It's 1/1/11 today. Whee...
I've not really posted much lately, either here or on the various websites I'm trying to look after. I've definitely got to apologise to Koco for not keeping up with hers lately, even my forum postings have been minimal, and as for keeping on top of email, I'm way behind on some conversations..
Anyway, in a bit of a catch-up, here's a rough synopsis, in reverse chronological order ...
Thanks to Ant for supplying a virtually complete copy of the ITV Oracle teletext service from their final day, 31st December 1992. I'll get that up on the relevant site ASAP, and hopefully try and find the time to put a proper "type the page number" browser together!
Otherwise, there's not a lot been happening on the website front. I need to get the scanner earning its keep again, and get some promotion going. I really need to get some media interest in the Hunt for Prestel. There must be something remaining, somewhere ..
So, on the family front -
Waking up Christmas Morning with no water made things a challenge! We only had enough water to make morning drinks by using glasses of water that had been poured out the night before to take tablets with! I wish I'd though to call it in at 4am when I'd taken Tiddler to the loo, and it was already off, but I was half asleep and didn't know if it was just us. Turns out it was most of the estate, due to a burst pipe out on one of the main roads. Well done to the poor workmen called out to fix it, though - we had water by lunchtime, just as we were collecting bottles up to go visit a relative with, after getting fed up drinking milk and hot chocolate..
It was my 44th Birthday just before Christmas - blimey. The question is, of course, how do I get 44 candles on a tiny little cake (Thanks for the cake, sis!) ... easy, if you're a geek.Of course I had to explain to everybody else why there were only three candles lit, which rather spoiled it somewhat. I think Dad would have got it, but he wasn't able to come.
Tiddler was an angel in the Nursery Nativity Play. She was beautiful, and very well behaved. I videoed the whole thing, but got in trouble for being in a position where I couldn't actually see her for most of the time. Bit of a blunder there. I should have moved once I realised, but I'd found a good spot to sit where I could see the whole stage, before they came in. Afterwards it was somewhat more crowded..
Prior to that, she performed in the Christmas Concerts at Salford University, playing the violin! She was a little star, and at just 3 years old, definitely the youngest that mounted that stage. I have no idea if she got the notes right, playing as part of a group, but she plainly concentrated, put the effort in, and looked wonderful!
End of November saw the family all gathered in church for Tiddler's baptism. A little late, we know, but at least she understood what was going on, and was exceptionally well behaved. Apparently, some kids scream the place down!
September was when she started school - mornings in Nursery initially, but she pretty quickly went to full-time, after brief hiatus due to a week off with a cold! Throw 25 kids whom have for the most part never met before together, and I guess they are going to spend that first week swapping germs... She spent the next two months coming home with "I learned a new name" .. I think she knows them all now, and there are some definite friendships forming. And at least one kid whom rubs her up the entire time, which is a pity as they have adjoining coat pegs and the exact same coat! Or maybe that's why...
Labels: family
Wednesday was a big day for Tiddler - she was awarded a brick at the school assembly "for brilliant phonics work". They have an interesting rewards system - if you do really well at something, and it can be for something as minor as paying attention if you don't usually, you may be in line for a rectangle of paper with your name and the reason on it. This gets pasted up on the wall as you enter the main school building, for all to see. Arranged in a brick-wall pattern, of course, hence the name. She was very very giddy about this, and we were so pleased for her! 
