Morning palaver

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We are notorious for losing keys, getting locked out of our house, getting locked IN the house (it’s true), and generally having poor key management.  We haven’t had a crises for a while and thought we’d sussed it, but it seems we never learn.

Hmmm…it’s been a while since I’ve drawn a full series of panels!

train-dilemmas

Scooting

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My new job is spread across the city of Cardiff.  I have two desks ‘conveniently’ located in separate buildings nearly 2 miles apart.   As you can imagine, travelling on foot wastes an awful lot of time and using a bicycle has its downsides: finding a space on a busy train; carrying extra kit (helmets, chain locks, fluorescent jackets); and finding somewhere to lock it up at work. So my solution?

A SCOOTER!!  The bees knees of travel! You may laugh, but I have thighs of steel and can manage my two mile trip in just under 15 minutes! It’s an unusual sight seeing adults scooting (or scootering?) down the road, but just a couple of days ago, I crossed paths with a very elegant looking lady gliding along on a scooter. We were both taken aback and did an air high-five as I shot past her with hot red cheeks, my rucksack hanging off my shoulder and the lactic acid burning.

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Monsieur Squirrel

Squirrels have been a regular sight this holiday! Our campsite was besieged by them and our holiday cottage is frequented by a family of fat, quarrelsome squizzels searching for a tid bit or two! We even spotted one making off with an entire baguette (not ours I might add), he could hardly run straight under the weight! 

I wasn’t aware baguettes were part of a squirrel’s diet…perhaps he was French? 

  

Munich Part 1

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Munich is an attractive, vibrant city with grand buildings, wide streets and a welcoming atmosphere.   The Lonely Planet describes it like this: “The natural habitat of well-heeled power dressers and lederhosen-clad thigh-slappers, Mediterranean-style street cafes and Mitteleuropa beer halls, high-brow art and high-tech industry, Germany’s second city is a flourishing success story that revels in its own contradictions. If you’re looking for Alpine clichés, they’re all here, but the Bavarian metropolis sure has many an unexpected card down its Dirndl.”

And so Munich was our holiday destination for the Christmas period.  Despite ALL of the shops being closed between the 24th-26th December, and just missing out on the last of the Christmas markets, there was no shortage of eateries, beer halls and coffee shops to keep us in good spirits.   We spent much of our time wandering around the streets in the snow, dipping in and out of coffee shops or sampling gluhwein, bratwurst, saurkraut, schnitzel, apfelstrudel and spatzle (not necessarily in that order).    I did a few sketches while I was relaxing, so here is part one!

Munich Part 1

Airport Security

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Airport security is a real chore.  Gone are the days when you could turn up at the last minute, throw your bag through the scanner and expect to rush through security to catch your flight just as it was boarding.   Now you have to give yourself plenty of time to allow for a full de-robing, body search and Spanish inquisition at the security gates.  Don’t get me wrong, the Government is keeping us safe, but I’m forever amazed that even after the enforced de-clothing and de-cluttering of one’s person,  I can STILL walk through the scanner and set the alarm off! I’m quite sure that no part of me that is metal, yet it happens to me every time…

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Passport photo

Passport Office strike or not, I need to get mine renewed before I head off to France in November.  One hopes that 4 months is sufficient time to complete this rather expensive and time consuming process.  First port of call is the dreaded passport photo – can someone please tell me why it is necessary to make your picture resemble a mug shot?  “The person in this passport was once the life and soul of the party but now they are just an empty shell, devoid of emotion or personality.  Let them into the country”!

And since when have they started dictating your hair style?!
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