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9/28/2009 A Dartmouth Hero, Never Forgotten!...Personally i was going to leave the sad news where the girls where concerned, they have been through so much already, i just didn't want them to...well i guess to know , so for the past week and half i said nothing. I never thought that the school was going to let the pupils know.
 The girls had already read the letter, all pupils have been explained to by the teachers that they wouldn't see Brett in or around school again! When Nick came back from the school run he said he had never walked into a school so quiet...I looked at the girls obviuose signs that tears at some point had been shed, Nicks own son at 5 years old has today found out what dieing really means, the same confused upset look on his face has was on two of the girls faces back in 2006.
Sue and Peter (Bretts parents)- Sue was involved in the communitie in so many ways both have known the girls since the week i moved to Dartmouth.
A link if any of you out there are interested in reading .
9/19/2009 There is two very special people out there....Have had to think about how to do this blog before going ahead and doing it. I was going to 'just put' on my space some photos, but has most of you out there on my network have become so close or has close has you can over a net connection anyway, Let me explain what i mean by that- I do not mean in a over the net sexual way, not at all. I mean it has there is Jen, who despite all she goes through on a daily basis she still gets up and faces the day..and her radio! Chip, who must feel like a walking chemist at times, but he still takes great photos and his blogs i have to put my brew down before reading....just incase! Then there's Happy, who happily goes around 'lost in spaces' sharing her happiness via her pics she leaves in GB's, Ayrgel, who i met on spaces under strange situation, her blogs like you all, i love to pop over and read.
This blog however is about two very special people, i so hope they have managed to sort out the adding me to their network so they read this. This is my way of saying 'Thank you, to them'!
Of course you all can read this blog if you want to, i also want you, my network of lovely friends to know these two people too, or about them anyway. Not sure if you remember back in April when myself and the girls went for that magical weekend to Dartmoor, if not here is the link to that blog Magical weekend, during that weekend i knocked down alot of boundaries.
This blog is not about that weekend, this blog goes further back than that....way way further back!
Older one was around 14 months old, middle one around a year old. Will cut a long story short,...whilst pushing middle one in her pram, older one was holding onto the pram, i started to cross the road, not sure what happened, i didn't feel funny, or get any strange feeling, i awoke in Intensive Care to find myself with mum and dad stood next to me, it was then i realized the girls was not there, all i remembered was sat having a brew in the cafe, nothing after that, even today i remember nothing!
Mum and dad had explained to me what had happened, i had been walking across the road has i said above, pushing middle one with older one holding onto the pram, i had a fit the man from a nearby shop saw what happened and came out to help, i cannot thank that man enough, he had stopped middle one wandering into the road, and the pram from going anywhere on it's own, he looked after middle one and older one whilst an ambulance came, I do not remember the ambulance, do not remember the nurses asking me for a contact number to get hold of my parents, (although i must of given it them somewhere), i do not remember the needles going into my arm, neither do i remember my mum crying has older one screamed for her nanny and grandad has she and middle one was taken away... that fit resulted in me going into a coma !.
That fit resulted in me going into a coma, but also was the start of something good. I met two great people who today are very special, not just to me but to the girls too.
The girls whilst i was recovering in hospital went into temporary foster care, the two people they stayed with took very good care of them both, whenever i had a fit these two people would be where the girls stayed, i have it on my medical notes that the girls are to stay in Temporay Foster Care with no one else but these two people if possible.- Apart from one occasion that is exactly what has happened!
I got pregnant with little one just over 5 half years ago, as some already know little one came 3 half months early, in Truro hospital weighing 1lb 12oz, At god knows what time it was in the middle of the night, older one and middle one was once again put into Temp Foster Care, only this time the girls just walked happily out of the hospital holding the hospital social workers hand, leaving me and mum in floods of tears.
I was worried sick, worried that a baby came way to early and died, and worried that because me going into labour 3 half months early meant i had not put any cash away for when the girls went into Temp Foster Care that it would be to much, i felt like i had dumped the girls. I neednt of worried, these two very special people took care of everything..including changing and looking after two girls.
Has little one got alittle stronger i was moved to Exeter Hospital, thankfully alittle closer to the girls, these two very special people brought the girls to the hospital has much has they possibly could, where has in Truro i had seen the girls twice in 6 half weeks, Truro was a 3 half hour drive from where the girls was staying in Temporay Foster Care... way way to far.
Around 3 months, possibly 3 half months the girls was living with these two very special people whilst little one went from stopping breathing, and getting infections to being strong enough for me to take her home. Now you would of thought that these two very special people would of been happy to be handing the girls back, be glad they had gone, (it's dam hard work changing two little ones nappys) sigh a BIG sigh of relief that they had some quiet in their home once again....
No! We kept in touch, two years ago these two very special people came to Dartmouth regatta, the girls where so happy to see them and very sad when they realized they wasn't going back with them. These two very special people dropped by with two boys that was also in Temp Foster Care around a year later, the girls remembered them from 2 years previose!...we lost touch with these two very special people soon after, not sure what happened, i lost their phone number when i dropped my mobby down the loo, changed service provider and never logged into my old account again, however on middle ones birthday this year we got back in touch with all again. Couldn't of come at a better time with mum having had the stroke and recently out of hospital, i couldn;t wait to get to mum's and tell her.
Last week whilst i was sorting the house out after our London trip, i heard older one shouting ''Mummuy, Mummy, Patsy and Max are here'', has she thumped on the front door....she had recognized them before they got to the corner of the road, so happy was middle one and older one to see them both again. The little girl that they was Fostering way back then and still are today ran off to the park to play, it was has though they had never had over 2 years apart. Apart from the mess from tidying up that was all over the sofas when they both walked in, and a not too pleased Solitaire who got locked behind a child gate, i was so happy to see them both too!
Patsy and Max have both become apart of the family, in a way that if i couldn't answer due to a fit where i wanted the girls to go, mum and dad would both say patsy and max's, tbh, Although i do not have a Social Worker, when i have a fit and get taken to hospital they have to get involved, i don't think social services need ask where to send the girls today, they already know. The girls treat Patsy and Max like they would their own nanny and grandad today, to the point where in the half term holidays so long has Patsy and Max do not have a full house, middle one and older one are going to stay with them for a few days.
I wrote this blog has a way to say Thank you to Patsy and Max, and i appreciate all they have done for me and the girls, they are two very special people. I also did this blog so you, my live space friend sitting there behind you're computer wondering who the people was in the photos i am going to upload.
This is Patsy and Max with middle one, little girl and older one!
 So now you know
 9/18/2009 A,m really helping Santa this year...Santa's wish list of mine has slowly turned into- Don't bother Santa you're sacked!
Been very busy today, the door didn't stop ringing, Solitaire now hates delivery guys, to the point where she growls at them and i reakon the girls can put up units with their eyes closed now.
The day started has usual with me taking the girls to school, walking up with a new friend from down the road, she has a 6 week old little girl who older one loves to push to school, her son who is the same age has little one comes over regularly, Outside the school i was greeted with the delivery guy, who told me he would be delivering my parcel within the half hour. I made my way home just in time.
I thought the parcel was my bookcases, it wasn't , it was the parcel i had bought for mum and dad when they come over, to relax in. After unwrapping i read the de-structions ....twice before starting to screw screws. about an hour it took to fix up, i sat on it to make sure it didn't collapse, blimey it is so cosy, could fall asleep watching tv myself in it.
 Has you can see older one came home from school and claimed the rocking chair straight away.
The second parcel to arrive was the bookcases, of which the girls helped me to hold, The first one was easy enough to put up, the second a complete cockup!...In the parcel was all the parts thankfully, so i started to build, again with help from the girls. Half way through and i noticed that the pine bookcase had sides that where grey, the parts that attatch to the sides was either 2 right parts or 2 left!.. The bit of wood that went along the bottom and top was hard to get straight, once done i stood it up to attatch the top, only it wouldn't go on no matter which way i turned it. The parts that attatched to the front was to long so the top wouldn't go on. That now stands awaiting spare parts.
Thankfully had no problems with the first bookcase which now holds my novels and autobiographys ect.
 The unit stands next to the unit that holds my design software.
I didn't want to throw my old bookcase out, after all all that was wrong with it was the back at come away, and with all the books it had started to slant. So i got a few tacks i had and tacked the back back on it. The shelf was easy sorted. I had some spare metal dowling so i used these to redo the shelf.
Now i have more bookcases i have more room to put my design books, and design mags ect. all nearly in their place.
 The last parcel to arrive was my best one, this one i have wanted for at least 18months, was trying to save up, course i spent that on the recent London trip, the plan when home was to start to get on with my design stuff whilst saving up again (the good thing about living in nowhere inperticular is you have nothing to spend cash on)...Well i decided that i couldn't be bothered to wait any longer, the Wacom graphics pad at £400 for the large one i had been wanting for for so long it seemed like forever.
After spending around 2 days searching the net for the next best thing, i came across some reviews on large Graphics pads, just what i needed to help me decide. It seems that others that have used a wacom in the past or currently do, and find it does not much different to the next best more cheaper thing to it...So i searched the net to find one. ...and bought it!.
 Cannot wait to take it out of the box has soon has the girls are asleep.
Santa is deffinatly sacked for this year... I have my bed, bookcases, unit for design software, and my Graphics pad.
All that is left is a new Xbox 360 ...mine deathed out on me last month, two months after the gurantee ran out
 and a mobby, the tocco looks good although not jumping in to buy. Has for the Xbox 360....i better get some work done has Santa will not be buying me either!!!9/17/2009 Quick post,...an update or it's just too late for long blog... Had a nice day today, well yesterday now thank you, and thank you to all that popped around leaving comments or pics in my
GB <-----Easyier to say that here, it's just too late to do the 'lost in spaces rounds' will do at the weekend!
This morning i had my media units delievered, nothing spectacular just simple units to hold my Design software in, instead of it being dumped in wooden boxes meaning i did have to keep searching through constantly to find software when needed.
Simple to put up, although looks complicated, half hour tops.
 ...Have left the second one in it's box, may put tht one in the bedroom!Around lunch time i went with the old bedframe and headboard to the neighbours, Neighbour is building herself a fence the bits of wood she was happy to recieve, i stopped and had a coffee with her, she's a lovely neighbour to have, in her 70's and like me does the DIY and all herself. So i sat for about an hour enjoying the sun and a brew, talking about all things gardening...i HATE gardening !!
This afternoon was a busy one-
Another delivery came, this time the Mahogany unit, of which i decided to leave till this evening has i wanted to check out A4Graphics tablets, and order some ink cartridges...the joys of Design, you run out of bloody ink quicker than you can buy the cardridges!
With cartridges ordered and on the way i went off on the school run, the girls had after school club today, Older one and middle one did origami and little one did computers in the computer suite.
Had to pick up a friend's little boy along with the girls and take him home, ...taking him home ended up with him staying for tea, which would of rolled into a 'sleep over' if only it wasn't a school night...Thankfully!!!
This evening, has planned i got on with building the unit..minus any de-structions, yup, no de-structions, total bloody guess work and mess up's took place to get this unit standing. Thankfully i had older one and middle one to help hold the sides for me whilst i took out screws i had put in the wrong holes
  About an hour and half two hours the unit was built. Was has it said on the box 'easy to assemble' once you screw the wrong screw into a hole then realize on splitting the wood it's the wrong screw, the rest is straight orward from there on...
The unit when closed...
 and open...
 Mum and dad when you read this, i didn't forget you both
... Found something that mum, you can relax in when you stay and you are sitting in front of the tv, and dad can sit in when he pops over, ....No not a tent in the backgarden lol ...anyways dad talking about you....POPING OVER hint! hint!, will let you both know what it is when it arrives :)Rightio am out of here and off to bed, hopfully those ink cartridges get delivered tomorrow, i need to get on with work and cannot. So hate running out of ink!
Have a lovely Thursday all.
Take care
9/16/2009 One less for santa to deliverWhen i did the blog below i logged out of my near 1st home
right here and decided to go window shopping on the net, at the time all the
list for santa was going through my mind, what should i spend cash on
first, that got limited down to....
A very very very short shortlist! -
The thing on my list i needed the
most,...A bed!
One side of mine has of last friday had totally come away from
the frame, leaving the slats on the floor and the matress at a slight
angle.
I found it after many calls to mum for many price checks
against catalogues, and alot of 'umming' and 'hurring'. Should i go for a metal
one?.. simple design or modern? maybe classy stylish was what i was looking
for! Each time i found what i was looking for, each time one sentence would come
to mind,... ''Is it safe for the girls''?
I do this ALL the time with near everything, dispite the fact
that each year the girls get older and learn what is right from wrong, i still
do it. So my list of 'like that one' got cut down to...
'No to wood'- The girls have just broken a wooden
bed!.
'No to metal'- The girls could smack their heads on
it!
'No to simple'- They fall apart whilst you sleep!
Was wanting a frame that had a metal base but they all seem to
be slattered in some way nowadays.
So back to 'Santas wish list' i went, and found what i was
looking for.
It turned up today, not bad to say i payed for it Saturday
evening, Blimey i couldn't wait to get all the bits out of the box, just has i
am ripping open boxes with Solitaire pulling at tape on one end, the phone rings
(why is it the phone rings when you're always doing something)?
Bro No 1 sits on the other end of the phone.. he sits laughing
has i tell him my bed has arrived and what sort it is, he asks me what base does
it have this bed...i says, a sprung base why?...and he laughs, typical brothers
eh! and follows that with 'If dad had the petrol money we would of come over and
helped, but has he doesn't ..(another laugh) ..will let you get on with it, if i
get off the phone now you might have it fiinshed just in time to go pick the
girls up from school'....The time at that point was 1025
 ...
i wishes him a 'Happy birthday and tells him to go play on the motorway!'
:-)I was rather worried at this point, Bro No 1 had told me it
took him and dad 2 hours to put dads bed up, i figured i would have to double
that and add abit more has there was 'just me' to do this.
A brew and 2 smokes later i had siked myself up to get on with
putting the bed up....on my own!
The plastic parts for the sprung base...
 I wasn't looking forward to doing the base one bit, the
headboard and footboard was simple!.. Turn each one over screw on feet with
little key, turn back over and attatch sides (of which screws are ALREADY
SCREWED INTO BASE FOR YOU TO UNSCREW ALITTLE TO SLIDE THE SIDES ONTO THEN
TIGHTEN UP ONCE DONE... yes, i stood scratching my head for 15-30mins wondering
where on this crazy planet was 8 screws?...why had those stupid bed
manufacturers not put 8 screws in with the rest?...yes am i stupid to not
realize that those stupid bed manufacturers had tryed to make my life alittle
easyier by screwing them in for me, Hmmmm!
Once had put braincell onto job at hand, it was onto the part
i was dreading, the base!
I had a long metal part and a shorter metal part, easy enough
to work out what went where, long bit= length ways, short bit=width ways, fasten
down with 1 screw in the middle so it makes a cross, push the clip on each end
of the long part into the hole at one end of the footboard and other into the
hole on the headboard, screw the short metal part into the sideboards at each
end to secure..... Then unscrew and reverse all thE ABOVE when you realize that
the next part of the de-structions it says the following ' ADD FEET FIRST BEFORE
SECURING TO THE FRAME' !!!!
 By this point i was wondering if really i should read the
de-structions before doing anymore,...!
Onto the sprung slats, now i should really take my bro and
escort him myself to that motorway to make sure a good job is done well, i wuld
if only brothers didn't have their uses from time to time... has i stood with 1
bit of wood in one hand, and one plastic part in the other, (see photo above)
wondering how the hell had it taken him and my dad 2hrs to do dads bed. The
whole apparently difficult process was as simple has-
Take 1 piece of wood (slat) slide on plastic
end..
Do the same to another bit of wood..
Take 1 middle plastic part and the bit of wood with plastic
end already attatched, slide into middle part, do the same for the other with
the plastic end on.
Lay it across the frame then push on plastic ends and the
plastic middle so it pushes into the holes predone in the frame...10 mins later
and the base was done!!!
Total time took to put the bed up....3 half
hours!
 ....oh a good nights sleep will i have tonight'
 Full length photo of my new bed only mine is black. 9/13/2009 My 'Dear Santa' list 2009, going into 2010Has i was putting the clothes away at god knows what time this morning, i sat back here, on my butt with my brew, has you do enjoying the peace that the early hours of the morning brings and thinking of TG's blog she had done earlyier. I was soon sat here thinking all the cash i get/earn i spend on the girls, or the house....design software, or the crazy mutt. Before i knew it 'back in abit' turned into me sat concopting my own wishlist of things i would like.
At the top of the list is-
1)- A new bed !
Pref NOT wooden, has i have today, they are crap when you have little ones due to the slats being none-to-strong! The girls have done the usual kid thing, when i said we had got the hotel booked to go to London 2 of them jumped on my bed... and snap it went.
2)- A new camera!
The girls dropped my Fujifilm S2000HD before we went to London, older one was trying to take a photo of a jet flying low and slow over the house, fumbled to quickly turn the camera on ...and bang it went onto the path, this resulted in me buying a Fujifilm Finepix J20 in London, bought due to no photos of our trip if i didn't (the only thing great about it is it fits neatly in my pocket)
3)- Oh hell yes would i like...no i NEED a new graphics tab.!
but
or
4)- A bookcase for my design books, on looking at the bookcase twice i noticed mine is on a slant,
..and a unit for my software, at the momment Design software is squashed ontop of books in the now slanting bookcase, mixed in with Design mags in the wooden boxes the girls sit on, or dumped on my unit in my bedroom.
5)- And has some may remember the laugh i went through when i bought 2 two seater leather sofas last year, the one cream and one green worked out fine in the end thankfully however, once there is 3 girls sat on the sofas there is little bording no room for any friends to sit down when they pop in, or family. End result is 2 of the girls sitting begrudgingly on wooden boxes that hold my design mags in.
So to sort that problem out ...
Of course one would be for visitors and other for myself whilst falling asleep... i mean sat at the computer, the stools would be for the girls to sit on. Problem solved!.
6)- Have been in many talks over this next one with Bro No 1, had to put this off due to getting Solitaire back in Feb and the housetraining that comes with a new pup...Thankfully today she knows the frontroom is not the place, all i can say is thank god i don't have carpets, they would be ruined!
Course then came the London trip so the plans of buying and laying this next one before the girls broke up for school got thrown straight out of the window
Forgot to add...
A new printer!
At the Momment i have a ...
athough Would like a ...
but
Think that is it, so santa if you are out there and logging into LiveSpace then heres my 'bit early' Wish List!
B.I.D.A- Now an institute..With me noticing that Jason had given me a gentle shove in the ' time to get back to coursework' direction via his comment on one of my blogs, i decided he is right, the girls are now back at school so it is time to stop playing in the design software and get on with more serious things....Starting with BIDA website!
Those of you who are working in the Design field will know what that is, those who do not B.I.D.A stands for British Interior Design Assosiation, not just anybody can be a member, membership if not accepted on a 3 year design course is expensive.
So i logged into BIDA to find that they are now an Institute....huh? What difference it make was my first thought, so they changed a word. On reading i learnt that the BIDA first started of has IDDA- Interior Decorators and Designers Association, back in 1965. The IDDA joined a London chapter and became IIDA, and in 2002 the BIDA, (losing the decorator completely )
Has the BIDA became more professional- able to keep up with new technology, and also able to keep up with more demanding clients.
The BIDA needed to 'grow' more, to widen remit and achieve validation for trained interior designers, first aving to pass criterias and gain letters of recomendations. The decision on the 1st june 2009 has been made to change, ... personally i do not like that change but maybe it is because i am so used to the BIDA.
The now B.I.I.D- British Institute of Interior Design, has the following standards to keep to
Standards of practice
Working with various bodies involving skills (creative,cultural and built enviroments)
Goverment consultaions- ( sustainability, carbon reduction, ect and attracting a new generation of designers from all expertise)
....I have the expertise it's a dam job i need, and not one net freaking based!!!!
Now here comes the catch!
At the momment i get free 1 years subscription to the BIDA website...My year is now up has i have just found out! I thought a simple renewal would be all i need to do. WRONG!
Changes have been made to the website too-
I cannot renew my membership untill COMPLETION of Year 3 of my course, huh??? I then have to renew has an Associate, WTF??- The option to renew on completion of the course has a Designer (which i could do before this name change) has now disappeared, in it;s place is this-
AFTER completion of 3rd year Interior Design course the following options are available-
Associate I @ £30.00 entrance fee, £ 145.00 per year and £21.75 VAT Associate II @ £30.00 entrance fee £245.00 per year and £36.75 VAT Associate III @ £30.00 entrance fee £345.00 per year and £51.75 VAT ...And the longer you are registered with the BIDA, BIID or whatever they want to call themselves now, the more you have to pay, the catch being that you HAVE to be registered with the BIDA to get a freaking job in the big world of Interior Design or any design...
There is alot of students out there on this course who will have by now blown their stacks at this change, myself being not very happy included, this change also effects our course, in so much has we used the BIDA for inspiration, to chat with other designers who are already in the profession, (own their own buisnesses) ...If we was stuck it was a place for us to hide out in to ask those already in the know...(probs how i got my 84% on one of my last assignments)! ...I guess this is where we are most deffinatly on our own from here on!
*** Gets the design software loaded back up and goes back to playing ****
9/12/2009 Anybody know of someone who trains GSD's?I have some serious issues that if i do not get some help/advice with soon has and do something, the end result is going to be a 'out of total control' German Shepherd that will end in disastrous results for Solitaire...and me!
Before i went to London i had trained Solitaire so much- The basics, 'sit', 'wait', 'gentle' 'paw', 'leave' and 'down' was a slow but getting there process, I took her out everyday unless something at home meant i couldn't...Solitaire was at the point where i could let her of the lead and not worry if she went out of sight that she would nip anybody or another dog. Training was getting there!
I had no choice the week before going to London to put her in boarding, (there was nobody to look after her, plans that was in place had to change).. The guy that came for Solitaire the morning we was leaving for London would deffo be able to control her, he was a chunky guy, he knew on my first call that Solitaire was 'in season', 'No problem' he said...So that morning off he went with Solitaire in a normal everyday family car, Solitaire strapped to the clip in the boot.
I would sit at night in the hotel alittle worried has he came with no I.D, and nothing to say he owned boarding, nothing for me to sign either, although i need'nt of worryied Solitaire was brought back a week later safe and sound!
When the guy dropped her off he said 'There's no malice in the dog, she just needs to be trained to not jump up', Fair play he's right, was trying to teach her just that before boarding.
However Solitaire seems a 'different' dog!- Yes, she's the same dog, same colour and all that, she's mine and the girls dog...it's her temperament that has changed and not for the good!
First day Solitaire was home, she growled at little one has she walked past her- Solitaire was laid down on the landing, little one walked past her and she just growled... I snapped a ''NO'' at her has soon as she did it....That hasn't happened since although Solitaire would NEVER of growled at little one before!
To feed Solitaire i would first tell her to ''sit'' then ''wait'' put her food down, go get her fresh water, put that down, then have her give me her paw, followed with the other one, on saying 'ok, good girl '' Solitaire knew that she then could have her food.- Since coming home she jumps up to try and 'knock' it out of my hand before the bowl gets to the floor, it's took me since she came home on the 2nd Sept till lastnight for her to not jump up at her bowl... why did she do it in the first place?
Solitaire has, since being around 3 months old had bones, big ones or those with the meat in the middle to chew on, (she has never chewed furniture/shoes or anything that is not hers) it took me weeks to teach Solitaire that it's ok to let people take that bone of her, that she would get it back, i kept at it, saying ''NO'' when she showed her teeth, growled, or turned her head to snap at the person trying to take it from her untill anybody including my mum (who doesn't come around very often) could take that bone and Solitaire would not even move has they did.- I sent a fresh bone with Solitaire to boarding mainly so she didn't get fed up, with her being 'in season' and not being able to walk with other dogs...that bone didn't return back with her, no way could she of been that fed up she ate the lot in a week!!!!...
Last week i went out and bought her a new bone, i gave it to her yesterday, little one did has she has done so many times before took that bone off her, Solitaire let out a nasty growl, and has i turned around, not realizing at first why Solitaire had growled, she snapped at little one, i shouted a 'NO' at her. Had Solitaire forgotten?, had she done the same with the man from the boarding and that is why the bone didn't come back with her?
I didn't need to train Solitaire that 'to be left' meant i would be back...I got Solitaire in February, March mum had a stroke, i spend 3 days a week at the hospital leaving Solitaire, it did her good, Solitaire has from 2 half months of age been used to 'being left' knowing i would be back at some point.
The girls went back to school monday 7th Sept, has i did before the school broke up back in July i left Solitaire in the house to take them to school . When i left Monday i walked away from the house hearing Solitaire barking, that barking turned into howling...Solitaire has NEVER howled in the past!!!!... My mistake was going back to the house to tell Solitaire 'NO', has when i left to pick up the girls yesterday Solitaire went straight to howling...
Today, and the reason am sat right now typing this blog is this-
I have taught Solitaire that she 'sits' and 'waits' till i open the door (i have tight hold of her collar just incase) but no matter who is stood there she never goes for, or growls/snaps at that person. A little boy (11 years old) comes around for the girls to go out and play, i make Solitaire 'sit and wait', whilst getting hold of her collar has i was before, she does that, only has i opened the door Solitaire goes up on her back legs showing her teeth, growling and when the little boy says ''hello Solitaire'' and goes to stroke her has he as done so many times before when he is here to spend the weekend with his dad, she snaps at his fingers....of which he runs off up the street, and who the hell can blame him?? Solitaire is not a little dog, above the size of a normal 8 half month old GSD, ...Just to give you some idea on the size, i bought a large Faux suede dog bed for her thinking she would have growing room if i bought the large, my mistake!.. should of bought Extra Large has her butt doesn't fit into it!
Solitaire is off season now, thankfully i can take her for walks once again, have missed 'just me and solitaire' time, but first i have to buy her a new lead !...Somehow the guy at boarding managed to snap the metal clip right from the part that turns on the lead, (the part you clip onto a dogs collar) Solitaires collar came back with the metal ring somehow not on her collar, so i cannot clip a lead to her, (i wondered why the guy from boarding had a slip lead on her when he brought her back) , luckily i had a spare collar! Her body harness, ... remember back then i was having ALOT of problems with Solitaire jumping up at anything that moved on the road , getting her the name of 'Suicide on a lead'? the harness i bought so i could easily grab her by the handle to pull her back and down when she did jump up, It worked!...that harness came back with the nylon strap torn, now i first thought when the guy from boarding handed me it back that Solitaire had gone through some separation anxiety problem and chewed it, only when i sat and looked at it last week i noticed it isn't a ripped tear, it's a straight tear across the nylon strap that goes under her, So i have to now buy complete new leads, collar and harness... the harness will have to be later, they are expensive! Am sat wondering how the hell the guy from boarding managed to break them anyway??.
My main concern is this growling and snapping that wasn't there before. Have spent past few days searching the net for anything that can help, ...am at a total loss. There are no obedience schools, or training classes where i live.
Anybody advice would be a help, am willing to try anything before Solitaire gets out of control to the point i cannot control her at all ! Feel like all the time i put into training her Solitaire has just ....forgotten, am dreading taking her for a walk when her new lead comes incase the growling and snapping she does whilst walking past people in the street.
9/3/2009 (LONDON)MJ BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE 29TH AUGUST 2009MJ BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE- TRAFALGUR SQUARE 29TH
AUGUST 2009
What a day this was!...
It started with us getting dressed in our MJ themed clothes,
turning the hotel tv on to Michael Jackson's Top 40 hits and singing has we made
sure we had everything we would need for the day, has the excitement turned into
a buzz we decided skipping breakfast and getting brekkie on route would start
the day off nice.
The sun was shining has it had since we arrived, the
girls where full of excitement has people stopped in the street to point at
them, smile and pass comment on their MJ hats and gold MJ jackets. The
first cafe we came to we stopped off in, has we walked through the door, the
waiter grabbed the controller from behind the counter, said something to the
waitress has mum placed the Latte order and kids drinks, next Man in the Mirror
was playing on the big screen and the girls where singing and dancing mum joined
in to....
....We finished up and headed off for the Tube to Traf Square,
on arriving we started on the search for MJ fans, Traf Square was heaving with
people, after about 15mins of us being there, people started to flood in
people who had been passing and stopped to see what the crowds was about, people
dressed in their MJ themed clothes the whole of Traf Square was MJ, people
singing MJ songs and dancing the whole of Traf Square joined in the MJ Birthday
Tribute and the Thriller flash mob dance, which didn't reach the Guiness World
Records ....
No sooner had the Thriller dance finished i grabbed my new
camera to take a photo of the lookalike MJ ..
Has i turned around to see here the girls where there was
newspapers flashing away at them, TV cameras filming them has they did the MJ
salute and bowed their MJ hats... I scurried through the crowds heading towards
the girls, the crowds seemed to off swallowed me up and parted me from mum. On
reaching mum who was also being photographed, a newspaper (News Of The World)
asked me for my name, the girls names, ages soon we had newspapers and BBC news
cameras all around us, i had to give my permission on film for the BBC to air
the girls on tv alongside what they had recorded. Has i noticed 3-4 newspapers
taking photographes of the us then passing around our names ect to each paper
reporter that wanted them, i noticed it was all getting too much for little one,
who didn't know which way to turn next. So i told the girls to hold hands and
follow me, mum followed us, has we headed away from the crowds i was stopped by
another reporter claiming to of taken a stunning photographs of the girls of
which was going to be part of the MJ Opus, although has it is on pre-order right
now i doubt that to be true!! ...
I looked over to find Sam, the girls had already seen the
banner and ran over to her, to say we had never met other than over Facebook we
was both nearly crying, the girls got straight down to their jobs of giving
out balloons, and flyers.
...There's the oldish dear lol, wandering about in the
background :)
 Am not sure why we was moved from Traf Square, could of been
the papers and news cameras wouldn't leave the girls alone, or just Traf Square
was packed out, am not sure, all i know is that a policeman told us we had to
move onto St James Park, i haled a cab down to take us there has sam led the MJ
mob through the streets and onto St James Park.
....St James Park had a few people sat there enjoying the
scenery, the sun and their lunches, little did they know that their peace and
quiet was about to be interupted by half of Traf Square lol. Sam turned the
music up has we walked across St james park singing our hearts out to Beat It,
the banner went back up and MJ Birthday Tribute started,
Has the girls helped Sam tie banners and balloons around trees
and the metal fences, dancers went in the other direction to practice there
dance moves, whilst others found a place to sit and enjoy what was to turn into
a memoriable day for all...
We all gathered around to sing you are not alone, i don't
think there was a dry eye in St James Park, has we listened to poems, reflected
on past MJ tours we had been to, looked around at how much effort people from
all courners of the world at put in to be right there, some danced to music on
their own others joined in with the dancers including middle one.
Some posed for photographes...
 Time was against us now and although we would of loved to stay
and light candles on cakes and carry on singing and dancing along with
crying, we had made other MJ plans for the evening, the girls sat down to join
in pass the parcel and party games one last time and has the day turned into
evening, we was told that Sam would be going to Neverland in October, i had
tears of joy in my eyes for sam has middle one took her pink rose from her MJ
hat and asked Sam if she would take it with her to Neverland to give to Michael
Jackson's litttle boy Blanket.
We looked back at all that had turned up, the MJ fans that
helped make the day such a magical day, the girls stopped for one more
photograph as we walked out of St James Park to hale a cab down to take us to
The Rainforest Cafe,
The girls still none the wiser has to plans for that evening
kept asking us where we was going and they didn't want MJ's day to be over just
yet, middle one wanted to go to the O2 with Sam mum had to tell her MJ day was
not over yet has we got into the cab, mum had to tell the cab driver where we
wanted to go, upon hearing this the girls thought the Rainforest Cafe was the
surprise, both me and mum left them to think it was, although it was. We had not
planned on having lunch there but it seemed right... Already knowing from
Disneyland that lunch was going to be a non to cheap affair in The Rainforest
Cafe, both mum and myself didn't care, it seemed to just fit in with the day,
and has the real surprise was just across the road it fitted nicely with the
evening too. So we stood the 20mins in the queue awaiting the waiter to call our
names and be led to our table, i noticed a sign saying .. 'You're adventure
starts here' and it did, starting with tables cramped up so close to the next
table you struggled to sit down, disturbing the people on the next tables lunch
via asking if they could move their chairs to allow us to sit at our
table...then came the £15 per plate of pasta, no idea how much the coffees and
sandwiches where each but haaa it was worth it just to see the girls and mum
enjoying themselves. Although a Disneyland imitation of their Rainforest Cafe
brought to London, the girls didn't care that they had seen it all before, and
mum ....well mum was loving every minute of their excitement in thinking this
was their surprise.
 Has we leftThe Rainforest Cafe the girls thought we
was going back to the hotel, they said 'Thank you' to nanny for taking them and
asked her if they could have a hot chocolate before bed, mum smiled has we
crossed over the road and walked down the street. It was hard at this point for
mum to keep it from the girls anylonger, they saw the ThrillerLive boards
hanging from the theatre and their faces lit up...(The girls for past 6 weeks
had been told we couldn't get tickets for the show)...
On entering the theatre the girls quickly found the seats, not
too difficult has we was in the stalls, mum and little one right at the front,
middle one, older one and myself second row. Middle one didn't take long in
making chat with the lady sat next to her, or the women sat behind and the
couple sat in front, before i knew it a great deal of the first, second, third
and fourth rows knew what we had been doing during the day. I sat smiling
letting them talk to whoever they wanted before a booming voice could be heard
and all sat quiet watching the show.
Has ABC played and the dancers danced along with the
singers, the girls where back to singing, wasn't long before the whole theatre
was up out of their seats dancing and singing along to Beat It, and crying to
Man in the Mirror. I couldn't take photos inside the theatre of the girls
dancing right at the front to Thriller, and i didn't know untill the end when
mum told me that the MJ impersonater on the stage, was watching little one sing
has he sang through the MJ years right back from The Jackson 5 from ABC- Ben to
Will you be there and Billie Jean. When mum said this i knew i had achieved what
the whole London trip was about.
MJ WILL LIVE ON IN MY CHILDREN AND BE FOREVER IN
OUR HEARTS.
Some went onto the O2 Arena whilst we was watching
ThrillerLive to meet up with MJ fans that couldn't make the Birthday Tribute
during the day, from what i heard it was just has amazing but turned cold very
quickly so most didn't hang around too long !
 Has we headed back to our hotel tears coming down our faces
has recent MJ news was everywhere, London streets was full of celebrations for
Michael. Those tears turned into alittle bit of a frightening expierence when
trying to catch a tube with 3 girls at 2345, the station suddenly flooded with
people trying to catch that last tube home, to then be walking down towards our
hotel and tapped on the shoulder for change off a guy was all too much for
me!
The girls on the other hand went to bed after hot chocolate,
little one fell asleep singing Smooth Criminal
... 
After 6 days of MJ you would of thought the girls would of had
enough of hearing his songs, and dancing his dances, 20mins after getting back
home and....,
My brother who now lives just down the road came with my
house keys, first thing he said has he approached the house was you and the
girls the whole MJ tribute was all over the radio all through the Bank holiday,
and thankfully we didn't go to Notting Hill carnival has bro had heard that
there was stabbings, fights and a man got decapitated...not a thing for little
ones to see never mind an adult.
To top that off bro says that Dartmouth Regatta was has last
year, the fireworks was nothing spectacular, it was just has crowded although
The Red Arrows did there full display.
The Typhoon that was supposed to be static turned out to be
just the cockpit brought in on a trailer with a ladder to the cockpit for people
to view... Am so glad i didn't waste my cash on Dartmouth Regatta this
year.
All that's left to say is a big thank you to sam who mentions
mum, the girls and myself in the following link (half way down)...
And mum, has without mum i could no way of watched the girls
in Traf Square on my own..!
LONDON/MJ Birthday Tribute-27th August-1st September 09Getting off the train at Paddington Station with 3 very excited girls, and a mum who was just has excited little one decided our first stop was the toilet stop..at 30p a visit,
 30 bloody pence a visit huh? not a chance i was paying that, so under the turnstile went little one followed closely by middle one and older one, believe me if i thought mum could bend down that far and not need help to get up the otherside she would of been under too lol.With the thought of having to pay 30p per child just to use the toilets during our 6 days in London we walked around Paddington Station and decided to have a brew and food before moving anywhere near the mass queue at the taxi rank.
 Food was soon eaten, taxi queue had gone down and we was soon on our way to our hotel to unpack cases, and get the girls into bed. Excitement took over by this point! We sat in the taxi talking about what we was going to do the next day, little one and middle one was totally taken aback with all the lights to the point they thought we was in or going to Disneyland again, (we had to stop in London for 2 nights when we went Disneyland in 2007 and a night when we went before that) the masses of people that lined the walkways everytime the taxi stopped at traffic lights little one was watching them, middle one and older one well into Michael Jackson convosation with mum and the taxi driver by this point, i sat back, listened and...just listened.
It was about 0245 when the girls decided the excitement of all the travelling had been enough for them, they was now fed up with playing hide n seek with the doorman, the lift and helping and just wanted the next day to hurry up and get here, pursuading them that going to sleep would make the day come faster wasn't too difficult to do, the momment their heads hit the pillow they was gone, mum and myself sat drinking hot chocolate and arranging where to go.
Friday was filled with the same excited 3 girls from the momment their eyes opened at 0535...yes! 0535, not impressed was i to say the least, although mum and myself was just has excited, so got up and ready to hit the day.
The day didn't start too good! My camera which i found had been broken, could possibly of fixed it with tape it was only the battery cover, but realized that to take any photos i had to hold the battery door tight against the camera body orelse it just switched itself off, not good at all...and to top that off i had forgotten my black trousers to go with my MJ theme too.
So we decided to do 3 things on Friday
1)- Went on search for a Dixons to buy new camera
2)- Went on search for black trousers pref ones under £60
3)- Did sightseeing has we walked.
And god did we do some walking!...
The tube started here...
 ..we got off at Traf Square and walked around the Portrait Gallery, the girls was fasinated with the portraits, so much History, was an amazing place. Piccadilly Circus was our next stop i think, tbh, we got on and off so many tubes friday, am totally lost with it now.We ended up on Oxford Street and we walked...and walked, stopped for drinks before walking some more, then walked some more, after about an hour and half maybe 2- 2half hrs of just walking, we found Dixons, mum didn't look too well, her lip had gone up at one side and the top of her lip a kind of blue tinge, i saw it, mum felt it, so i got the camera, got out of Dixons and looked up and down the road for nearest cafe. The girls got hungry, mum needed a long 'rest stop' and little one needed the toilet stop!...
So we stoped off in a cafe,...with no toilets huh no toilets? oh no, no toilets as we was soon to find out in ANY cafes in London. I had to rush little one over the road to Starbucks, where i then had to buy something prefrably food, to then use their toilet, naff to that one too, i bought some after coffee mints, bottle of water for mum, some marshmellow lollies for later for the girls and pointed little one to the toilet door. Returning back to mum who i think was not saying anything to me she had realized that we was in Westminister! Has i sat down i noticed there was something not right with the man sat behind us on the next table!..
I carried on talking to mum, but watching this guy...he was sat sort of sideways onto his girlfriend/wife, his legs not under the table like you would expect to see people who was sat having coffee, neither he or the women had food, nor a drink, i carried on talking to mum, then i got this horrible gut feeling has i noticed that that guy was bent down, his hands on his lap or in that direction...I got up when that gut feeling took over, walked to mums side of the table and told her ''get hold of you're bag''!!!!...i grabbed my bag with my new digital camera in it, and walked back to where i was sitting...the guy and the women left before my butt got to sit back down!
Too sum Westminister up....Dodgy place with dodgy people and no bloody toilets!!!
 ...We decided from Westminister to find the nearest tube station and go back by tube, Being on so many tubes by now the girls had mastered how to get on and get off on their own, making the journey back to Earls Court and onto Kensington alittle easyier.
Will blog about Saturday AND mj Birthday Tribute in Part 2, it's late now and been a hectic first day back home-!!
By Sunday the 30th we was exhusted!...
Woke up around 1035 to Michael Jackson playing on the tv, mum's back was killing her, her legs was stiff, her ankles swollen and her mouth still had that blue tinge to it, i thought the best idea was to not walk too far, slow walk around the shops and find somewhere for the girls to play, mum to sit down more than being on her feet, and just take the day slow. So we stayed around Kensington!
First stop a nice Latte in a coffee shop WITH toilets...Dam good bonus!!
 Onto the local playpark, where we met some of the locals, the coffee shop there is run by the local parents, events and clubs run by the local parents, and has i started chatting to them, i was soon to find that the women and men alike babysit each others children over the weekends so each parent on the rota gets a night out on the tiles partying...Not a bad idea i think! but to add to that a good few males who was sat there with mum and myself enjoying the sun and a nice brew where weekend dads running clubs whilst not at work for the children!, they made me and mum feel like we was locals too.
So whilst the girls played with the local kids... mum rested.
(Middle one wearing roller blades a local girl let her wear whilst they played together in the playpark )-
 The day soon came to a cold windy end, i somehow managed to gain myself a banging headache so rustling the girls up we headed slowly back to our hotel, stopping off in the shoe shop for boots for older one, going out shoes and slippers for middle one, and canvas shoes and sandals for little one. Chemist for headache tablets for myself and mum looking alot better. I had by this time noticed that by 2030-2100 there was few if no children walking about the streets of London. By 2100 we was sat in our warm hotel room with half chicken and chips from the local Chicken Cottage talking about the day , singing MJ songs and with the MJ Birthday Tribute still buzzing around our minds we had hot chocolate each and hit our beds.
Monday morning we awoke just at the right time to girls wanting to go back to the playpark to play with new friends, and mum wanting to go to the Notting Hill Carnival..tbh, i would of loved to of gone, just to be apart of the crowd, however we talked about going and decided maybe it was safer to not go, the tubes where part closed and stopped at 1900. So we decided to hit Traf Square one last time, reciting Saturday's events, singing MJ songs with the girls and anybody else who joined in before a quick snack in McDonald's,..and of course toilet stop!
(Middle one & older one)
 Walking down whichever road we decided to walk down we came to lots of statues, one was Florence Nightingale, middle one recognized her straight away.. little one was just taking in absoulutly everything, including winking back at any guy that smiled and winked at her, of which both mum and myself quietly told her off for and told her why!..
Walking through St James Park brought us out The Mall at the bottom of the long road was Buckingham Palace, the girls faces lit up, older one waved at the soldier, said hello to the policemen, has middle one just wanted to go in...
  ...10mins later and we was being led to the entrance of Buckingham Palace, we got our book, and audio gadgets and...
...There are no words to describe the inside of Buckingham Palace, it is truly a place that to see it is to believe it, to walk on the carpet, the rugs, to see the table, velvet chairs, the Ballroom, the Throne room, and many more rooms, the Queens dresses and the gifts the Queen herself has recieved over the years from leaders of different countries was unbelievable,The room i liked best if i was to pick a room was The Marble Room, full of marble pillers, statues, fireplaces, pictures, all the rooms was breathtaking. Mum and the girls where walking around looking at the Queens dresses she has worn on engagements over the years, picking out which dress from each engagement they would like to have and wear if they could, i stood back and smiled has they jokingly argued over the blue ballgown or the silver sparkling diamond dress.
Has we reached the end of out Buckingham Palace tour we was pointed towards an open door, we thought to the way out, little did we know that has we walked out of that door we stood in the gardens of Buckingham Palace where the Queen has walked her Gorgi's and her children have played played my own children, who stood looking onto the pond, nobody cared if they ran about so there we sat for about an hour taking in every minute and enjoying the best coffee and fudge so smooth i have ever tasted!.....
    ... We left Buckingham Palace talking about what we had seen, the girls wanting to live there lol, and wondering why, if the Queen lived there was she not home for them to say hello and thank you to and give a hug to..
Mum nor myself was best pleased when 'some' chinese guy started snapping photos of the girls...and one with his sister, how do you say ''NO'' to a person who doesn't understand english?...Will tell you the probable reason why in Part 2 !!
We all fell alittle quiet has mum reminded us that we had to pack once back at the hotel for our journey back home, the girls didn't want to leave, and i think mum and myself couldn't believe how the days had flew by, and has we headed for the slow walk to the tube station little one held her nanny's hand looked up at her and said ''Thank you nanny, that was awesome''..and has we walked little one, middle one and mum sang You are not alone.
Am not sure what time mum stopped packing i know i fell asleep before her but she was up and dressed before i woke up,
The girls quietly got dressed, grabbed bags and helped load them into the taxi, We decided to check out early and look one last time around the shops in the train station before boarding the train.
(At Paddington Station)
 (On train back home)
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