Her first pair

Mrs Limey and I have been converts to Timberland boots ever since our first winter in Chicago...

So like the fashion victims we are - Mini Limey now has her own little pair.

Now don't tell me that these are not cute.

Why am I surprised

I have always known that us men are easily manipulated by the fairer sex.

However I was not quite prepared for it to work so effectively from Mini Limey. She is very very keen on taking the car through the automated car wash.

So when she today began to suggest that the car was looking a 'little bit grubby' I was surprised that she had noticed. It was her follow up that as the car was grubby it should go through "bubbles" that knocked me sideways.

So although still less than 3 years old, she can construct scenarios to try and ensure I do as she wants... Impressive - quite; scary - definitely.

On a seperate unrelated note the king of Candy Mike & Ike's are finally being sold here in the UK. When we stumbled upon them in a local shop I had to be physically restrained from doing a little jig on the spot. My US based friends will be relieved to learn that future visits to The Limeys will only require the usual pharmaceutical orders from now on.....

Recent news

Well we have returned and recovered from our week in Spain.

We stayed in a rented villa near to Alicante in a town called Algorfa. Algorfa is about 15 miles from the coast and up in the foothills of the surrounding mountains. Its very barren, with lots of bare rock and earth, but at the same time stunning. Oh and I almost forgot to mention the Orange, Lemon and Lime groves.

The weather was very good to us with daytime temperatures at a steady 30 degrees (89 F) with clear sky's and long warm evenings. The pleasure of sitting outside watching the sun go down behind the mountains cannot be overstated.

Back in the UK we are all back to work, and getting on with saving for our next trip.

I'm working for a Japanese / German computer giant, assigned to a retail banking account supporting the Windows 2003 roll out for the server infrastructure.

Mini Limey is fast approaching her third birthday, and seems like she has swallowed the dictionary. The inevitable WHY questions can only be a few days away..... Mini is also disappointed that back home we don't have a swimming pool 20 feet from our place of residence.

Try clicking through to my FLICKR pictures to see all about our holiday in monotonous detail... Especially the sunsets. Its just possible that I got slightly carried away with them.

Cosmetics R Us

See Mini Limey at her finest - after she discovered Mrs Limeys huge pot of E45 skin creme.

We always knew that eventually hse'd discover something like this - but the picture is just pure class.

Employment Update

My last meaningful post suggested that I was about to leave the cable company and join a water utility company. This has not come to pass due to their inability to accept that I wish to take a weeks (already booked) vacation time 24-28 April. Any new contractor may not book any vacation time during April or May.

Upshot is that I am NOT now joining my local water company.

I will continue at the cable company until 21 April when I will take my vacation at Centre Parcs with Mrs Limey and Mini Limey. After that I do have an interview with an outsourcing company for a support manager position on 3rd May. Will keep everyone posted as to how that works out.

On the domestic front we spent this afternoon mowing lawns and digging borders in the garden. We also deployed 10 of those really cool and I admit quite geeky solar powered lanterns. Will let you know how quickly I fall over them of destroy them with the mower.

Oh and finally for anyone that doesn't know Mrs Limey and I will be visiting Chicago next year aprox June 30th to celebrate my 40th birthday. Combat drinking trousers at the ready - the countdown has started..... ;-)

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

After a hard afternoon's loving - Mini Limey's favourite toy Bunny C chills out in the afternoon sun.

Mini Limey Photoshop Test

originally uploaded by Shinobi32768.

Having done some fun things with my new camera - I thought it time to explore what I could do to my images with Photoshop.

Readers of this can now expect a whole string of similarly repetetive stuff....

Miracle ?

Who could have known that if I concentrated on my diet - I'd actually lose some weight!

Previously I had posted that, I had failed dismally to curb my eating, but had lost 3lbs due to increased exercise on my rower. Well for the last two weeks I have really been watchful for those little potholes called Dorito's, Mc Donalds and Wendys.

Guess what - I'm now down a total of 9lbs... Who could have known that eating less calories than I burn could do this. It's a miracle! PTL!

Whilst I'm very pleased with my progress; right about now I'm gagging for a chocolate chip cookie.

Oh and my ongoing contract at the cable provider comes to an end on 07/04 (04/07 for US readers!). So I am pleased to have secured the same sort of deal working for a water supply company.

I want to be like Daddy

Most evenings upon my return from the office, Mini Limey meets me from the door shouting encouragement to me as I retrieve my bag from the trunk of the car.

From the moment I step in the door - she is either trying to put on the shoes I have just removed - or make off with some piece of business attire. Captured here is my favourite yet - her attempt to wear my shirt. Just to put things in perspective its physically longer than she is by a BIG margin and the sleeves had to be turned up about 8 times.

All I need to say now is that I think she looks adorable - but then I would say that eh ?

When Predator meets Prey on the field of battle

Additional Garden Friends

Apart from the mindless slaughter of earlier - I'd like to demonstrate that its not all death and destruction. BTW we think the bird is a BlackCap - but are not sure.

Holy Smokes

During the course of lunch today the Limey family witnessed something remarkable.

Picture the scene - I'm eating a toasted sandwich in the living room watching TV, when suddenly there is an explosion of white feathers from the garden. I assumed that Mulder (pictured previously) had made another spectacular kill from the local Dove / Pigeon population.

At this point Mrs Limey starts saying 'oh my god its a bird of prey'. I interpret this as Mulder has caught a kestrel. Rushing to the window wondering what the hell I'm going to tell the local vet / wildlife inspectors I discover that what we believe to be a peregrine Falcon, in the process of providing its own lunch!

At this point I ought to point out that we Limey's live in a town and peregrine are extraordinarily rare here - especially so in my garden.

I have included pictures of the magnificent bird and its lunch as proof. Any twitchers reading are welcome to confirm / correct our identification.

Apologies for the fact that the pictures are slightly blurred. They are taken at great distance without the benefit of a tripod.

Lazy Sundays

I am not overly excited by sports, however today I managed to spend quality time in front of the TV. Not only is today the first day of the new Formula 1 season but my hero Michael Schumacher appears to be back on form on what is possibly his last year in F1.

I usually drivel on about family stuff of very little interest to the outside world, and for that I make no apologies. My main visitor The Writer is interested in all that stuff but even she ought to be pleased with some output revolving around sport (one of her huge passions).

I am still to this day very grateful to her for the masterclass in baseball she provided to me one sunny afternoon at Wrigley Field.

To the rest of the family expecting pictures - normal service will be resumed as soon as I calm down from the Formula 1 induced high!

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Hello Kitty pt 2

I recently woke to this face... I found myself wondering if its possible for a domestic cat to go ferral overnight ?

Private joke

Sometimes in a family it is easy to feel that there is a private club that you are excluded from. In my case I am definitely not a member of the Limey Female club.

To prove that I am not paranoid just check out the photographic proof supplied.

To be honest with you I suspect it was probably a 'bloke'ist' joke they are telling each other.

Spring has sprung pt 2

Oh spring has officially arrived - the tortoise is awake and doing laps around his enclosure.

In other news despite the local hose pipe ban Mini Limey wont back down....

Pain au chocolat anybody ?

The sheer giddy enjoyment of something for breakfast that includes chocolate!

Spring has sprung!

Here in sunny Blighty, we have had a surprisingly warm morning. To the great excitement of Mini Limey the swing has come out of the garden shed!

Whilst on the subject - I have a new camera a Nikon D70s. So look forward to more shots like this...

Hello Kitty

Attached is on of my favourite recent family pictures that for once does not feature Mini Limey.

Please meet Mrs Limey & Mulder. Mulder is the one in the front.

Operation Limey

Still looking for a generous employer - that will sponsor me for a suitable work permit to allow my family to renew its love affair with Chicago.

Breath of fresh air

My long silence was caused by the fiasco known as 'changing broadband provider'. In this day and age it ought to be quick and simple.

But no here in England it seems I still live in the dark ages.

However - at last I'm reconnected to the outside world at a stunning 10Mbs!

Diet update.... Not such good news with the diet, having trouble giving up beer, pretzels and chips. However I have managed to row regularly (every other day) the required 5000 meters. So fitness wise I am better off - and I have dropped about 3lbs from just the exercise.

If i can just get my food intake under control as well then I'm gonna reap the benefits.

Who told her that?

It seems that Mini Limey is under the impression that when she wakes up in her new bed, she needs to just play with her bears under the duvet until Daddy or Mummy arrive to collect her...

I have no idea why she thinks this but I'm very happy with the arrangement.

As her room is next to ours its possible to hear her talking to her toys...

Unexpected Bonus

When I was made redundant from the Pharma / Diagnostic company in November I was seriously concerned about my future.

It's not that I have a shortage of skills - its more that I have a young family depending on me to keep the money flowing.

However work has not been in short supply and what's more - the income earned is more as a freelance than I was earning before.

What has REALLY surprised me though is that I had forgotten just how much I enjoy doing the technical stuff myself. Before my redundancy my employer had made me a manager responsible for a large budget and a number of staff. Which actually equates to doing a lot of management and giving all the juicy technical stuff to my reports to develop them. This is a good thing to do as a manager BUT not the most rewarding thing if you still want to do these things.

So thankyou name deleted for allowing me to do again what I do best - and enjoy most.

Big day (or night)

Yesterday was another milestone in the development of Mini Limey.

It was the day she moved out of her crib into a proper bed. I don't know about her, but I was anxious on her behalf. Would she keep getting up, would she be scared - and would I wake up 37 times in the night to her little face saying "drawing!" or "train".

The good news is that she slept right through the night. The bad news is that I didn't and wok up possible 37 times worrying.

Ironic really - spend all that money on a quality bed - and then get the worse nights sleep in years!

False advertising

When I quit smoking about 2 1/2 years ago - everyone told me how much better I'd feel and fitter I'd be. So why is it that I still feel no different - but I have gained 30lbs... So by reducing my chace of dying of cancer - I seem to have increased my chances of a heart attack. Still no-one said life had to be fair.

White noise

Another day - another dollar. Am still working for a cable company on contract doing Server operations. That should keep me busy until the middle of Feb. After that its back to the agencies to see what else is available.

I have decided to lose some weight and get fitter.
From Monday I will start using my ConceptII rowing machine again and being faithful to the South Beach diet. My regular reader (The Writer) can be sure of a blow by blow account of how the new regime progresses.

Oh and I also passed my first Microsoft exam (70-270). Thats one down 6 more to go....

Before you ask - i want to shed about 30lbs (15kg). If i make progress I'll deliver some before and after pictures.

Finally here is a picture of a local castle conspiring to impress the pictured friend. Come back soon! xxx

Must try harder

Its 2006 and guess what I have not posted in weeks.

I have just been scalded by my good friend The Writer from The Chicago Notebook about my lack of output. So just like the school report of a failing student I promise to try harder.

The real problem is that so much of what happens to the Limey family I just assume is of no interest... I'll just stop doing that - try to write a bit every few days and see what happens. Any feedback is (most likely) appreciated.

Mini Limeys love of various foods is well documented. Just for the record here is a very happy looking girl with a Christmas Lunch!