, etc.; lack of energy, listlessness', and I knew I had lots to do, although it didn't quite turn out how we planned it.

Neil had a servicing call to make in Eastbourne. Eastbourne is mostly choked up with traffic most of the time, and parking in the town centre is notoriously difficult. Neil has to find a parking space, walk to the property agent to get the key, walk back to the car, drive to the property, find somewhere to park, walk (with tool box, papers, etc) to the property, and then do it all in reverse. This doubles the time he needs to spend on the job. However, if I am driving, he can leave the parking to me while he gets on with the work. SFSG
Of course, it doesn't work out like that. Firstly, he manages to get a space very near the agent. He pops in to get the key, only to be told that they don't manage the property any more, and the keys have been returned to the office - in Bexhill!
I ate my lunch at 11am to comfort myself for my lost day out, while Neil did another couple of service calls and we came home.

Of course, then there was a mountain of paperwork and catching-up to do, phone-calls, laundry, tidying and before long it was time for the highlight of my day - collecting Evie & Max from school. I love spending time with them and hope they like having me around. Evie was particularly kind to Max when he got upset about his drawings.

 
Dinner was jacket potato with Tuna, salad, yogurt with banana and seeds. Jacob came and did some more tiling, Neil watched footie. 

I find I have been very busy, often not really giving up until after dinner. So whilst I have experienced lassitude in the past (more usually when I am unhappy) I have had none of it today, and go to bed proud of my achievements 
 

Frangible

I can always remember the meaning of this word (easily broken) as it seems like a hybrid of fragile and breakable. Indeed, the words frangible and fragile come from the same latin root 'Frangere' meaning 'to break'. 
Today's chore was cleaning the conservatory. This has been the dumping ground for an assortment of bits and pieces whilst we have decorating going on, but things can now be sorted out. Lots of frangible stuff too; unwanted plates & teapots, pictures in and out of frames, Jacob's tiling paraphanelia. 
This was all done before going out to get the MG cleaned, and then mauka in time for the gathering in Westham.  It was a friendly, relaxed affair - a very good-natured bunch of people with more to talk about than just their cars. We ate bacon or egg rolls, drank tea, swapped vehicle information and anecdotes and generally socialised before travelling in convoy (I love that bit) to Beachy Head for a photo shoot and a natter in the pub. The weather was kind, and although overcast, it was dry and not windy.

Popped in to see the inlaws on the way home, where I enjoyed one of the best cups of tea I have had for a while that I didn't make myself. Hot and flavoursome with just the right amount of milk
So did anything get broken today? Yes - a phone charger cable frayed beyond use, Neil's chair in the pub was broken, and the waistband of my jeans could take no more and came apart under the strain. I wouldn't call any of those things frangible, except when poetic licence is required for blogging purposes!

Salad & jacket potato for dinner, a bit of TV and an early night. I have to be a lift engineer's assistant tomorrow AND be back to collect the grandchildren from school, so I need to be on form. I've had a great day

 

Mauka

I started the day as I always do on a Saturday - preparing Neil's business invoices for dispatch, and I was not ecouraged to go out as it was pouring with rain. We finished putting up shelves in the kitchen cupboard, which please me greatly.
Today's word of the day is Mauka, an Hawaiian adverb meaning 'toward the mountain, inland'
We planned to go inland (not by much, about 2 miles) to visit my father-in-law, but this idea was abandoned and we went into Bexhill town centre, distinctly downhill and seaward. How was I going to encompass the WOTD in my day? Our nearest mountain is Beachy Head on the South Downs.
Neil had a voucher for a free cream tea at Jempsons, so we popped in there for a welcome diversion from the wind and rain outside. We did a bit of shopping and returned home where I settled down to do battle with posting my blog to facebook (easy when you know how).
Suddenly Neil appeared in the study with excitement written all over his face - he had just received an invitation to a meeting of MG/Rover owners tomorrow, and they are all going for a run to (wait for it....) Beachy Head! So we are both going mauka tomorrow, together with a lot of like-minded MG pals. 

We enjoyed last night's indian meal so much that we had enhanced remains of the day tonight and I am really pushing the boat out with a Rekorderlig Strawberry & Lime cider. Music by Nad Sylvan, Beatles, Canned Heat and Prog compilation P33.