belgianwaffle

Reading etc.

Nothing to See Here


Posted in: Reading etc.

I recommend that you read this. It is the funniest thing I have read in some time.

Completely unrelated:
The Law Society of Ireland Gazette is anxious to reassure that solicitors are taking the latest slur on the legal profession seriously (too lengthy and depressing to go into). This month the magazine assures readers that “..the Society will accept, for the first time, complaints made other than in writing”.  Way to go, thatÂ’’s bound to reassure the punters.

Comments

UndercoverCookie

on 22 November 2005 at 09:56

it frightened the bejeesus out of me. I’ve never had kids. I’d like to have them – or at least I did.

NorahSplog

on 22 November 2005 at 11:24

Oh god oh god oh god

dmts

on 22 November 2005 at 11:39

Well, you took it better than I imagined Norah.

belgianwaffle

on 22 November 2005 at 15:06

H, reckon Minks is too experienced to be scared now, but at least Norah and Cookie are terrified.

Minkleberry

on 22 November 2005 at 15:39

Hilarious- a little bit of wee snuck out (only a little though, thank god.)

poggle

on 23 November 2005 at 09:31

Hell- I’m never having a baby and I was terrified. And amused.
Do you think the Law Society will be accepting complaints such as rotten eggs hurled at them, by the way?

belgianwaffle

on 23 November 2005 at 12:11

Minks, showing your experience – amused not terrified, see pog was terrified and amused in that order. Pog, suspect that they might not, worth a try though…

Quite miscellaneous matters while children nap


Posted in: Reading etc., Twins

Got an email from my father-in-law beginning as follows:

“[A]s I sipped my espresso macchiato this morning (as an aside, this was the place in Smithfield where I asked a new member of staff for an espresso, to be told “Sorry-don’t understand English)….”

It’s far from espresso macchiatos he was reared; this celtic tiger stuff is getting out of control.

I rather like the juxtaposition of the standard signature and the content of this email from a friend and fellow Georgette Heyer fan:

GH [Georgette Heyer I’m reading] is Sylvester – lots of fun, although I think I could write them myself at this stage – the
signposts are pretty clear!

Nxx

N M
Professor of Extremely Hard Law
School of Law
University of X”

Got an email from my sister as follows:

“I know one shouldn’t laugh at names, but Kermit!!!

Organizational Announcement – Productivity Operations Leader – Kermit S

I am pleased to announce that Kermit S has accepted the position of Productivity Operations Leader, and will assume his new role effective Monday, November 21, 2005.

Kermit, has an extensive 25 year manufacturing/production background and a proven record of creating and maintaining high performance work teams. Kermit will be responsible for leading the overall process improvement efforts. X will report directly to Kermit, as will Y.

Please join me, in welcoming Kermit, his wife and his 2 children to the [insert company name here] Family.”

Showed this to Mr. Waffle but he refused to be amused. “It must have been a name before it was assigned to a frog.”   “Oh yeah, there are so many famous Kermits in history, Kermit of Arc, Pope Kermit, Kermit Roosevelt…” But he remains adamant and unamused, think it’s kind of a funny name myself.

Ventured out yesterday and today.

Yesterday my path out was barred by a pigeon sitting in the hall looking at me nastily. It was quite scary. I shouted shoo at it in an entirely ineffectual way and it looked at me in distinct scorn.  I edged past it to the door and when I got there found it was bucketing rain and I had no umbrella so went back upstairs with Daniel attached to me in the sling and
left Michael in the hall in the buggy.  On the way up I began to worry that the pigeon might attack Michael (stop sniggering, it was very malignant) so ran all the way back down to find him safe although the pigeon looked like he was reckoning whether Michael might be edible.  When I finally secured my umbrella, I pointed it at the pigeon and opened and closed it
vigourously.  If pigeons could laugh, I think that he would have. Malevolently. He certainly didn’t move and the three of us edged past very cautiously.

All of this going out is good preparation for next week
when we will be home alone as Mr. Waffle is off on a work trip.  The boys and I will have to drive the Princess to the creche and pick her up (the alternative is worse).  I am nervous, people.

Comments

NorahSplog

on 18 November 2005 at 12:29

Hah – Professor of Extremely Hard Law is brilliant!

dmts

on 18 November 2005 at 12:44

I’m with you on the Kermit – can you imagine having to go on a date with someone called Kermit? I mean, you wouldn’t would you? How could you possibly be romantic with Kermit? No. Mr Waffle speaks false – tell him from me.

poggle

on 18 November 2005 at 13:29

Poor Kermit. But silly Kermit – you’d have to change your name, wouldn’t you?

Kateri

(Homepage)

on 18 November 2005 at 15:05

I met a guy named Kermit once, years ago. I couldn’t keep a straight face. He gave me the eyeball of death and walked away. Poor guy. I bet he’s changed his name by now.

Bobble

on 18 November 2005 at 16:32

Mmm I worked with some wonderfully named people at a German investment bank. Thermos Kartalis was delightful.

kristin

(Homepage)

on 18 November 2005 at 16:44

because i’m all about research:
Kermit
Gender: Boy
Origin: Irish, Gaelic
Meaning: “Without envy.”
Notes: Variant of Dermot, made famous by the popular green Muppet Kermit the Frog.
Keywords: gaelic, irish, famous, popular, green
Popularity: The name Kermit ranked 588 out of 1219 (Top 48%) as a first name for males of all ages in the 1990 U.S. Census. The name Kermit was not ranked among 88799 surnames for males and females of all ages in the 1990 U.S. Census.
“Without envy,” indeed. *snort*

Nicole

(Homepage)

on 18 November 2005 at 20:32

I’m assuming you KNOW there really was a Kermit Roosevelt (he was Theodore’s (eldest, I think) son), and you slipped that in there to be tricky right? Good one! (p.s. I only know this random fact because I heard a review on National Public Radio (in the US) about a book written about the journey through the Amazon rainforest Kermit and his father took after TR’s second run for presidential office.)

beachhutman

on 19 November 2005 at 00:11

Or this guy: http://www.law.csuohio.edu/faculty/lind/
Would that be Carluccios? ON the pavement?

kristin

(Homepage)

on 20 November 2005 at 02:19

hey nicole, i heard that same review!

belgianwaffle

on 20 November 2005 at 14:48

SSC, alas, it would appear that the pigeon is boss.
Norah, ta.
Heather, Pog, Bobble, yes, yes, interesting.
The rest of you: you know far, far too much about Kermits. I am, however, delighted to discover that it means ” without envy”.

KateEvans

on 22 November 2005 at 09:44

What lovely boys. At the moment our own little darling has been complaining about life, the universe and everything for the last three hours and to me they look like peaceful, silent little angels in comparison.

belgianwaffle

on 22 November 2005 at 15:06

Only briefly Kate..

Why do I read it, if I don’t like it?


Posted in: Reading etc.

Thank you Mr. James for giving me a whole new worry.

Comments
NorahSplogon 18 October 2005 at 15:23

I am an anti-maven (or whatever the opposite of a maven is). I couldn’t tell you the price of something I bought 2 minutes ago. Consequently I am always skint.

Friar Tuckon 18 October 2005 at 23:42

Am envious of your skrimping prowess.

belgianwaffleon 19 October 2005 at 13:07

Very funny, FFE.
Norah, FT, I’m always skint too. But I do have 18 litres of Evian in the kitchen.

Juliette


Posted in: Princess, Reading etc.

She’s not as fond of Juliette as she is of T’choupi, the world’s dullest mole, but she is moderately fond. We possess 3* of these works and they are very true to life. Just a little bit too true to life. Let me give you some examples.

Juliette goes shopping.

She pesters her mother to buy chocolate cornflakes because she’s seen on the telly that there’s a present inside. She demands that her mother buys ice cream.

Juliette on the Farm

She sees piglets being fed by their mother (go on, you try to explain to a two year old what’s going on here). She watches the farmer attaching the milking machine to a cow (again a difficult one to explain – surely milk comes from cartons) while the cow flicks away flies with her tail. Juliette is warned to stand well back in case the cow poos on her.

Juliette has a little Brother (purchased for propaganda purposes)

Juliette wees all over the floor because no one is paying her any attention. This is clearly illustrated so even if one doesn’t read the accompanying text, it is quite apparent what is going on here.

I see that there is an offering entitled “Juliette celebrates Christmas” available in the series. Doubtless this is where young readers are told that there is no Santa Claus.

*Updated to add – as of May 2007 we appear to have about 16 Juliettes all with that delightfully honest take on the life of a small child.

Comments
chintzybling

on 16 September 2005 at 14:48

Juliette wets herself? Juliette sounds filthy to me.

belgianwaffle

on 16 September 2005 at 15:08

Chintzy, I’m appalled.
Jojo, you and me both, frankly, I’m amazed that there is other news available though I enjoyed your link to Brittany and Kevin’s site very much…

JoJo

on 16 September 2005 at 15:55

I’m hoping to see a similar broadcast here some time soon (don’t forget the virtual baloons now will you?)

Sarcastic Journalist

(Homepage)

on 16 September 2005 at 21:52

Weeing on the floor? Is this book trying to give the children ideas?

jackdalton

on 16 September 2005 at 22:42
(
Comment Modified) If you want to see real kiddy-read mayhem, look no further than Katie Morag Delivers the Mail. Or in fact any Katie Morag story. Priceless 🙂

belgianwaffle

on 19 September 2005 at 09:59

Jojo, am even now investigating the technology for same.
SJ, yes.
JD, no more mayhem please.

Technical


Posted in: Reading etc.

We went to a garden party in the suburbs yesterday. It was all very civilised. And leafy. Our host was a man I knew when I was in Bosnia for a couple of months in 1996 and ran into again in a Brussels café last year. Small world and all that.

I was chatting to this woman and I asked her how she knew our host and she said that she had a blog. Ran into some blogging etiquette difficulty as I waxed enthusiastic about her very well-known blog in a polite way but havenÂ’’t really read it; so was frantically trying to remember whether she might have children etc. while wittily telling stories about the pleasures of being pregnant with twins.

I suppose it was inevitable that she should be the mother of twins. It turned out that a lot of people there were bloggers who knew each other, including our host. It was all very weird but the weirdest bit was when I was chatting to this Irish girl whose blog I cannot now find and she said to me “YouÂ’’re
belgianwaffle are you? I nearly keeled over from shock. “What� How did you know?” “Well, you’Â’re pregnant with twins.”

And while I’Â’m doing geeky, everytime I try to link to the sarcastic journalist, I get a message saying “You’ve been very, very naughty! You are the weakest link. Goodbye. What the hell is that about? If you are at all in the mood to be kind, you
might see if the link works for you and, if it does pass me on her email address so that I can see whether I have been blocked by accident or what. Oh come on, you know I havenÂ’’t been leaving nasty comments.

And finally, please admire the Princess’Â’s new hair style.

Comments
disgruntled

on 24 July 2005 at 17:16

Not sure if it helps, but I followed the link you gave and got the same thing. Even googling and following the link came up with the same message. So I don’t think it’s you, I think it’s a problem with that site. (Google still has it cached though)

dmts

on 24 July 2005 at 17:29

I got the link okay so I’m obviously an A lister.

Nicholas

(Homepage)

on 24 July 2005 at 19:29

Small world, isn’t it!!!!!

zed

(Homepage)

on 24 July 2005 at 20:14

It was lovely meeting you yesterday and you have the gift of the gob, my dear! I couldn’t even ask you a question 😉 There again, you may realise that in reality (although you don’t read my blog) I am, in fact, terribly shy. I had some tips for you that I was thinking about last night if ever you wanted some, re: twins, so do email me if you feel the need 🙂 I hope we meet again before the sproglets pop out – let me know and we can organise a BBQ chez-moi.

jackdalton

on 24 July 2005 at 23:01

Hey ‘waf.. that woman whose blog you don’t read is calling you a mouth!! 😉

belgianwaffle

on 25 July 2005 at 10:33

HJB, not only are you an A lister, you’re a saint as well. Disgruntled, it’s no wonder we’re disgruntled, frankly.
Nicholas, alarmingly so. Thank you for a lovely afternoon – more formal thanks to follow!
Oh dear, it’s not that I don’t read your blog, it’s just that I subscribed with bloglines and it never updates so I gave up on it. I would love to say that I am only very, very talkative in the presence of celebrities but this is completely untrue. I could talk for Ireland (and that’s saying something). Thank you for kind offering of advice re sproglets, I will be back to you. Am on first day of mat leave and gethering myself together to torment people.
Jack, what can I say, it’s true.

Sarcastic Journalist

(Homepage)

on 25 July 2005 at 17:00

I’m sooo sorry!!! I hope we can get this straightened out.

belgianwaffle

on 26 July 2005 at 14:52

All sorted, thank you kindly, SJ.

Aoife

on 26 July 2005 at 18:31

Sorry to make you keel over with shock! Nicholas had invited a stack of bloggers so I assumed that’s how he knew you.

belgianwaffle

on 27 July 2005 at 10:28

But no! And you know how dangerous it is to make someone in my condition keel over…Anyhow, where is your blog? I’ve tried Habseeligkeit in livejournal but it sneers at me.

Aoife

(Homepage)

on 08 August 2005 at 20:14

Sorry, have been internet cold turkey for a while and haven’t been blogging. Most of the journal is locked – you can sign up to livejournal without bothering to post anything and I’ll “friend” you to read posts.

belgianwaffle

on 08 August 2005 at 21:54

It’s ok, I found you, Nicholas gave you away! Will sign up to live journal when feeling strong and let you know…

Gender Equality


Posted in: Belgium, Ireland, Reading etc.

From a national organ of record

“When it comes to fellow citizens, Ireland falls into the conservative category. A massive 81% of people think it’s more important a boy is university educated than a girl. But the Irish also feel that women have an equal right to a job” The Examiner, 20 July 2005.
Well, that’s all right then. Those women probably don’t need jobs either, sure all they do is go off and have babies. Speaking of which, my maternity leave starts tomorrow.

And a happy Belgian national day to you.

StarCorneron 21 July 2005 at 20:30Happy Belgian national Day to you too!! Maybe the Irish think women just want inferior jobs – a wee bit like the golf club I heard about, they don’t let women in until after 3.30 at the weekends cos they should be busy doing the washing and housework till then!! *Tsk!*
Bobbleon 21 July 2005 at 22:02Happy Belgiumness to you dearie x
jackdaltonon 21 July 2005 at 23:42That’s just a load of old bollox — the Examiner’s idea of a survey is to ring a few grannies in East Cork. Don’t take it personally ‘waf. You can hold onto that old UCC parchment for another while. mind you, when McDowell is TeaShock, then you may have to return same…. but that’s a day or two away yet.
😉
suson 22 July 2005 at 11:30Hope your first day of maternity leave is going swimmingly.
belgianwaffleon 23 July 2005 at 12:51Olivia, no, no, no, it means loads of blogging! Ah, Starcorner, you’re so right. I should have thourght.
Thanks Bob.
JD, I am torn between a desire to agree with you and a desire to defend the Examiner’s honour, very trying.
Well, today is technically my first day and very pleasant it is too. Thank you very much.