The Cheese Ball Banquet
Yes, just when you thought I could not possibly squeeze any more mileage out of the Cheese Ball theme, I go one step further and start feeding them to crocodiles!
I guess I had better explain - one of the good things about having a bestie on hand that you can rely on when you need them is that you can always call on them to help you out for a couple of hours with the kids when you have an appointment during the daytime and you need a little help. I help Lynda and she helps me (as do others - thank-you Anne I have not forgotten you).
So as it happened, today, after a most pleasant lunch date with Jo Jo consuming a monster (look out on her blog for the lowdown on that), I headed round before the school run to the Sharp residence in order to pick up Hermione and Anneliese from school, so that Lynda and Cameron could attend an induction at his new school where he goes in September.
Anyway, Bestie had kindly decided to reward me for my bit of babysitting with a large pack of Tesco cheese balls. These you will recall are exactly the same as the Eastmans Cheese Balls just in different packaging. Now being polite and not gluttonous (yes, you know it's true) I did not open these and wolf them all down, however once Hermione spotted them, and asked me (as the "responsible" adult on the premises) if we could open them, I decided that this would be acceptable but I would daintily just pick at one or two politely - none of the usual shoving handfuls in at a time.
Needless to say the moreish nature quickly saw these good intentions go out of the window. Eager to find a distraction, I joined the girls playing with a large collection of various farm and jungle animals that they had. Initially this involved the lions taking bites out of Anneliese's left over sandwich from lunch, but then I thought it might be amusing to find out whether or not crocodiles liked cheese balls, and wedged one in croc's mouth. Such was the hilarity that this created among the girls that quickly several more animals in the box got to try them. And that's how we ended up with the picture above.
Still - all the mess was cleared up before bestie got back - we literally ate the evidence and even cleaned poor croc's teeth, which were a little orange.
Now- I have been debating about whether or not to blog this next piece - because it is incredibly controversial and I risk getting absolutely slated - but if there is one issue that really gets my goat when it comes into conflict with work, it's charity.
Let's set my stall out clearly here - I have no problems whatsoever with contributing to charity. I am not going to do a "Smashie and Nicey" here and give it all the "does a lot of work for charity", because quite honestly I don't. But if a friend, or a friend's child is looking for sponsorship money or anything like that I admire their efforts and will always contribute - and when and where possible I will try and make any sort of donation I can to any fund raising efforts.
Where I have run into problems in the past is over the DJ'ing. Now I have had a number of people over the years attempt to secure my services for free or for peanuts in the name of charity. There was one a year or two back I remember who rang up for a big charity event that was going on somewhere in Oxfordshire who attempted to secure my services for free for the good cause. She mentioned that Heart FM and the Oxford Mail would be there and it would be great publicity for me.
The thing is - I do not seek publicity - despite working in the public eye I don't want that sort of attention - I don't seek to be a local celebrity, and at what cost would that publicity come? It would be - oh yes, Jason he does charity events for free, tap him up to be a free DJ.
Even so, I frequently get such requests - I don't like to offend people in most cases so I tell them I am booked (which I frequently am anyway). The thing is - a Saturday night work to me is £200+. If I give my services out for free and consequently I turn down other jobs, I'm £200 out of pocket. I'm more than happy to go along to the event (if I'm not working) and stick £20 in the pot, or bid £50 for a horse in the auction on a race night or something like that, as anyone would - but quite honestly, would anyone of you freely hand over £200 out of your pay packet just like that - "for charity". You all go along to work on comic relief day and Children in Need and stick in a fiver or a tenner - but you don't put £200 in the bucket. I bet most of these salaried people who work for the actual charity wouldn't! Yet - I do feel that I am being pressured or made to feel tight in some way - because I'm just a DJ, and so I can do it for free so it seems.
Well the thing is - it's a very difficult and challenging job to do at the best of times as any of my colleagues will tell you, it is also my main source of income in a life that is devoted to caring for my children. I can't simply give away £200 of money I need to feed my kids.
I'll come to your charity do, I'll sponsor you in a good cause, no problem whatsoever, but don't try and freeload my living off me because it's "for charity".
I said this was controversial - well if a backlash comes so be it - have I broken a major taboo here and marked myself down as a tight bastard, or simply said what others fear to? I've never pulled any punches, I'm always honest about my feelings, and that's how I will always be.
If you have enjoyed reading this blog, please take a look at my books on Amazon (Paperback & Kindle), where you can read lots more of the same! Click here.
Jason xx
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| Get them down you boys, they're good for you! |
I guess I had better explain - one of the good things about having a bestie on hand that you can rely on when you need them is that you can always call on them to help you out for a couple of hours with the kids when you have an appointment during the daytime and you need a little help. I help Lynda and she helps me (as do others - thank-you Anne I have not forgotten you).
So as it happened, today, after a most pleasant lunch date with Jo Jo consuming a monster (look out on her blog for the lowdown on that), I headed round before the school run to the Sharp residence in order to pick up Hermione and Anneliese from school, so that Lynda and Cameron could attend an induction at his new school where he goes in September.
Anyway, Bestie had kindly decided to reward me for my bit of babysitting with a large pack of Tesco cheese balls. These you will recall are exactly the same as the Eastmans Cheese Balls just in different packaging. Now being polite and not gluttonous (yes, you know it's true) I did not open these and wolf them all down, however once Hermione spotted them, and asked me (as the "responsible" adult on the premises) if we could open them, I decided that this would be acceptable but I would daintily just pick at one or two politely - none of the usual shoving handfuls in at a time.
Needless to say the moreish nature quickly saw these good intentions go out of the window. Eager to find a distraction, I joined the girls playing with a large collection of various farm and jungle animals that they had. Initially this involved the lions taking bites out of Anneliese's left over sandwich from lunch, but then I thought it might be amusing to find out whether or not crocodiles liked cheese balls, and wedged one in croc's mouth. Such was the hilarity that this created among the girls that quickly several more animals in the box got to try them. And that's how we ended up with the picture above.
Still - all the mess was cleared up before bestie got back - we literally ate the evidence and even cleaned poor croc's teeth, which were a little orange.
Now- I have been debating about whether or not to blog this next piece - because it is incredibly controversial and I risk getting absolutely slated - but if there is one issue that really gets my goat when it comes into conflict with work, it's charity.
Let's set my stall out clearly here - I have no problems whatsoever with contributing to charity. I am not going to do a "Smashie and Nicey" here and give it all the "does a lot of work for charity", because quite honestly I don't. But if a friend, or a friend's child is looking for sponsorship money or anything like that I admire their efforts and will always contribute - and when and where possible I will try and make any sort of donation I can to any fund raising efforts.
Where I have run into problems in the past is over the DJ'ing. Now I have had a number of people over the years attempt to secure my services for free or for peanuts in the name of charity. There was one a year or two back I remember who rang up for a big charity event that was going on somewhere in Oxfordshire who attempted to secure my services for free for the good cause. She mentioned that Heart FM and the Oxford Mail would be there and it would be great publicity for me.
The thing is - I do not seek publicity - despite working in the public eye I don't want that sort of attention - I don't seek to be a local celebrity, and at what cost would that publicity come? It would be - oh yes, Jason he does charity events for free, tap him up to be a free DJ.
Even so, I frequently get such requests - I don't like to offend people in most cases so I tell them I am booked (which I frequently am anyway). The thing is - a Saturday night work to me is £200+. If I give my services out for free and consequently I turn down other jobs, I'm £200 out of pocket. I'm more than happy to go along to the event (if I'm not working) and stick £20 in the pot, or bid £50 for a horse in the auction on a race night or something like that, as anyone would - but quite honestly, would anyone of you freely hand over £200 out of your pay packet just like that - "for charity". You all go along to work on comic relief day and Children in Need and stick in a fiver or a tenner - but you don't put £200 in the bucket. I bet most of these salaried people who work for the actual charity wouldn't! Yet - I do feel that I am being pressured or made to feel tight in some way - because I'm just a DJ, and so I can do it for free so it seems.
Well the thing is - it's a very difficult and challenging job to do at the best of times as any of my colleagues will tell you, it is also my main source of income in a life that is devoted to caring for my children. I can't simply give away £200 of money I need to feed my kids.
I'll come to your charity do, I'll sponsor you in a good cause, no problem whatsoever, but don't try and freeload my living off me because it's "for charity".
I said this was controversial - well if a backlash comes so be it - have I broken a major taboo here and marked myself down as a tight bastard, or simply said what others fear to? I've never pulled any punches, I'm always honest about my feelings, and that's how I will always be.
If you have enjoyed reading this blog, please take a look at my books on Amazon (Paperback & Kindle), where you can read lots more of the same! Click here.
Jason xx
Don't blame you at all .... It's a bit like those annoying people demanding a regular payment on direct debit every month. I like to make little donations (that I choose the amount) to many charities I think it is out of order. My excuse is clear - I am bankrupt and not allowed to do a direct debit though really for their cheekiness I just want to tell them to f*ck off. I do volunteer in the shop after all!!
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