Category: At home (Page 7 of 7)

Typing it up

20 June, 2018 / masher / 2 Comments

This month’s challenge is all about taking a daily photo of an everyday object and writing some mundane shit about it.

I think that, so far, I have excelled at this. Especially the second part.

But, I found myself sitting here at this desk this evening, wondering what everyday object I could photograph. What object do I use on a daily – or almost daily – basis?

And then I realised that this keyboard gets used several times a day. Easily. Especially during Blogathons.

It has taken a right ol’ bashing, in it’s lifetime.

I have had it for many years and it’s absolutely filthy.

Tea – and other beverages – have all been spilt over it. Several times.

Biscuit crumbs and bits of muesli are stuck between – and under – some of the keys.

And the plastic lacquering is peeling off in places.

But, unlike me, it still works perfectly.

Clippety clip

17 June, 2018 / masher / 5 Comments

I have had my haircut, this morning.

No visit to the barber for me, though. No, I let the current Mrs Masher do her usual hatchet job on it. Fortunately, the ‘hatchet job’ is my preferred style.

In fact, I don’t think I have visited a barber’s shop since Mrs M and I first got together.

She’s not a trained hairstylist, or anything, but cutting hair is something that all women can do, I think.

To a degree.

Yes, on the odd occasion she has made a pig’s ear of it, but it’s never really bothered me.

Because it grows back.

All too quickly.

And nowadays, she pretty much has it off pat.

We have gone through many clippers over the years, but these are Mrs M’s currently preferred set.

They have lasted well and, after many uses, are still very sharp… as the blood currently running down from the tip of my left ear will testify.

Take 2 bottles into the shower…?

15 June, 2018 / masher / 2 Comments

The current Mrs Masher has a catering size bottle of Head & Shoulders that she and Daughter use for washing their hair.

Son and I use a much smaller bottle – that lasts just as long.

Looking at them in the shower, this morning, I noticed that the one we boys use is emblazoned with the epithet: For Men.

Which is good.

Because we are.

But what is the difference between the two bottles, I wondered?

Well, checking through the list of unpronounceable chemicals on the back, the only difference I could see, was that the male version contains Limonene.

So, not only have I got soft and luxurious, dandruff-free hair, but it smells of lemons too.

Because I’m worth it.

On the cheap

10 June, 2018 / masher / 5 Comments

Today was the day of the Montreal Grand Prix.

A circuit where Lewis Hamilton won his first race and one where he usually excels.

A track where Jenson Button won what was – IMHO – one of the best races of the modern era, in 2011.

I became interested in Formula 1 and it’s British drivers, when the young and prodigious LH started showing what he was capable of.

And when JB joined him at McLaren, it was, for me, the dream team and I’ve been a fan ever since.

But I’m not that big a fan that I want to dish out my hard-earned to Rupert bloody Murdoch.

So, for the races that are not available on terrestrial television, I watch them on German satellite channel RTL. The dish sits in the garden, bolted to a paving slab and 5 mins before the race starts, I just feed the cable in through an open window and into the receiver box which then feeds the telly using an old-fashioned SCART lead.

I’ve been watching it like this for the past four or five years. Yes, there are adverts to put up with – annoying German ones, at that – but this arrangement only cost me a one-off payment of just forty quid. If I’d paid SKY for their F1 channel, I would have paid out well over a thousand pounds, by now.

For that sort of saving, I can put up with a few adverts 🙂

Woof!

8 June, 2018 / masher / 4 Comments

Well, I haven’t posted any pictures of muttley for a while, so what better opportunity than during a blogging challenge?

Saber is about 14 or 15 months old now and she has more energy than the Duracell bunny.

She eats like a horse and is costing a small fortune to keep.

But, she’s also dragging Mrs Masher and I out of our armchairs and onto long walks… which can’t be a bad thing.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

3 June, 2018 / masher / 3 Comments

It’s been a tiring old weekend, with lots getting done and we needed to kick back a bit.

So, this afternoon, we had some family over for a barbecue and a few drinks.

And then a few more drinks.

Now, I’ve liked whisky for a long time and our sideboard has many bottles in it, that have been bought me over the years.

And whilst I’m partial to a nice scotch, I find Irish that bit smoorther.

This one was unopened and was shouting out to be uncorked… Mick and I didn’t want to let it down.

A fair afternoon’s work, I’d say.

… a drink with jam and bread

1 June, 2018 / masher / 4 Comments

Pinch punch an’ all that.

I am working from home today (OK, I’m on a break right now).

I’m fortunate enough to be able to work from home most Fridays.

“Work”, for me, in the main, involves having my head stuck in my laptop for much of the day. At work, this is punctuated with meetings.

Many, many meetings.

Obviously, when I am at home, I can’t attend any meetings, so the day is peppered with phone calls, instead.

But, whether I am working at work or working from home, one thing remains a constant.

Tea.

White. No sugar. I will easily drink six to eight cups, during a working day.

And then I wonder why I have to get up twice in the night for a wee.

The cup of tea you see in the picture above, was taken about five minutes ago, so I’d better go drink it before it gets cold. I have some lovely shortbread biscuits to dunk in it somewhere, too.

Oh, and this post comes to you courtesy of young Mr Jones’ Banal Blogathon challenge, which I stupidly agreed to do, so be prepared for some pretty mundane stuff heading your way.

Watching Paint Dry

10 March, 2018 / masher / 7 Comments

I mentioned last month that we had finished decorating Daughter’s bedroom.

Well, now we have almost finished doing Son’s.

Similar to Daughter’s, he has new fitted wardrobes; new carpet; a new bed and new furniture.

And it all looks very nice.

But there is one thing we have recently discovered, during our decorating activities.

Mrs M always used to help out with the decorating, but the bulk of it was always done by myself.

That has now swapped around.

Because, it turns out that Mrs M is actually a pretty good decorator and, though it pains me to admit it, her painting skills are much better than my own.

I’ve tried slapping it on quickly and I’ve tried putting it on slowly, but however I try it, I always seem to get runs and drips when glossing the woodwork. Doors, especially.

But Mrs M’s doors are always pristine: evenly covered and not a run in sight. It’s quite annoying, actually.

But, it’s an annoyance I am happy to put up with, because it means I don’t have to do it.

And, much as I hate decorating in general, my ego is quite pleased that I still have the edge when it comes to doing the wallpapering.

Painting The Forth Bridge

20 February, 2018 / masher / 1 Comment

I think I mentioned earlier that we are in the throes of decorating Daughter’s bedroom.

It’s just about finished and it looks wonderful. She is well chuffed.

And so she should be: new fitted wardrobes; new carpet; new furniture; new bed; new lights; new everything.

It’s cost a small fortune, hence no holiday this year.

And now that it’s finished, we get to start on Son’s room next month. Hurray!

Of course, I’m damn sure that once those two bedrooms are looking all spick and span, Mrs M will want ours doing, to match.

That just leaves my playroom (AKA Masher’s Man Cave) and the bathroom to be done, so that the whole of upstairs is all fresh and lovely.

Of course, if you are going to do all the upstairs, then…

And repeat.