This and That

1) Pantihose: Most of the time I wear trousers, but when spring comes I start to feel all girly and like to wear skirts and dresses sometimes. Which means pantihose. Because face it, I'm not going to frighten my coworkers by displaying my startlingly white and slightly hairy legs. And it's a lot easier to put on a pair of pantihose than to shave my legs and apply a fake tan.

I used to buy the size marked "tall". And then I started to look more like a Rubens than a Modigliani. So I figured I needed "extra large". Somehow they always end up slipping further and further down my hips during the day. That's when I realised, though the average width ones come in different lengths, the larger ones are all made for short fat people. I think I have it solved, I ignore the sizing on the back of the packet and buy the extra extra fat ones, so that they stretch lengthwise instead of widthwise. But, really, you'd think the manufacturers would realise that there are as many tall fat people as short fat people, when you just have to go and look around the street and see them.

2) Dr Who: I was watching last night, and I suddenly realised something. Britain is a very dangerous place! Apparently whenever aliens reach earth, or there is a warp in the fabric of space-time, releasing all sorts of horrors on the world, it happens in Britain. Never anywhere else. OK, there is a little variation - it might be London, or Cardiff, or the Scottish highlands. But the UK is a rather small island, along with a few even smaller islands - and yet the aliens never land anywhere else. Maybe I should think twice about planning a visit?
As for the London Olympics episode, well, in this household we are agreed that it wasn't very good. Last week's was great, maybe they used up all their good ideas.

3) Richard Hammond: Get well soon. Top Gear wouldn't be the same without you!

4) A photo: this is kowhai, a New Zealand native tree that flowers in springtime. Just one of the things I love about the season.