Peach and Quiet here we come

Today was a decidedly unfun work day where one of the better parts was that the boss came to visit so that should tell you something. By the end of the day I decided that my 'best before date' had expired and I was of no good to myself or anyone else.

One positive event in the day was to find an email confirmation of the budget hotel booked for Barbados. The name of Peach and Quiet was a bit cutesy but the reviews are all good and it IS only two days:

www.peachandquiet.com

And of course another response for the Mystic Rose one bedroom cottage which was $25 cheaper which didn't arrive until after the first was booked, as those things usually go. Would be good for a longer stay from the looks:

http://www.shoestringbarbados.com/west_coast_mystic_rose.htm

And of course mister now says as he's getting into the vacation mode "too bad we couldn't stay 4 or 5 days in Barbados" to which I replied "we were originally looking at one, you've increased it to two and there are only three days to work in that week as it's Easter week anyway, plus you're asking me to then take 3 weeks vacation at once, how do you think that will play out for coverage?" This from a man who last month said "kind of late isn't it?" My nerves.

The best part of the day was the feeling of almost spring in the air when I walked the dog after supper, can you believe it was still light at 6:15 pm? I called daughter # 1 to cheer myself up (as we have a project on the go which will be revealed soon) and hearing her little voice always helps. She was on the third day of her long weekend so that made me feel sorry for myself and then she disclosed that she had been to the tea shop and although she vowed that she hadn't bought any Lady Hanna tea, I'm having trouble hoisting that aboard, if I lived that close to the tea shop I'd be their biggest customer! Anyway, enough whining, I've listened to enough today to know you don't want to either.

Here's something to cause you to if not smile at least shake your head. Now honestly, you couldn't make up the following story line for a Harlequin and have anyone believe it. Not one amongst us would feel even remotely sorry for the main male character in this one, what a piece of work he is:


SHANGHAI (AFP) - A married Chinese tycoon who could no longer afford to support his five mistresses during the economic slowdown held a contest to decide which one to keep, local media reported Tuesday.

The contest took a tragic turn when one of the mistresses, who was eliminated based on her looks, drove her former lover and the four other women off a mountain road in an apparent fit of anger, the Shanghai Daily reported.

The driver died in the December 6 crash while the man and four other women were hospitalised, the report said.

Initially, it was thought to be an accident, but then details of the bizarre contest emerged in a letter left by the dead woman, a 29-year-old former waitress surnamed Yu, the newspaper said.The woman met the entrepreneur, surnamed Fan, at the restaurant where she worked in the coastal city of Qingdao in 2000 and became his lover, the report said.

Fan later introduced her to the four other mistresses -- two of his employees and two former clients -- with all given a 5,000-yuan (733-dollar) monthly allowance and rent-free apartment, the report said.However, when Fan's business ran into tough times, he decided to lay off all but one woman, the report said.

Fan hired an instructor from a modelling agency to judge a private contest he held at a hotel in May, but he did not tell the women about his intentions.

Yu was eliminated in the first-round beauty competition and a woman surnamed Liu eventually won after dominating the drinking round, the report said.

When Fan told Yu she was dismissed and that he was selling her apartment, she decided to exact revenge during a group outing.After the accident Fan paid Yu's parents 580,000 yuan as compensation for her death. His wife divorced him after learning of his affairs, the report said, adding the other four mistresses also left him.

The tale was reported in other Chinese media, but none gave further details about Fan, such as his age or profession.

Anyway, have made myself a promise that I'll take a small step every day towards my 'vision' so today I did a search of the CAIN (Canadian Association for International Nursing) website and came up with a link to:

www.idealist.org

where there are 14,601 volunteer opportunities posted. My kind of list, going to check it out now. But first as the shore captain has gone to a meeting about George's Bank and come home rather uncommunicative and gone to bed at 9 p.m. after speaking in grunts I offer the following background for those who may be in the same situation.

LONDON (AFP) - The stress caused by the global economic downturn could reduce men's testosterone levels, a British doctor warned Monday. Chronic stress caused by redundancy, financial worries or working longer hours could make levels of the hormone drop, said Richard Petty, the medical director of a top London men's health clinic.

Testosterone, the hormone produced by the testicles, triggers the development of male sexual characteristics. It is linked to sexual function, circulation and muscle mass, as well as concentration, mood and memory.

"When a man becomes grumpy or irritable, it's easy to blame work or simply the effects of ageing," said Petty.

"In the short-term, stress can increase levels of testosterone and this is useful to help people respond quickly to pressures and new situations.

"But chronic stress, which is ongoing, is a major factor in the decline of testosterone.
"Chronic stress occurs all too frequently due to our modern lifestyles, when everything from high-pressured jobs to unemployment keeps the body in a state of perceived threat."

Lower testosterone levels of the hormone can cause lethargy, irritability, lack of concentration and a low sex drive.

Petty advised men to reduce their stress levels as much as possible by resting, eating healthily and exercising