belgianwaffle

Those go ahead Americans


Posted in: Siblings

My sister wants to know what I know about copyright and trademark law.  Not a lot.

“Reason I ask is that a colleague from work and I would like to file a patent but the US government patent site is very confusing.”

Comments
Locotes

on 05 May 2005 at 15:48

Unless it’s a patent on a product that makes internet sites easier to understand. Could be a winner…

Friar Tuck

on 05 May 2005 at 15:49

Ah, good. You do pro bono work. Expect my packet of questions in the post.

belgianwaffle

on 06 May 2005 at 21:24

JD, good point. Locotes, even better point. Have no idea what it’s for, this is her description “Its definitely worth investigating. Probably a better way to spend my time rather than playing Spider Solitaire”. And who am I to quibble with that?
FT, no.

English Whimsey; American Genius


Posted in: Reading etc.

Am back rereading the collected Dorothy Parker. Particularly liked this from a review of an A.A. Milne offering.

“The cabinet minister talks softly and embarrassingly to Sally – “Ah Selly, Selly, Selly” – but that is not enough. He must tap out to her, on the garden wall, his message, though she is right beside him.  First he taps, and at the length it would take, the letter “I”. Then he goes on in to “l”, and, though surely everone in the audience has caught the idea, he carries through to “o”. “Oh, he’s not going on into “v””, I told myself. “Even Milne wouldn’t do that to you”. But he did. He tapped on through “v”, and then did an “e”. “If he does “y””, I thought, “I’m through.” And he did. So I shot myself. [….]

The play ends with him sitting at his desk, one hand tapping out “Good-bye, dear” – what a man; he must have had woodpecker blood in him! – while the other grasps the pen…”

Belgian Parking


Posted in: Belgium
Total cost to me of parking my car on the street all day: €10 plus 4 trips out to feed the meter.
Total cost of parking fine received yesterday when I forgot to feed the meter (hey, I was busy): €12 plus no trips to the meter.
Personally, I think they need to rethink their level of fines.  I also finally understand why I am the ONLY person in Belgium who pays for parking  up front.

The Amaryllis yesterday


Posted in: Reading etc.

The same amaryllis today:

Comments
midwifemuse

on 01 May 2005 at 15:25

Okay, no flowers, but its got leaves now. Perhaps you can’t have both?

Friar Tuck

on 01 May 2005 at 19:10

I presume you are using this to teach Princess a lesson on the fleeting nature of this life?

jackdalton

on 02 May 2005 at 21:40

I used to have a wonderful stand of tulips that I brought home with me from the UK.
This morning I had a very sick dog and no more tulips. He even dug up the bulbs.

Friar Tuck

on 02 May 2005 at 22:55

Did you notice that it appears to be trying to jump out the window? I’d put it on a suicide watch if I were you.

poggle

on 03 May 2005 at 11:47

Dear me. They’ll be calling in the NSPCP …..

beachhutman

on 03 May 2005 at 16:58

It always happens if I eat fruit too.

belgianwaffle

on 05 May 2005 at 14:02

Locotes, we live on the second floor, relax. What’s watering?
MWM, well, maybe, but if so, why couldn’t we hang on to the flowers?
FT, it’s jumped.
JD, um, did he eat the bulbs?
Pog, the inspectors are at the door.
BHM, at last, now I know where we’re going wrong…

jackdalton

on 05 May 2005 at 15:41

Flowers, leaf and bulbs…

belgianwaffle

on 06 May 2005 at 21:22

Terrifying. Get a child. It’s easier to put things out of its reach.

jackdalton

on 08 May 2005 at 16:12

Hmmm… there’s always the question about what to do with it when you want a holiday or some sort of a life. Kennels don’t generally take them I believe – even with full MMR etc certs…
And the poor houses are long gone, so there’s not even hope of refuge to be had in later and declining years…
😐

belgianwaffle

on 12 May 2005 at 19:29

JD – Grandparents?

jackdalton

on 13 May 2005 at 09:53

Not unless I dig them up…

belgianwaffle

on 13 May 2005 at 19:28

Go, go, go…

jackdalton

on 13 May 2005 at 19:31

As in away? 🙁

belgianwaffle

on 13 May 2005 at 19:39

No as in start digging.

jackdalton

on 13 May 2005 at 19:55

But they’ve dead. 😐

belgianwaffle

on 15 May 2005 at 20:29

Picky, picky, picky.

Petit Bateau


Posted in: Reading etc.

She came to Petit Bateau to buy t-shirts.  Like me, you will have assumed that it was only for children’s clothes, but it goes up to 18. You may say that it’s a long time since I’ve seen 18, but 18 year olds are a lot bigger than they were in my day. And their t-shirts are cheap (in contradistinction to their babies’ things which are terrifyingly expensive) and fabulous and don’t have a brand name across the front.  I offer you this information for nothing.  I am good and kind. And the best dressed one bought a beautiful little dress for the Princess also, which you may inspect here where my daughter has chosen to model it with a sieve.

Comments
jackdalton

on 02 May 2005 at 21:37

That’s a really cool sieve. Not so sure about the dress though…
😛

poggle

on 03 May 2005 at 11:46

She’s looking very grown-up waffley. Just as well – she’ll be on big sis duty soon ……

belgianwaffle

on 05 May 2005 at 14:03

Yes, gentlemen, I know the seive is a worry.
Pog, I know, well she has 4 and a half months and she would need all that time to adapt, if she had the remotest idea of what was coming.

More consequences


Posted in: Twins

Since we have announced that we are going to have twins, a lot of people have asked whether we have been having IVF treatment.  People have no shame. Mr. Waffle and I had a chat about this the other night.

Me:I can’t believe that people keep asking that. I feel vaguely resentful at the assumption, though I can’t imagine why.
Him: I suppose it’s like if you make a cake for a dinner party and people ask you where you bought it – you get indignant and say, “I made it myself”.
Me: No, it’s not like that at all, I mean there is an intrinsic merit in being able to make your own cake but being able to get pregnant or not is just luck,
really.
Him: I suppose.
Me: I don’t know, it must be some primitive thing where you feel that it is bad to have your fertility impugned.
Him: Well, I’m obviously fine, but non-identical twins suggests that your eggs must be getting on a bit in the fertility stakes….
Comments
poggleon 28 April 2005 at 17:13

Ooh dear, Mr waffle is pushing his luck …… bad lad.  

belgianwaffleon 28 April 2005 at 17:29

Thank you very much, Katy. Yes, pog, he deserves to suffer horribly..

dmtson 28 April 2005 at 21:29

There’s a lot of pregnancy around on 20six at the moment and various stories abounding about what happens to people in pregnancy. I cannot imagine any other ‘state of being’ where people ask the most intrusive questions or where there is a sense of ‘ownership’ about your body within the wider world.
I can fully understand and empathise with your resentment. In my opinion it would be worse if you had had a pregnancy as a result of assisted conception because then the bastards asking the questions would think they owned that too.
I blame everyone from Margaret Thatcher onwards because that’s quite an easy thing to do. It’s very easy for me to make these suggestions, but the next time someone asks if it’s IVF (or whatever the question of the day is), I think you should give your reply and then ask them about the state of their erections, sex life, bowels or whatever. I’d definitely go for the erections. Please blog any replies.

Friar Tuckon 29 April 2005 at 02:08

Yes, h, that will certainly silence the women who are asking those intrusive questions.

Minkleberryon 29 April 2005 at 07:23

Mr Waffle!

beachhutmanon 29 April 2005 at 09:41

Yep. Give em a blow by blow account of how you made em! (Hmmmm. Maybe “blow by blow” was unfortunate)

Locoteson 29 April 2005 at 16:42

The hormones are obviously kicking in, poor Mr. Waffle is getting the blame for everything…  

belgianwaffleon 01 May 2005 at 14:37

Heather, thanks for this, of course, I am sure that in my past I have been equally bad, however, advancing years have, I hope, increased my sensibility and, for example, I have learnt to stop asking women who’ve been married a couple of years when they are going to have children, mostly because I realised how deeply irritating it was when it started happening to me. Apols for mild digression. FT, it’s only men. Minks, I know! BHM, do you realise that this is a family blog? Loc, eh, what’s that all about? Be off before I beat you round the head.