Xmas "joy"

What can I say. I wanted a nice quite Christmas day (the first Christmas in our new house) at home. I wanted to wake up in my nice comfy bed and know the house was clean, I didn't have to bother doing anything but sit and veg out watching Bond films and kids animations - no rushing around or stressing. What I didn't get was a Christmas at home vegging out.
Instead we had Christmas day on Sunday round my parents, where we were stuffed with gorgeous food, saw my brothers and their families, had fun with the kids and opened the pressies. I was hoping for someone else to put up the Xmas tree and decorations but nothings happened so I did the tree - as a hint that the lights might just somehow appear on it - not being my lights.
Then Christmas Eve we run round like headless chickens cleaning the house (it's not done often enough and I insist on coming back to a clean house). I'm p'd off. I threw some baubles and tinsel on the tree and around the room. I want my Christmas! Packed and leapt in the car around 11am - yes I was made to get out of bed before 8am! (It's a shocking thing when you don't often get a chance for lie-ins).  
We got to my "potentially-future-in-laws" around 2pm. They have 2 kids, so we got one of the rooms, I got the bed.
OK so the positive is that we don't have to cook or wash up, the negative is a creaky small bed and not being able to watch what I want on the box... well I saw the end 30mins of the Shrek film, the first 10 mins of Bond and 3 hours of Sky news and sport throughout my stay there.
Christmas Day we opened pressies, I watched the lad play an Indiana style game for about 3 hours (it was good, not one I could do, I'd end up constantly killing the character and getting frustrated). Then - the event of the day - I slipped down the stairs, almost complete set, from near the top to 4 from the bottom. I am still oh so sore, and I don't bruise easily and I have some real shiners on my elbows and forearms.
Boxing Day I was made to walk to the beach and back before lunch - I was sooo unhappy about it by the time we were heading home, and as I slowed I was told by the other half to hurry up as I was falling behind - grrrr. Came home.
The next day I whizzed about tidying bits up and adding decorations to the tree. My folks came round late pm with 3 of our Christmas presents and planted one at the end of the front garden -  yippee I have my Autumn flowering Cherry tree! At least the front garden's beginning to shape up. Cooked them dinner which they really enjoyed and we had a nice evening. I even managed to keep the kitchen reasonably tidy and clean.
Yesterday I did dinner and some to freeze whilst the other half boiled up the bones for stock. By the time I left to go teaching the kitchen was in a mess, when I came back nothing had changed at all.
I hate it - we have a dishwasher because of the constant moaning about washing up, and I'll be lucky if things get put in the kitchen let alone the dishwasher! I refuse to do anything about it - I have more important stuff to be doing, plus I have a set of exercises I'm supposed to do everyday and I've not been able to for the last 2 months! I've been neglecting "Me" this year and I'm going to have to do something about it - suggestions on a postcard.

This week

Been decorating. Last weekend was wallpapering and first coat of paint, this weekend did the second coat of paint, sanded down the woodwork and gave it 2 coats of primer...... glossing tomorrow?
Been a little lazy too, watching DVD's and that, tidying papers meaning I've been sitting around. Been thinking lots about Christmas too.
I'd love to spend a day or so sitting around just watching TV and not having to do other stuff at the same time. I'm trying to plan several days like this over Christmas.

Sunday sunshine

Had  a lovely dinner last night round my folks - tomato & basil soup, lamb chops and veggies, then josterberry crumble and custard. And not forgetting good company.... although when we went and sat down afterwards I found it very difficult to keep my eyes open!
Today we went to a toy fair and bought....nothing, we were looking for Xmas presents. Came home for a bacon butty before mum turned up with the bulbs (not light bulbs!).
I helped dig the trench whilst she was digging up part of the lawn, then we planted tulips, crocus's, tete a tete and February Gold daffs, minnows and Ipheiom, primroses and some type of black grass. So come the spring I should have a lovely colourful border.
Follow all that with spaghetti bolognese, then I managed to actual make scrummy custard (it usually goes lumpy or so thick the spoon stands up in it) which we had with fresh pineapple and we actually managed to have it all done before 8pm!! We're usually struggling by the to get it on the table in time for Top Gear. Watched lots of TV this evening which is a nice ending to a good day, especially after just a rubbish day yesterday.

Cars

The car went couple of weeks ago and first the garage couldn't find anything wrong, so it went to another one. Then it was an easy fix and now it's a diffiicult expensive fix. I think I should get a different make....
Not something I need right now, not with still decorating and we're going to have to arrange for the tree in the back garden to be replaced (another £400!). Then there's all the housework I've not been able to do. It's all really rather energy draining.
At least my pink carnations are pretty, and soon it'll be xmas and I get some days off work to do what I like (or the housework!).
Chinupchuck.

Lethaaargy

My get up and go got up and went, and there I was doing quite well today.
Was ill for a couple of days during the week.... well I was unwell longer but had a couple of days off work. I'm still coughing quite well now and rather gunked up when I get up in the morning but lots better.
I got up did the washing, sorted through the bills and managed to dust some, before I decided for some lunch and reading other people's blogs, and now I am run out of energy. Naught on the box (I have the Red Bull Air race on - something I usually like but I'd much rather just go to sleep (only I wont sleep tonight if I do). Ho hum.
1940's Jive night tonight... should be fun if I can muster the enthusiasm and energy, hopefully all the dancing will get me going.

talking of dancing

what's going on with "Strictly"? We managed to see the Sunday show on Sunday but have only just watched the Saturday show.
We thought Gaby Logan must've done something really really wrong to be in the dance off.

Don't feel like dancing?

Had a fantastic weekend. Friday was hard work as I hate leaving a dirty house so kitchen and bathroom were cleaned and all washing up done - I had help!! I didn't have to attend to everything on my own. That was niiiiicceee.
Had a good car trip and some nice driving weather (sunny but a tad chilly out of the car). The only slight annoyance was that the "hotel" were still trying to get the rooms ready at 3pm when we should have 
been able to get in them at 2pm.
Did quite a bit of dancing, over the weekend, had a lot of laughs with the folks we went with (there were 24 friends there, so the group sometimes dominated the dancefloor). The floor had been "enlarged" - carpet rolled back on all sides to make it bigger. Teachers were ok bit off their form, one had had an op on a knee, and the other wasn't feeling fantastic so it's understandable and they did quite a professional job of it. Dances learnt were generally ok.
Sunday was wet wet wet wet and generally more fine rain. Put a bit of a dampener on our outing - we drove up the hill and stopped to have lunch at the cafe.... it really was only about 15 minute walk from the "hotel", well it was rainy. Had a cream tea. Then went back for a nap. Naps are very important on these weekends, I'm no spring chicken and dancing till 2am and getting up for 8 for breakfast is a little tiring these days.
Today we came back; we opened our doors to glorious sunshine and clear skies. I thought (hoped really) it'd be the same when we got home so I could get the washing dry. The trip back was lovely.
Got busy at home: 2 lots of washing done and 2 to go, the ivy pulled off the wall and as much as I could bare pulled from places I could only just reach along the border, bagged and swept, vacuumed through the house so the kitchen is the only floor left, went out and got fish and chips (which I promptly dropped on the floor - thankfully most was in bags but we did lose a fishcake, guilty yes I felt so as it wasn't my fishcake, my dinner was safe but only just).
Now I'm quickly (well as quick as I can) doing all the internet stuff before turning my hand to yet something else that needs doing before bed.

Go on kick me

Well it was a day like any other day last Friday until about noon, an appropriate time for a show down. A comment made by a middleman and hey presto guns are drawn two shots sound, I feign injury and silence falls. Ok so it’s not so dramatic, it’s a work thing. Three of us sit in a row me and one end and a “senior” (because they are supposed to have more experience) sits the other, a comment about me taking Friday and Monday off work sets off said “senior” into an “I’m gonna have to redo the rota because you have too many days out of the team….. blah blah… affects the team and the work”, “huh? I don’t understand”, more rantings from said “senior”. Once “senior” is away middleman (who cowered down close to the desk and focused straight ahead at the pc) says I should say something about that and it was out of order.
So I request an audience with my Team Leader (TL). Told TL about what had happened and middleman saying it was out of order and middleman wasn’t the only one. TL was quite informative; apparently “senior” has a few issues with me:
- I don’t do any work
- I don’t work in the team
- I’m too ridged with the rota
- I don’t respond to e-mails, take action on them
- I have ignored e-mails “senior” sent
- And…and what was the last item….
I’m sure there was something about no more than 2 people going out to get coffee from next door at any time (for the last 2 years there have always been 4 of us, and we got fed up being given orders so we stopped so others now go and come as they like but us 4 are in trouble, even if 2 leave and then the other 2 leave later). It went so far that we had to have permission for 3 of us to go – which I got when we had to go for doughnuts – and “senior” had had a good old moan to TL about it but TL already knew as I’d asked!! It’s me. If the other 3 went out without me they wouldn’t get into trouble.
Well it gave me a chance to say that I offer help and am told to stick to the rota whilst the additional work is dealt out to the others; 1 e-mail missed in 6months, and I’d been away for a couple of days, done what I was told and asked “senior” for help as I was inundated and need to catch up to be told “no” and “tough everyone else has to incorporate it into their work so you have to too”; and as for not responding to e-mails, I was sent 2 that morning which I didn’t receive to find “senior” had only sent 1 which was obviously going through the e-mail system which I can’t do anything about.
Well TL took “senior” aside and obviously had a word as when they came back there was a tension. In fact it must have been bad because when “senior” had gone the other team member still there asked me if it was something they’d done wrong as “senior” wasn’t talking to them. I did have to say a little about what was happening.
Well today, Monday, someone else came up and said that they could hear what was going on, had I upset “senior”, and “senior” had no right to speak to me like that, particularly as they heard it all and they sit apart from us (that’s open plan offices for ya). I’m glad “senior” is off for a couple of days – I’m not sure if I will be very worried about when “senior” is back.
I think I’m getting paranoid.

wicked witch

She’s back – I thought after all the hassle she gave us to “prune” the tree at the bottom of the garden, once done she would stop pestering but oh no how wrong could I be?
So the first time she called was to ask about taking the overhanging branches off, fine I said I’d get a quote as brother has connections in said business. The next day she’d tried calling us but to no avail (could be because we were out at work… you know something us mortals have to do to keep food on the table and the roof over our heads) so she wrote us a letter. The Wednesday, when I have a whole 30 minutes to myself to wash my hair in I thought I’d go see the tree from her side – spent 45 minutes there having my ear talked off, silly me really expecting just to pop in for 5 minutes, so I ended up running late (again).
I did manage to speak to Tree-man about issues a couple of days later (weekend getting in the way of calling earlier), and I was informed that she has every right to cut the tree back to the boundary. So that’s what I told her when she called, and happened to get it into the conversation at least 3 times but that was another half hour of my life wasted having my ear talked off. I told her the same thing the next time we spoke and when she called round at the front door – yes she managed to wheedle her way in to have a look at the tree from our side, although I shut the doors so she couldn’t snoop too much.
Well, I think understandably, I’m getting slightly annoyed with the nosy parker, but words of calm were spoken to me along the “try to be nice and don’t get wound up” and “you’ll have to live with her there” lines.
I’ve told everyone who’s asked about the tree that we’d look into having it replaced but next year – you know new house that needs attention comes first. Also I’d like the time to plan the garden plus the experts always recommend leaving a garden for a year before altering it (unless it’s just a concrete lump!).
She “pruned” the tree…. back to the trunk…the trunk definitely being on our side of the boundary line… she replaced the corner section of the fence, and moved my compost bin which I had situated and dug in (only about an inch to make sure it didn’t move)…. the retaining wall is missing (oh did I forget to say the back of our garden is higher than hers and someone’s put in a wall about 3 bricks high to hold it all in). Pissed – a bit but nothing that can’t be remedied given some time (hahahahaha hysterical me!?!) Time is something I have little of. Ok calm, calm, quick, quick calm….
So she knocked on the door week ago Saturday to say she was having the whole fence along the back replaced. Ok I say. It’s shared ownership boundary she said. Fine but like I said before we can’t afford it so it’s up to you. I had my ear talked off again, another hour wasted, at least I know now that her neighbour has taken a lot of stuff out of his garden (I know his name and his nickname and that his plans were to chop it next year). I repeat again that I’ve not had time to go look at the tree properly, nor the new bit of fence she had put up, I repeat again that we’re not planning much for the garden till next year, and we need to get the house in working order, and that we have to find out which fence is our as the neighbours either side say we need to repair them (they’re in a sorry state).
Can I strangle the woman screaming, “Have I not got enough to do without you waste my time? Can I not be left to get something sorted in reasonable time; does it have to be done tomorrow? Have you not got something better to do? I’m doing the frigin garden next year! Let me get the lighting and heating sorted out this year!”
Well the lady next door came and said she’d told the wicked witch I was probably out, she tried to save me but the witch had to ring the doorbell. I was also informed that the witch was very nosy and liked to be able to look into everyone’s gardens and houses (I joked about putting on some sort of over 18 floor show). Also I was told she’d been trying to have the tree removed for a long time – I know now it’s been for over 4 years. I’ve been living there just about 7 months, nearly owned it for a year but it was in no state to move into straight off.
Well I got a knock on the door yesterday, just as I was about to check on dinner, and guess what! Well not only was she there but she’d brought a friend (I’ve seen him doing bits in her garden and from the conversation I’d say he wasn’t living with her – having his own kitchen refitted and all). Well we had the “the tree’s roots have shifted the fence”, “I’m losing my garden because of the tree”, “the tree’s roots are damaging my patio and I’ll have to talk to a solicitor to see what the situation is…. You might have to pay for a new patio for me” oh and “the earth at the back is warping the fence…the earth is making the fence bow”. Mind you she didn’t know what the green “thing” in our garden was – it’s a compost bin the council provide free! Perhaps I should have pointed out that the retaining wall at the back is missing but I was a bit occupied looking at the photos they’ve taken and trying not to loose my temper. At least when I explained we’d missed the tree-man and how I get caught up in the appalling traffic (up to 2 hours to get home/to work on routes that usually take 20-30 minutes) the friend-fella she was with said to give us a couple of weeks to get things sorted – she was wanting us to do it now (today). I wonder how long she’ll wait before getting in touch again.

Traffic light people

I like this (having done a bit of travel, crossing roads is something you notice): trafficlightpeopleoftheworld

How does it start?

It's the first time we've got to a social dance to set up an hour early to find people already turning up.... 30 minutes yes but an HOUR early! 
It was a good night though - nothing taxing, nothing difficult, they must think I'm a little on the odd side as I got the giggles early on, well when we started dancing I was on my own at the front. There were 4 lines behind me and everyone joined in on the end of those so there were 4 crammed lines and me on my tod. And when I tried to go talk to someone she walked away! Well I sat on my own for a while before the others turned up (late) but ti did make me giggles. As this was a mixed ability dance night we had some very lively ladies who were trying everything and wiggling lots - good laugh through.

Friends

I said the moment had passed and it has in a way but I thought I'd try reiterate some of what I was going on about:

It was the hen night and the wedding, seeing all those friends, some who see each other everyday , some who go out each week together.  Perhaps my life is out of balance. Anyway I made a friend which I hope will become a good friend and last, not just "ships passing" - not that I don't have friends but it's kinda hard to nip off down the pub or pop round for tea when they're more than 10 minutes bus ride away and I think that's what these friends had, the men and women all lived close and shared babysitting or houseminding, as well as going out.

Chickadee

(I shall try again...but I think the moment's passed)
I doing a bit of a catch up, things just cascaded.

So where was I, oh yes I was a "chick" at a hen night, lots of drinking and some dancing, even with the silly women who hate each other. I did enjoy the weekend (does it sound like I’m trying to convince myself? well I’m not). I loved not being around the house…work, I drank loads but unfortunately did not get as pissed as everyone else and have now earned my self a reputation as being able to drink people under the table.

The wedding's also been and gone - more drinking and a kind of shuffling for dancing, well that was me everyone else was strutting their stuff. Don't know why, I mean I do dance and yet somehow put me in a room with work folk and strangers and I'm a shuffler - sometimes I wish I was a bit more of an exhibitionist.

hu....

ooo how I hate dodgy connections - now I can't remember what I was writing in the post.....

Brave me...

...no not me. I'm a shy person who wouldn't say boo to a ghost.
Even those I work with think I'm too quiet. There's another person at work they think is too quiet so an "outing" was organised last weekend to go to Soho... an education, well definitely an eye opener in the fact that 3 of the ladies knew which shops to go into, even those not obvious ones where you have to go down stairs into the basement.... oooo!
So i guess it was a bit of a surprise when I stood up in front of the group and had everything organised and under control - well I wasn't standing there on my own and it was just under control in that we had a time limit so I made sure things were got through in time. Guess it's that teacher in me coming out.
Yet someone else recently suggested I was "brave" to meet new people, can't say I am and I'm a nervous wreck when I decide to approach someone. In fact the whole idea of making a new friend each week is something I've not really done for the last year - I had too many people at the new class to get to "know". Really I should get back on that hobby-horse as my friends are not local and even the one local one is thinking of moving further afield..... (haha, just thought perhaps it's me- make a friend and they move away).
So billy-no-mates here should get up and go meet someone interesting that I can go down the cinema with or out for coffee.
Challenge number 2 is to do something nice for someone else..... hmmm will it be friend or stranger.
Now I must go and find a good dentist as my teeth will be grinding and gritted in my "friendship" challenge.

Comments...

Been going doing a spot of reading and commenting.
Eeeee gads I write more in a comment than I do in a post!
Must get it turned the other way round.

Whaaaa.....

What happened to the week? Where'd it go?
Sunday - very busy day, full of cleaning and gardening. Never ever have a passion flower it takes over everything. Having taken it out of the front garden I now have a very large bare patch.... hmmmm what to plant.
The furtinia (hah look at me I remembered a plant name, even if I can't spell it!) was overrun with passion flower and now looks very bare and a little sorry for it self.
I'm also seed collecting - not much as I've not grown much, there's rocket and foxglove and marigold and I'm waiting (impatiently) for the poppies to ripen up. Hopefully I'll manage to pick the rare white and pink ones rather than the purples.
My niece was 4 so i had a fun time with the family.... ok so first of all we were late and nearly missed all the grub, then I chatted adult fashion to the adults and was entertained by video clips of my other niece who's now 6 months and wasn't there. Then I got hijacked by my 4 year old pirate niece and her cousin who decided that I was either caught by them or catching them..... mixed in with the cousin (also 4) trying to force feed me fake packets of food. Can't believe how hooked a 4 year old can be on Johnny Depp - her room
is covered with the Pirate of the C. and Jack Sparrow. The way she acts you'd think they were of first name terms! Anyway it makes buying presents easy :D
That's it really.

Weekender

Been busy, as always.
Had a good long weekend though. Managed to nip off for a while to the seaside and some sandy beaches, not that I managed to actually stand on the sand as those I was with only wanted to walk along the pathway. I should've been rude and whipped off my shoes and run screaming WHOOPEE! 
It was fun anyway, too much food, lots of sun and nothing to do. A recipe for sleep.... it was only the "interactive" entertainment that kept me awake sometimes. I now know that some bloke invented bubble gum in 1928, or was it 1929..., and that I can't hum a tune anyone would recognise, I also need to check my spelling particularly when spelling backwards, oh and there's all those card games I played as a kid that I can't remember now, at least my poker's improving.
The fun stuff was accompanied by a stay in a b&b which had a 4-poster bed (I'll work out how to load the picture sometime soon), but it had no towels at least for the first 30 hours.... they did appear very late Sunday night. We left Monday morning. Went for a shopping trip where i got some bargains and some not so bargainee-but-still-cheap clothes. 3 for the price of 1 was the best at H&M.
And it was sooo nice to come home to a clean kitchen and relatively tidy house - see was worth all the shouting, screaming, yelling and tears on Saturday. God it's murder to get some help with the small simple things sometimes. But I've promised myself not to dwell and that I will pointed point out that no the empty crisp packet does not live on the table nor the floor and socks do not belong in the kitchen.
I know I'll probably still get wound up about it all, again, and I hope that it'll all get better once the whole decorating and buildings been done. Can't wait to spend more time in the garden..... my mum would laugh at that, me the one who can kill a cactus from dehydration even though I end up watering it every day.

Interviewee... me?

Ok so I had the day off work. Originally it was to give me some extra study time as I’ve not had any time but as would happen I got a job interview so it kinda worked well ….as in I didn’t have to change the day or take extra time off work (there goes another days holiday!).
Well there’s the worry over attire. I decided as it’s going to rain trousers would have to do and then I found my white shirt’s too small and I’ve not got anything pastel (a shade they recommend) so it’s lime green day… I know I know, an odd colour for an interview.
So I left, taking my time, and got there early enough for a lazy walk round the shops and local cottages and back to be 10 minutes early. Well he opened the door and showed me in. Coffee or water? Huh? Oh coffee… hmm that’s not like me I usually stick to the easy water option! So sit and talk. Something I did, not sure how well particularly, I think I rambled through my job skills rather and then there seemed to creep in a little bit of wording that implied I already had the job! Argh! Are you allowed to infer and act like you already have the job? I think that’s rather presumptuous. At least I wasn’t a real nervous wreck. Oh we shall see I have several days of agonising until I know if I’ve made the second interview (sounded fun – get to have lunch with them!).

Long time gone

Ok so maybe not that long.
It's been a busy week what with work and dancing and house stuff and getting back on the study pony. Nothing exciting just the usual..... although last Friday with all the rain wasn't exactly the usual. I didn't appreciate the prospect of a 2 or so hour walk home because part of the one-way system was closed. At least I have some nice colleagues who offeed me a lift after a 30 minute walk to her car. Oh, now how do I appreciate simple things like two-way traffic and how I wish I wouldn't look silly on rollerblades or one of those wheelies you can just push the handle forwards to go.... possibly even a "granny" scooter would suit.

Pills, potions, and flu

Got some super painkillers from the Dr's Wednesday as my whiplash was a killer by Tuesday night and the ibuprofen wasn't working. I've worked out painkillers, think they should all be classified as something else though mainly because I think they don't really take the pain away they just make me care much less about anything. I was told I seemed to be away with the fairies and quite euphoric at times.
Anyway I was suffering mildly from side effects by Friday so I stopped and went back to ibuprofen for the day. I wasn't feeling fantastic Saturday and I had a temperature and everything by Sunday night. Still very deaf feeling and hot and bothered today so am home alone with the TV.
Hence I've not got round to much this last week. We did though get the new curtains which I have to sew. Will have to whip things into action next week and get a shower installed.

Jive

Went to a 1940s GingerJive night, and it was gooood. It did involve dressing up and there were loads of army/RAF uniformed people about and several in zoot suits, and as for the ladies well it's obviously an excuse to wear ball dresses for some - I wore a dress from Marks&Spencers and it went ok, did the hair up and it was fine.  First one I've been to, I'm obviously obsessive about this dance stuff as now Lindy Hop and Ceroc are on my to do list, oooo and go to some more jive nights.

I like driving in my car...

Well actually I don't have a car. But it is a car story, about last night. On my way out M and D were giving me a lift and there was a huge amount of traffic around - well it's been an exhibition week so we knew there'd be lots of people around. There were also lots of police around and lots of cars. So you'd think less chance of getting up any speed... true but still some idiot managed to hit us in the back. Can't believe how little damage there was considering how loud the bang was and how hard we hit the headrests. Well it all seemed reasonable, exchanged info etc but we'll have to wait and see if the whole insurance thing goes well. I also hope D doesn't suffer whiplash - as driver D seemed to be suffering last night.
I'm ok, bit tender not as sore as I expected, perhaps all this decorating and moving things has strengthened my neck muscles.
Should I think this a kick in the pants? Hmmm.

Job

Ok so it's been a while and so much has happened.
Work is worse than the playground - he does she does and I'm fed up with it.
Yesterday I had my "monthly" review and apparently (shock horror) there's work not done by me the following day!! WoW how bad am i! What's happening is we work on a rota and I'll be focusing on one type of task one day and something different the next, and it's been commented on the following day that there's loads of that type of work there to do so the obvious conclusion is that I didn't do it the day before. Now because of the wonder of computers and software it means that people can add to my "daily duty" via the system. Well now that's all fine and dandy except I work an 8 till 4 day and they can still add stuff once I've gone home. Yup you may be guessing the problem here... I'm obviously not doing my work once I've left the office! Naughty me I should be working 24 hours a day and then it wont build up ! Pathetic.
Hate it. I thought I'd got to my most despondent point when they had a go about my hours (you know the usual where I'm sitting at my desk during lunch and get interrupted with work and so I add the time on or I've stayed late and no one's noticed except the following day when it's announced across the office that I'm there after 4 (even more shock horror) and it's the first time I've ever done that!) How can I say this politely - they are really good at demotivation and making me loathe the place. It's like, 'coz I don't have a loud mouth and I just get on and do things I'm obviously not working and I'm taking the mickey. So now not only do I have to tell people to go away I'm on lunch but at the end of the day like a school child I have to report to my teacher... sorry team leader that there's nothing left to do and everything still hanging around has a note on it to say why it's hanging around.
Next they'll be monitoring my toilet use and how long I spend in there (which will be too long!).
Oh set me free from this pathetic place... thinking street cleaning wouldn't be this much trouble.

A Tuesday in the life....

Ok so this might be a cheat – I am going to post this after I get home.
Work is work and boring as ever although I’m surprising myself by not nodding off over my keyboard – might have something to do with reading other peoples blogs and typing this. Oop was going to say I’d done all the demanding things and now no-one wants anything but upon refreshing I see at least 3 people want something…. What I wonder, bet it wont be as interesting as the 300 condoms ordered last month or the cows requested last week. Nope not that interesting just some certificates…hmm wonder when mine will turn up, I did pass the course in February, but then it did have to be returned as they spelt my name wrong! I am fairly sure I’m not a boy.
So the big news today is the centre manager is leaving – oooo wonder what brought that on. And it was sunny with actual sun shinning when I went for my (after) 10am hot choc – trying to wean myself off too much coffee.

Read: not reading any book per se, my bus trips are filled with catch up reading on the magazine I subscribe to… ok both ones full of lovely pictures (wish I could take that kinda shot) and the other’s wordy and informative – like the article about forgetfulness being…. now what was it….
“…failing to remember everything is a sign your brain is working properly.”
Nice to know.
I’ve also got one of these download books “Fallen Angels” by Larry Niven (pg 19 so far).
12:26 I am nodding….sleep is stealing in, well what d’ya expect when my interest has to be kept by ordering leaflets ones I don’t even get to see and larf at the funny people. Lunch will be soon…must keep eyes open….did I mention the ridiculously early time I have to catch a bus to work? Hmm? Ok it’s not that ridiculous – 7:10am – but I feel it should be 7:30 or later so allowing me to stay in bed past 6:30, and the club means I don’t get home till past 10:45 (it’s usually just before 11pm I crawl through the door and think hmmmm tea…bed… zzzz and then it takes forever to get into bed particularly as things just keep getting in the way – must-have-passes-in-the-morning-else-be-walking-to-work-and-unable-to-get-in-the-office-types-things).
Mwaaahahaa! *I roll my head manically left to right* I have the power. Well I’ve decided to look into why the yellow triangle is appearing after raise 8 or 9 order and it appears something is marked for deletion – don’t ask me what as it doesn’t come under my number comprehension – I work with certain numbers and this was definitely outside the realms. Boy if that’s a problem it will come back to me, don’t know why I larf manically about it, perhaps I just don’t care. In this place everything returns with a vengeance.

14:51
Ok I’m getting pissed off.
Bloody e-mail software! Notes won’t let me copy an address and I’m now narked with the system and want to kick it hard. Don’t wanna do it now because it’s bloody annoying – easy enough to copy and paste but it wont so I’m not messing around typing the whole thing in they’ll just have to look the bloody number up themselves.

3:20pm bloody e-mail’s gone down ….. yippee I guess in ways, but boo hiss in that I can’t get my e-mails…Oh what to do for half an hour.. I know.. read (surreptitiously)!

Thought of the day: Will my shower be installed when I get home or not? I’m taking bets that it wont be (either time ran away or there’s a part missing/”it was broke when I opened the box”).

Weekends

I sanded and primed and then my folks came over with a small shrub which we planted in the front garden (fingers crossed it'll survive the upheaval), then I madly glossed and had to get ready to go out dancing - 'twas a party night as the "hostess" is off to Spain and she did all these intros to the lovely little lady who's taking on the Saturday Socials and the gyrating-naf teacher who's taking on Thursdays. No grudge honest - by the end of it all I couldn't care wether they got it or I did. It's just several of us were not impressed by how a teacher (who should know better) could not dance in line because someone near her wasn't as mobile and was struggling a little with the steps - the teacher then dashed to the front and ensured she took up the space of 4 dancers with her actions.
Professional - pah! I doubt it lots. She writhes as well in the most unbecoming way - it's like watching someone's 50+ mother (can't say mine because my mum doesn't attempt writhing in any circumstances) try to copy Girls Aloud,Beyonce and Shikira. OK saying that then looking at their website they obviously have time to input into their club and seem to do an amazing amount of gigs (from charity do's to Christmas Partys to 4 clubs during the week) why is what I want to know, Why are all the awful teachers the popular ones? Why can't I make my own clubs as popular as their's seem to be? what's the secret? do I need a bad attitude, an awful accent so no one can understand me, or be so up my own b*m thinking I'm so very fantastic at everything? And that was all on Saturday! Sunday I went to the enourmous M&S in Camberley - spent all day there I could but didn't as 
dinner from lovely restaurant beckoned my grumbling tummy. 

oh yeah...

At work an e-mail went round: 

From Monday 2nd July the smoking area in the courtyard will be removed by the Landlord.

What I want to know is what they're going to do with all those slabs once they've removed them, Could I have them for my garden?

Nooes

Enjoy doing this sometimes but the headlines were in fine literary form today. Fortunately C had some from her paper:

Stan is Britain's oldest paper boy (wow do they make them in plastic too?)

       
Postal workers walk out today (Has someone nicked their bicycles?)

Tube Strike Warning (The tubes are going to strike - you've been warned)

Feel sorry for the paper boy must be having a very soggy time outdoors this week and what will smarties do without the tubes?

Life recently

Just thought I may as well put a bit down of what's been happening recently - fill in the blanks in a way:

I run a small club - it is small and some weeks it shrinks to the point where I wonder if I've said something wrong. I also go to another dance club, where the teacher is leaving. Usually (well the last couple of years) I've covered during her holidays so it would've been nice to have been told she was leaving rather than turn up one week to find some "strange" people taking the class. Strange in oh so many ways, I was so distracted in one dance just by watching the teacher writhing that I kept going wrong - larf I larfed till I cried.
So anyways, this new group were told they were taking over when the teacher left. I heard by the grapevine and then thee was a club vote and then club members could e-mail or call the teacher, get their views across, say who they wanted to take over. It would have been nice to have the story straight. Someone got cross on my behalf on how discourteous the teacher was by not talking to me. And then when we finally gave in and went to see her, went all round the houses up and downstairs and finally into the barn - not to say she contradict herself in the same sentence ("50% of the class voted you to take over....blah blah.... they all wanted new faces to take it on...."). Pants is all I have to say - I'm not one to really dislike people, I usually get on with them, placid me well usually, it's just in the past 4 or so weeks this one nasty vicious old woman (I'm showing restraint)has the loudest mouth ever and she didn't like the group taking over till she new it was them or me and now she's all over them like a rash. Not just that but she's putting pressure on people to vote for them - she's the type that picks friends she can manipulate probably why she don't like me (oh,sobsob). After 4 or so weeks I really can't give a rats botty what they decide as I don't really want to keep going not with the school ground attitude. Sometimes I wish I could slap her.
Apart from that the teacher said "monies" of a small amount whatever that means changed hands but what members D & S wanted to know what was being sold? Not the name, nor the equipment, the hall doesn't have a contract it's nightly hire, can you sell the member's as part of the club? D said she didn't want to be sold.

The man (A) and I have been having major downs and minor ups - he's admitted he's not used to doing things like picking up his clothes and putting them away, his mum's always done. Mum's should be more responsible, your little lads and lasses need to learn about washing up and picking up and digging in dirt.
Don't feel like decorating as each time I do something a week later it's destroyed by A picking at something or in this last case pulling down the reeaallly annoying cables that wind up and down round doorways and up stairs. Glad I'd not got round to glossing.
Well we've kinda sorted out some of the problems, I'm keeping the big baby one till later :s
So that's a quick (yes I said quick) round up.

Mmmm crisp sandwiches

Ok so I have a few "short" days... tutut trust me to work too many hours in the month!
So I thought I'd pick up some shopping and spend half an hour weeding the front garden... it's not a big garden. Well shopping is same old same old I can do it in about 40mins when there are no old dears tootling along or women with small children who stop willy nilly in front of me and the person in front of me at the check out doesn't have zillions of goods with faulty prices or barcodes, except I always seem to spend twice the amount I planned to even though I get stuff needed.
Well anyway I got my old (2 months old but extremely battered after stripping everything out of the old bed)gardening gloves out and stood in funny positions in the front garden... oh yeah pulling out weeds. Only it wasn't the 30minutes I expected. I was doing well honest, got the first third done in 10 minutes only the other 2/3s took over an hour. I'm just waiting for the sunburn to kick in - yes I said sun, I was going to do it in the rain but I seemed to have managed the one sunny day.
And the crisp sandwiches.... well they were for my very late lunch. I haven't had descent salt & vinegar crisp sandwiches since I was a kid.

Today, tomorrow, sometime

Ok so I'm still messing about a bit with the setup et al... I'll get there sometime.
All's quiet today - no hassle at work, no emails of the friendly variety, no post - for me anyway. 
At least it's been better than the rest of the week what with
missing buses, having PC's crash, no e-mail server.
So far it's just rained on me 2 minutes from my front door...
... apart from that and the weird smell in the porch all's quiet.

Well I say quiet in the loosest terms: 
life has been busy and I'm all overcome with the theory that 
if I can't do it today there's always tomorrow or the weekend... 
one of them anyway. 

Well this is a brief attempt at getting started.... something I'm good at is postponing usually just never get round to doing the postponing these days always too busy gallivanting.
Haha just got to love spellcheck - galvanising indeed!

Helloooo

hello... hello...
is there anyone out there......
hmmm... not sure if I have the hang of this yet........
....oh so much to do and so little chocolate.