I'm doing my Thursday list, actually on Thursday this week. Check me out, all organised!
Hot
Puff pastry mince pies. I like the regular pastry ones too, but I bought some puff pastry ones yesterday to bring round to see Mrs Z, and they are lush. I've got a packet waiting for me at home as well - hurrah!
I'm not going to be in the office at all next week. I'll be working, but I'm out on external events for a few days. Any week where I don't have to spend too much time in this office is all good, as far as I am concerned.
William Hartnell as Doctor Who. For real, I think he's really good. Nic and I have just finished watching The Dalek Invasion of Earth , which was brilliant for lots of reasons:
- The story is a lot like Day of The Triffids, which I love.
- Ian and Barbara have lots of action, and they're both amazing. Barbara's massive beehive never moves, even when she is put to work in a Dalek work camp. Also, she almost manages out outwit the head Dalek, and the scene is so good.
- The ending is very touching. Even more so than the ending of The Green Death I cried a lot. I think Russell T Davies could learn a lot about how to write emotional scenes for Doctor Who by watching this, it's so subtle and moving and you really see the best of William Hartnell and Carol Ann Ford. There's no need for anyone to blink exaggeratedly, to say 'I love you' or 'I'm so sorry' and there is no need for an expensive and intrusive score.
- Daleks taking over London, it looks incredible. Daleks trundling along the South Bank, Daleks in front of the Houses of Parliament, Daleks at Nelson's Column. It must have terrified the children of the 60s!
Nic and I have ordered a box set of The Rescue and The Romans so I'll be getting more Hartnell pretty soon.
Mr and Mrs Z very kindly donated a Christmas tree to us, so Nic and I will be putting it up at the weekend. We didn't have one last year, so it will be nice to make the flat look festive.
My new manager called me this morning and I'll be moving into our new office two weeks earlier than I thought. This is good for a number of reasons, mainly because I hate hate hate this temporary office. It means I'll be back to riding the 12, but what can you do about that?
I'm looking forward to watching Gavin and Stacey tonight.
Not
The flourescent light above my desk is flickering and it is making me feel headachy. I've reported the fault to faciliies and pointed out that it's making me feel sick, but they haven't come to fix it yet. The only free desk I can see is next to someone who has been blanking me ever since I got promoted so I'm not sure what to do!
I have a cold, again. Booo!
That's it for the Nots, actually. I'm feeling pretty positive about life at the moment! I've got a busy few weeks coming up - I'm travelling a fair bit for work next week, and then I have busy weekends as well. It should be really nice, I love being able to catch up with friends at this time of the year. Nic and I are off to London on Saturday, partly so I can rinse my bank account in the Fever shop and also to meet up with some friends in the afternoon.
So, maybe a proper blog this afternoon. This flickering light is wrecking my head, I'm away for a cup of tea.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Know first who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly.
Before my friend Mrs Z deactivated her Facebook account (well, as far as they will allow you to deactivate it - it's just a slightly more time-consuming log-out) she had a photo album called 'Ten Years of Dresses' which I spent many happy hours (well maybe not hours) perusing. I've been tidying up the hard drive on my poor wee laptop today and moving things over to my external hard drive and have felt inspired to do the same. It doesn't cover ten years, but here are a few of my favourite dresses. Click on the photo to get a closer look.
There is lots of clutter in the background - M took this photo so I could see what the dress looks like on! I bought this one on a whim in the sale. I was never that keen on strapless dresses until last summer when I bought a few that I loved, and this is one of them. The boning pokes out in an awkward way so wearing it is not the most comfortable experience, but I love it anyway.
La Caletta dress. This is another photo to see what the dress looks like on - it had been a while since I had worn it! I love the colour of this dress but it is very small fitting - a size bigger than I usually buy and still very snug. It's made of a cotton-silk mix so it is very light and comfortable to wear.
Monkey pinafore. This poor wee dress - this was the first time I had worn this dress, and shortly after the photo was taken someone spilled red wine on me. The stain came out (although because I know it's there, I can still sort of see it, but it would be invisible to anyone else) but one of my least favourite memories is feeling very hung over and having to scrub the dress with vinegar to get the stain out! The red pattern is little monkeys and the dress is very comfortable and fun to wear.
Laura Lees Topshop dress. This is one of my most-loved dresses - I bought it when I was doing my teacher training and it always makes me happy to wear it! This photo was taken at on Nic's birthday, a few weeks after we started going out. I wore this dress all the time during our first summer together so it has lots of happy memories for me.
Rose dress. This is another dress I wear all the time. Although this is a terrible photo of me, the dress is actually very flattering and comfortable.
Escala dress. This photo was taken at Mrs Z's christmas party last year. I had bought this lovely dress as a birthday treat for myself - I need to find more occasions to wear it (I might wear it to her christmas party this year too) I haven't got a full length photo of it, unfortunately, as it is very elegant and flattering. I love the bright blue colour and the material feels very heavy and luxurious. I might just take to wearing it around the house!
Loire dress. I usually try to avoid buying too many black dresses but this party frock was a complete bargain at £20 (in Dessie's in Armagh, what a legend) I'm in costume here, as Anita O'Day for a Hallowe'en party last year. The theme was dead musicians, and I was going for the look she sported in the Jazz on a Summer's Day concert. I think I looked pretty good, even it wasn't obvious who I was trying to be! (Annoyingly, someone I don't like very much showed up wearing something similar, and people thought all night we were there together, boo!)
Asturias dress (and lab coat provided by the Dover museum!) This is another one of my most worn dresses, and I also have one in jersey fabric (it's red) I bought this dress after dreaming about it. I realise that makes me sound quite mad, and maybe I am mad - but I had seen the dress in Lilac Rose and thought it was ridiculous because of the massive pockets on the sides, but then dreamed that I tried it on....so I went to try it on, and loved it. I wear this dress all the time, it is very comfortable and flattering and can be dressed up or down as you like.
Maisy dress. I don't like this photo of me, but it does show off the dress quite well! This one was another bargain - £20 from the sample rail in the Fever shop. It's another one that I've dressed up and down and although it's strapless, I don't have to hoik (very technical term) it up all the time because the bodice is nicely fitted. I think it would look good with a netted petticoat under it as well, but I haven't tried that yet...
Mauritius dress. My first ever maxi dress! I bought this out of frustration when the shop didn't have the one I wanted in my size (I bought it later) but I think I like this one better. It's very easy to wear - elegant and comfortable, and I love the combination of colours. And Barb Jungr complimented me on it on the Vortex Jazz Cruise. Result! I had always thought short people couldn't wear maxi dresses but I suppose it's a matter of finding the right one.
Phase Eight wrap dress. I love this dress, but didn't wear it for ages because one of my aunts asked me if I was pregnant when I was wearing it! The skirt is voluminous and the bow is very big (and, in fairness, I was feeling quite bloated) but all the same, this is a great dress. Reduced in their sale to £35 as well, so good times!
Green halter-neck dress. This was my first Fever dress, I bought it in Liberty Blue in Belfast to wear to a wedding. This photo is a bit blurred because my camera wasn't working properly but you can get the idea. The dress is very low cut so it's not really suitable for a summer dress, but it's good for parties, and I have a sentimental attachment to it.
Foligno Tunic. Ignore the crisps - I'm being super classy in this photo! I was lucky to get this dress - a lady was trying on the last one in Lilac Rose, luckily she didn't like it and it was in my size. I love the soft pleats on it, I feel a bit like a flapper when I'm wearing it.
Rocha John Rocha ruffle dress. I saw this one in a Dress of the Day post over on The Fashion Police and was able to pick it up on eBay for £7. What a bargain! It's a wee bit longer than I would like, but it's a very festive winter frock.
Christina dress. I bought this on a whim in the Fever shop in the summer, as it was in the sale. It didn't have much hanger appeal, but it is so nice on. The heavy cotton and the velvet ribbons make it feel really luxurious as well. This photo doesn't exactly do it justice - Nic was just taking a photo on my phone so I could see what it looks like!
I've exhausted myself for now, but I have a wardrobe full of dresses (and am what Nic calls 'dress demented') so there will be more in future!
There is lots of clutter in the background - M took this photo so I could see what the dress looks like on! I bought this one on a whim in the sale. I was never that keen on strapless dresses until last summer when I bought a few that I loved, and this is one of them. The boning pokes out in an awkward way so wearing it is not the most comfortable experience, but I love it anyway.
La Caletta dress. This is another photo to see what the dress looks like on - it had been a while since I had worn it! I love the colour of this dress but it is very small fitting - a size bigger than I usually buy and still very snug. It's made of a cotton-silk mix so it is very light and comfortable to wear.
Monkey pinafore. This poor wee dress - this was the first time I had worn this dress, and shortly after the photo was taken someone spilled red wine on me. The stain came out (although because I know it's there, I can still sort of see it, but it would be invisible to anyone else) but one of my least favourite memories is feeling very hung over and having to scrub the dress with vinegar to get the stain out! The red pattern is little monkeys and the dress is very comfortable and fun to wear.
Laura Lees Topshop dress. This is one of my most-loved dresses - I bought it when I was doing my teacher training and it always makes me happy to wear it! This photo was taken at on Nic's birthday, a few weeks after we started going out. I wore this dress all the time during our first summer together so it has lots of happy memories for me.
Rose dress. This is another dress I wear all the time. Although this is a terrible photo of me, the dress is actually very flattering and comfortable.
Escala dress. This photo was taken at Mrs Z's christmas party last year. I had bought this lovely dress as a birthday treat for myself - I need to find more occasions to wear it (I might wear it to her christmas party this year too) I haven't got a full length photo of it, unfortunately, as it is very elegant and flattering. I love the bright blue colour and the material feels very heavy and luxurious. I might just take to wearing it around the house! 
Loire dress. I usually try to avoid buying too many black dresses but this party frock was a complete bargain at £20 (in Dessie's in Armagh, what a legend) I'm in costume here, as Anita O'Day for a Hallowe'en party last year. The theme was dead musicians, and I was going for the look she sported in the Jazz on a Summer's Day concert. I think I looked pretty good, even it wasn't obvious who I was trying to be! (Annoyingly, someone I don't like very much showed up wearing something similar, and people thought all night we were there together, boo!) 
Asturias dress (and lab coat provided by the Dover museum!) This is another one of my most worn dresses, and I also have one in jersey fabric (it's red) I bought this dress after dreaming about it. I realise that makes me sound quite mad, and maybe I am mad - but I had seen the dress in Lilac Rose and thought it was ridiculous because of the massive pockets on the sides, but then dreamed that I tried it on....so I went to try it on, and loved it. I wear this dress all the time, it is very comfortable and flattering and can be dressed up or down as you like.
Maisy dress. I don't like this photo of me, but it does show off the dress quite well! This one was another bargain - £20 from the sample rail in the Fever shop. It's another one that I've dressed up and down and although it's strapless, I don't have to hoik (very technical term) it up all the time because the bodice is nicely fitted. I think it would look good with a netted petticoat under it as well, but I haven't tried that yet...
Mauritius dress. My first ever maxi dress! I bought this out of frustration when the shop didn't have the one I wanted in my size (I bought it later) but I think I like this one better. It's very easy to wear - elegant and comfortable, and I love the combination of colours. And Barb Jungr complimented me on it on the Vortex Jazz Cruise. Result! I had always thought short people couldn't wear maxi dresses but I suppose it's a matter of finding the right one.
Phase Eight wrap dress. I love this dress, but didn't wear it for ages because one of my aunts asked me if I was pregnant when I was wearing it! The skirt is voluminous and the bow is very big (and, in fairness, I was feeling quite bloated) but all the same, this is a great dress. Reduced in their sale to £35 as well, so good times!
Green halter-neck dress. This was my first Fever dress, I bought it in Liberty Blue in Belfast to wear to a wedding. This photo is a bit blurred because my camera wasn't working properly but you can get the idea. The dress is very low cut so it's not really suitable for a summer dress, but it's good for parties, and I have a sentimental attachment to it.
Foligno Tunic. Ignore the crisps - I'm being super classy in this photo! I was lucky to get this dress - a lady was trying on the last one in Lilac Rose, luckily she didn't like it and it was in my size. I love the soft pleats on it, I feel a bit like a flapper when I'm wearing it.
Rocha John Rocha ruffle dress. I saw this one in a Dress of the Day post over on The Fashion Police and was able to pick it up on eBay for £7. What a bargain! It's a wee bit longer than I would like, but it's a very festive winter frock.
Christina dress. I bought this on a whim in the Fever shop in the summer, as it was in the sale. It didn't have much hanger appeal, but it is so nice on. The heavy cotton and the velvet ribbons make it feel really luxurious as well. This photo doesn't exactly do it justice - Nic was just taking a photo on my phone so I could see what it looks like!I've exhausted myself for now, but I have a wardrobe full of dresses (and am what Nic calls 'dress demented') so there will be more in future!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Our ambition should be to kill our clients. I mean actually kill them. With our levels of service.
I'm just going to write a short wee post now. Nic and I are watching Manhattan Melodrama but we have interrupted it so he can phone his grandma. After that I'm going to make rhubarb crumble and have a bath!
It's been a very lovely weekend. I worked from home on Friday so was able to spend the day with Nic. He was working very hard on his writing so we had a good studious atmosphere going on. We also watched some more William Hartnell Who - Doctor Who and The Daleks, which I really enjoyed. There is a bit in Remembrance of The Daleks where a Dalek gets so confused that it blows up, and there is a very similar moment in this first Dalek adventure, where the Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara attack a Dalek and he piteously cries for help - it's very cute and sad and it makes it easy to forget that the Daleks are very bad. It is another excellent adventure in terms of Barbara - my girl crush on her has grown exponentially. Nic has just bought The Dalek Invasion of Earth so I will enjoy watching that this week. I know, I am a massive nerd!
I spent Friday afternoon with M and Sugar Plum, who then came back to my house. We were joined by N, Mr and Mrs Z, A and the lovely Tom. We ordered pizza from Tuscano's and there was quite a party atmosphere. I was utterly touched by a gift brought by Mr and Mrs Z of a Hornsea coffee pot, creamer and sugar bowl:
They are in the Heirloom pattern, which is my favourite. I already have the Heirloom coffee pot in green, and I was so delighted that Mrs Z remembered how much I love Hornsea pottery. By a stroke of luck, when Nic and I went to the tip shop with Sugar Plum and N today, I picked up a matching jar (for 50p, I love the tip shop) so I've quite a little collection there now!
The rest of the weekend has been nice and quiet. Nic and I had a potter around Warwick yesterday and then came home and had an amazingly tasty dinner (fried halloumi and mushroom in pitta bread with peri-peri sauce, with rosemary and black pepper potato wedges. I was so full I could have died, but it would have been an exceedingly happy death) and today we've been to the tip shop with friends. It's all good, and I'm feeling nicely refreshed for the coming week at work.
List of love
Ohh, the tip shop in Sydenham. As well as my little Hornsea jar (which was a little bit chipped, but still) I picked up Mrs de Winter by Susan Hill, which I've been meaning to read and also a book by Margaret Forster for 50p each.
The beautiful pink roses Mrs Z brought, and also the very tasty puff pastry mince pies she brought. We'll be having some of those later this week!
Myrna Loy. I love her.
Getting the christmas present sorted out for the sibling I'm being secret santa to. And also getting the christmas present for my parents sorted out, although I can't take credit for that.
M&S apple and cinnamon hot cross buns.
The nice man in the craft shop around the corner. He looks like Gerard Depardieu.
The nice man from the Cotswold Pudding and Pie company, and his extremely tasty pies!
List of loathe
My throat, it keeps getting sore and then being fine again within a day. I wish it would just be sore and be over with.
The heater in our living room isn't working properly and it is COLD. My nose is very cold as I am typing this.
It's been a very lovely weekend. I worked from home on Friday so was able to spend the day with Nic. He was working very hard on his writing so we had a good studious atmosphere going on. We also watched some more William Hartnell Who - Doctor Who and The Daleks, which I really enjoyed. There is a bit in Remembrance of The Daleks where a Dalek gets so confused that it blows up, and there is a very similar moment in this first Dalek adventure, where the Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara attack a Dalek and he piteously cries for help - it's very cute and sad and it makes it easy to forget that the Daleks are very bad. It is another excellent adventure in terms of Barbara - my girl crush on her has grown exponentially. Nic has just bought The Dalek Invasion of Earth so I will enjoy watching that this week. I know, I am a massive nerd!
I spent Friday afternoon with M and Sugar Plum, who then came back to my house. We were joined by N, Mr and Mrs Z, A and the lovely Tom. We ordered pizza from Tuscano's and there was quite a party atmosphere. I was utterly touched by a gift brought by Mr and Mrs Z of a Hornsea coffee pot, creamer and sugar bowl:
They are in the Heirloom pattern, which is my favourite. I already have the Heirloom coffee pot in green, and I was so delighted that Mrs Z remembered how much I love Hornsea pottery. By a stroke of luck, when Nic and I went to the tip shop with Sugar Plum and N today, I picked up a matching jar (for 50p, I love the tip shop) so I've quite a little collection there now!
The rest of the weekend has been nice and quiet. Nic and I had a potter around Warwick yesterday and then came home and had an amazingly tasty dinner (fried halloumi and mushroom in pitta bread with peri-peri sauce, with rosemary and black pepper potato wedges. I was so full I could have died, but it would have been an exceedingly happy death) and today we've been to the tip shop with friends. It's all good, and I'm feeling nicely refreshed for the coming week at work.
List of love
Ohh, the tip shop in Sydenham. As well as my little Hornsea jar (which was a little bit chipped, but still) I picked up Mrs de Winter by Susan Hill, which I've been meaning to read and also a book by Margaret Forster for 50p each.
The beautiful pink roses Mrs Z brought, and also the very tasty puff pastry mince pies she brought. We'll be having some of those later this week!
Myrna Loy. I love her.
Getting the christmas present sorted out for the sibling I'm being secret santa to. And also getting the christmas present for my parents sorted out, although I can't take credit for that.
M&S apple and cinnamon hot cross buns.
The nice man in the craft shop around the corner. He looks like Gerard Depardieu.
The nice man from the Cotswold Pudding and Pie company, and his extremely tasty pies!
List of loathe
My throat, it keeps getting sore and then being fine again within a day. I wish it would just be sore and be over with.
The heater in our living room isn't working properly and it is COLD. My nose is very cold as I am typing this.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Meals are at eleven, one, half-two, three, five, seven, and nine, and if you want a quick snack, you can just ask Mrs. Doyle there
I was a bad naughty girl yesterday and didn't do my Thursday hot-or-not. This is why NaNoWriMo would be no good for me, I can't even stick to the stupid deadlines I set for myself. LAME-O.
Hot
Free books. M works in a bookshop and got a free copy of a Muriel Spark book, which she passed on to me. It's brilliant.
It's nearly pay day, and only one more to go before I start my new job and get a raise. YES!
The Domestic Sluttery blog, which has been providing me with hours of entertainment
Some of the episodes of Cagney and Lacey on my birthday DVDs don't work, so I am going to download them from iTunes. Sweet!
I'm seeing my friends this evening and we very well may eat some chips from the Lansdowne Fish Bar.
Weekend.
Barbara Wright. Sneaking up the list of my favourite Doctor Who characters. I think she's great.
She's a dead tie with Liz Shaw for my favourite of the Doctor's companions. She is so good in The Aztecs as the reincarnation of Yetaxa and I love the fact that she is so intelligent. Why can't the new Who include such good female characters?
Not
I hate getting the cross country train to work at the best of times but it is even worse when it is full of people who have been to shows at the NEC. I've been in the office all day and am lugging my laptop and they've been swanning around eating chocolate. Grrr!
Artic winds
The workmen who start outside my window half an hour before my alarm goes off and then stop to have breakfast as I'm leaving the house.
Hot
Free books. M works in a bookshop and got a free copy of a Muriel Spark book, which she passed on to me. It's brilliant.
It's nearly pay day, and only one more to go before I start my new job and get a raise. YES!
The Domestic Sluttery blog, which has been providing me with hours of entertainment
Some of the episodes of Cagney and Lacey on my birthday DVDs don't work, so I am going to download them from iTunes. Sweet!
I'm seeing my friends this evening and we very well may eat some chips from the Lansdowne Fish Bar.
Weekend.
Barbara Wright. Sneaking up the list of my favourite Doctor Who characters. I think she's great.
She's a dead tie with Liz Shaw for my favourite of the Doctor's companions. She is so good in The Aztecs as the reincarnation of Yetaxa and I love the fact that she is so intelligent. Why can't the new Who include such good female characters?
Not
I hate getting the cross country train to work at the best of times but it is even worse when it is full of people who have been to shows at the NEC. I've been in the office all day and am lugging my laptop and they've been swanning around eating chocolate. Grrr!
Artic winds
The workmen who start outside my window half an hour before my alarm goes off and then stop to have breakfast as I'm leaving the house.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
I ain't no suit-wearin' businessman like you... you know I'm just a gangsta I suppose...
Tuesday already. I can't believe how quickly November is whizzing by.
I'll be glad when the year turns over, though. 2009 has been a very good year so far, but I'm ever wishing my life away and I'm really looking forward to starting my new job in January, and to the evenings getting longer, and all of the other things we all look forward to about the spring.
It was a lovely quiet weekend. I saw M and Sugar Plum on Friday after work, for a gossip in Starbucks and some tasty coffee, and then Nic and I headed out to the pub with Tom. We ended up staying out very late, and staying up even later - something I haven't done for quite a while. I'm not as young as I used to be and spent the rest of the weekend feeling sleepy. It was worth it though to see Nic and Tom discover that 'Gin Before Beer - You're in the Clear' and also 'Beer Before Gin - Get In!'
Over the weekend I finished reading The Bitch Goddess Notebook by Martha O'Connor. I had bought this in the pound shop months ago and finally got around to reading it. It was pretty good - it sort of reminded me of A Secret History and Cat's Eye, both of which are books I really enjoyed. I liked it well enough, but I think the reason I liked it was the fact that I was thinking 'maybe I could do this'. Maybe I could?
November is NaNoWriMo a fact which won't be lost on any of you who blog or are on Twitter. I'm skeptical about it, I don't think it would work for me (I think I would react against the timeframe) but I love how positive the whole concept is. When Nic gets downhearted about his writing I encourage him to keep going, to write down everything and then to use judicious editing. This is how I used to try to motivate my students when I was a teacher as well, so in theory I should be able to apply it to myself. It's a bit of a cliche, and I know that probably everyone thinks that they have a novel in them. I don't know if I have. I'm certainly creative - I'm very good at dreaming up weird cross-overs of my favourite TV programmes, or mentally writing guest stars into episodes. I realise that's not the same as the discipline it takes to really write, but it is something I am becoming increasingly keen on trying. And, you know, it would be good to do something with all of the lovely notebooks that people keep buying for me.
List of love
A date tonight with my lovely man. If I'm very lucky he'll buy me a glass of wine
Getting a lift to work and a lift home again - no stinky train for me
A sparkling clean oven
The new colour-scheme I'm employing for the blanket I'm making
Mince pies and spiced coffee
The el cheapo purple tights I bought from QS
The Thick of It - it made me laugh so hard this week.
List of loathe
RSI - sore shoulder, wrist and right hand. It's not good.
General tiredness but I will perservere
Already having most of December's pay earmarked. Darn you, Christmas!
I'll be glad when the year turns over, though. 2009 has been a very good year so far, but I'm ever wishing my life away and I'm really looking forward to starting my new job in January, and to the evenings getting longer, and all of the other things we all look forward to about the spring.
It was a lovely quiet weekend. I saw M and Sugar Plum on Friday after work, for a gossip in Starbucks and some tasty coffee, and then Nic and I headed out to the pub with Tom. We ended up staying out very late, and staying up even later - something I haven't done for quite a while. I'm not as young as I used to be and spent the rest of the weekend feeling sleepy. It was worth it though to see Nic and Tom discover that 'Gin Before Beer - You're in the Clear' and also 'Beer Before Gin - Get In!'
Over the weekend I finished reading The Bitch Goddess Notebook by Martha O'Connor. I had bought this in the pound shop months ago and finally got around to reading it. It was pretty good - it sort of reminded me of A Secret History and Cat's Eye, both of which are books I really enjoyed. I liked it well enough, but I think the reason I liked it was the fact that I was thinking 'maybe I could do this'. Maybe I could?
November is NaNoWriMo a fact which won't be lost on any of you who blog or are on Twitter. I'm skeptical about it, I don't think it would work for me (I think I would react against the timeframe) but I love how positive the whole concept is. When Nic gets downhearted about his writing I encourage him to keep going, to write down everything and then to use judicious editing. This is how I used to try to motivate my students when I was a teacher as well, so in theory I should be able to apply it to myself. It's a bit of a cliche, and I know that probably everyone thinks that they have a novel in them. I don't know if I have. I'm certainly creative - I'm very good at dreaming up weird cross-overs of my favourite TV programmes, or mentally writing guest stars into episodes. I realise that's not the same as the discipline it takes to really write, but it is something I am becoming increasingly keen on trying. And, you know, it would be good to do something with all of the lovely notebooks that people keep buying for me.
List of love
A date tonight with my lovely man. If I'm very lucky he'll buy me a glass of wine
Getting a lift to work and a lift home again - no stinky train for me
A sparkling clean oven
The new colour-scheme I'm employing for the blanket I'm making
Mince pies and spiced coffee
The el cheapo purple tights I bought from QS
The Thick of It - it made me laugh so hard this week.
List of loathe
RSI - sore shoulder, wrist and right hand. It's not good.
General tiredness but I will perservere
Already having most of December's pay earmarked. Darn you, Christmas!
Friday, November 20, 2009
I never thought I'd have to fire in anger at a dratted caterpillar.
Friday has been a good day! Nic is cooking up some of his very tasty Carrot and Coriander soup, and we're heading out to the pub later on, so I'm sure it will continue to be good.
I usually work from home on a Friday, which means a nice relaxed start to the weekend. I had some phone calls to make, but apart from that I had a nice, stress-free work day. I met C and M after I packed up for the evening for some very speedy shopping and then we camped out in Starbucks to giggle and look at the very handsome Curreri-alike that works there. It was very good, frothy fun and much better lit than the Sausage had been the other night! I'm looking forward to a good, sociable weekend. As I have discussed ad nauseum this week, I am feeling very grateful to my good friends for pulling me out of my funk.
I'm hoping that this isn't too similar to my Thursday What's Hot/Not list, but I feel like counting my blessings and summing up my week. Damn, it's my blog so I'm going to do it anyway. Ner.
- I am in the Birmingham office all week, which means far too many rides on the smelly train
+ I have been sitting next to H, so the week has been full of nice chat to break up the work
- I have spent far too much time stressing about the dress I have chosen to get for C and N's wedding
+At least I definitely know it's the dress I want
+ Tuesday evening was brilliant - a free pint for Nic and a tasty glass of wine for me in The White Horse
+ Wednesday evening was unexpectedly brilliant as well - drinks in The Sausage with friends, and then pizza from Tuscano's at home.
+ Good home cooking this week - testing out recipes for tomato soup and vegetable jalfrezi. Both pretty successful, but I think the soup needed something more.
- Horrible weather making horrible office surroundings seem worse
+ It's not that long until Christmas, new year, new job, new office
+ Doctor Who: The Three Doctors was better than I remembered. I love the Brigadier so much!
+ Discovering little bottles of rose Prosecco in M&S - very tasty!
All to the positive, then. I'm off to eat some Carrot and Coriander soup!
I usually work from home on a Friday, which means a nice relaxed start to the weekend. I had some phone calls to make, but apart from that I had a nice, stress-free work day. I met C and M after I packed up for the evening for some very speedy shopping and then we camped out in Starbucks to giggle and look at the very handsome Curreri-alike that works there. It was very good, frothy fun and much better lit than the Sausage had been the other night! I'm looking forward to a good, sociable weekend. As I have discussed ad nauseum this week, I am feeling very grateful to my good friends for pulling me out of my funk.
I'm hoping that this isn't too similar to my Thursday What's Hot/Not list, but I feel like counting my blessings and summing up my week. Damn, it's my blog so I'm going to do it anyway. Ner.
- I am in the Birmingham office all week, which means far too many rides on the smelly train
+ I have been sitting next to H, so the week has been full of nice chat to break up the work
- I have spent far too much time stressing about the dress I have chosen to get for C and N's wedding
+At least I definitely know it's the dress I want
+ Tuesday evening was brilliant - a free pint for Nic and a tasty glass of wine for me in The White Horse
+ Wednesday evening was unexpectedly brilliant as well - drinks in The Sausage with friends, and then pizza from Tuscano's at home.
+ Good home cooking this week - testing out recipes for tomato soup and vegetable jalfrezi. Both pretty successful, but I think the soup needed something more.
- Horrible weather making horrible office surroundings seem worse
+ It's not that long until Christmas, new year, new job, new office
+ Doctor Who: The Three Doctors was better than I remembered. I love the Brigadier so much!
+ Discovering little bottles of rose Prosecco in M&S - very tasty!
All to the positive, then. I'm off to eat some Carrot and Coriander soup!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
After all, if I was suffering from amnesia I'd be the first to know about it, wouldn't I?
Operation Get Out Of My Rut has been continuing apace. Yesterday evening I was due to meet C for a post-work coffee and gossip in Starbucks. Only, when we got to Starbucks it was closed. Irritatingly, their opening hours aren't displayed anywhere, which meant that I didn't get to flirt with the cute barista with the really blue eyes. Anyway, for convenience more than anything else, we repaired to The Sausage and I ended up spending my whole evening there. We had some quality one-on-one girl time, were joined by N and Nic and also Viv and Paul. It was excellent, and again it was just what I needed. It was suitably mood-lit in the Sausage and I had a bit of a headache when I got home, I think this was caused by having to squint to see Viv across the table in the dim light!
I have been having anxiety dreams much more frequently in the last few months. They always take the same form – someone I love berates me in the strongest terms, for all of the bad things about my personality. I'm not sure why my brain wants to do this to me. It's exhausting, though. I had another one last night, the only variation being that this time it was three of my friends who took the opportunity to follow me home, telling me my faults all the while. I like to think that I'm a pretty nice person and I certainly try to be a good friend, by my subconscious seems to think otherwise!
It might be because I have been giving my friendships and my relationship some more considered thought recently. It's one of the side-effects of feeling a bit low, my confidence in my ability to make and retain friends plummets, and it leaves me feeling unwilling and unable to spend time with those friends – such a vicious circle. I have been trying to pull myself out of this funk, and with some success, which was why last night in the pub was so welcome. By happy accident I ran into Mystery Creature and Second Hand Shopper, both of whose blogs I have been reading, and although I felt a bit flustered (and a bit bashful for just suddenly popping up like a mental – sorry ladies!) it really pleased me to meet both of them in the flesh. Something else that did me good about last night was the variety of conversations we were able to have. I'm very lucky in the friends I have – not only are they warm and loving and intelligent people, but they encourage the good in me to shine. I really felt it when I was talking to each one of the people I spent yesterday evening with, and it made me very happy.
I was very lucky to be able to have a good conversation with C and N. N is C's fiancé, and I am so pleased and happy that he has become more than just her other half to me, but a friend in his own right. This was emphasised to me last night by how comfortable I felt talking to him about emotional stuff. It's soppy, I know, but it feels good to have made such an excellent friend!
I talked to C and N about my friend Miranda. Miranda died nearly a year ago now, and our friendship and her death are things that I'm not always that comfortable with talking about (but I'm going to, because it's all hugging and learning round here today!) Miranda and I became friends in our early teens, in an impassioned pen-pal way. We wrote to one another constantly, and spent hours on the phone (to my parents' consternation – our phone bills were pretty big in those days) Miranda was very different to me, and she always challenged me, and she was the first friend I had who would tell me that I was talking crap! She lived in England, and we never met. It's stupid, and it's something that I will always regret because I have lived in England for the past 8 years, and we weren't all that far apart physically. Although the intensity of our communication diminished over the years we never lost contact, and the pain I felt when she died was shocking to me. And what was nearly as bad was the guilt I felt, and still feel, about the intensity of my grief. It felt fraudulent and attention-seeking to grieve over someone I had never met, and I wasn't comfortable with talking about it. Some time and distance has helped me to understand that our friendship was no less important because it wasn't conducted face to face, and that loss can't really be measured in those terms either. I miss Miranda, and I will always miss her, and I am trying hard to take something from what happened, and spend less time stressing about what I think my friends think about me, and enjoy the fact of their presence.
Hey, that all got a bit heavy. Time for a bit of a change of pace. It's Thursday, so here is my Hot and Not list.
Hot
I finished Jane and Prudence on my way to work this morning, and I loved the ending. I'm certainly going to make the effort to look for more Barbara Pym novels.
Spontaneous evenings out – as discussed above
New series of Gavin and Stacey starts tonight. I expected to dislike Gavin and Stacey and for ages I wrote it off as just another crappy BBC3 comedy. I'm not overly fond of either Gavin or Stacey, but I love all of the other characters, particularly Pam(-elaaaaaa)
£10 to spend at Wysteria Lane, I'm just trying to decide what pretty thing to buy!
I've figured out what to do with my hair and makeup for C and N's wedding. Just need to buy dress and shoes, and I'm hoping to do this in London at the start of December.
Not
Anxiety dreams. Boke.
My right shoulder is very sore. I think it might be RSI, so I'm going to look into buying one of those ergonomic mouse things, or a tablet and pen.
This weather is no good for my wispy mousy hair.
Virgin Cross-Country train to and from work. It has been especially smelly and unpleasant this week. Ugh!
I have been having anxiety dreams much more frequently in the last few months. They always take the same form – someone I love berates me in the strongest terms, for all of the bad things about my personality. I'm not sure why my brain wants to do this to me. It's exhausting, though. I had another one last night, the only variation being that this time it was three of my friends who took the opportunity to follow me home, telling me my faults all the while. I like to think that I'm a pretty nice person and I certainly try to be a good friend, by my subconscious seems to think otherwise!
It might be because I have been giving my friendships and my relationship some more considered thought recently. It's one of the side-effects of feeling a bit low, my confidence in my ability to make and retain friends plummets, and it leaves me feeling unwilling and unable to spend time with those friends – such a vicious circle. I have been trying to pull myself out of this funk, and with some success, which was why last night in the pub was so welcome. By happy accident I ran into Mystery Creature and Second Hand Shopper, both of whose blogs I have been reading, and although I felt a bit flustered (and a bit bashful for just suddenly popping up like a mental – sorry ladies!) it really pleased me to meet both of them in the flesh. Something else that did me good about last night was the variety of conversations we were able to have. I'm very lucky in the friends I have – not only are they warm and loving and intelligent people, but they encourage the good in me to shine. I really felt it when I was talking to each one of the people I spent yesterday evening with, and it made me very happy.
I was very lucky to be able to have a good conversation with C and N. N is C's fiancé, and I am so pleased and happy that he has become more than just her other half to me, but a friend in his own right. This was emphasised to me last night by how comfortable I felt talking to him about emotional stuff. It's soppy, I know, but it feels good to have made such an excellent friend!
I talked to C and N about my friend Miranda. Miranda died nearly a year ago now, and our friendship and her death are things that I'm not always that comfortable with talking about (but I'm going to, because it's all hugging and learning round here today!) Miranda and I became friends in our early teens, in an impassioned pen-pal way. We wrote to one another constantly, and spent hours on the phone (to my parents' consternation – our phone bills were pretty big in those days) Miranda was very different to me, and she always challenged me, and she was the first friend I had who would tell me that I was talking crap! She lived in England, and we never met. It's stupid, and it's something that I will always regret because I have lived in England for the past 8 years, and we weren't all that far apart physically. Although the intensity of our communication diminished over the years we never lost contact, and the pain I felt when she died was shocking to me. And what was nearly as bad was the guilt I felt, and still feel, about the intensity of my grief. It felt fraudulent and attention-seeking to grieve over someone I had never met, and I wasn't comfortable with talking about it. Some time and distance has helped me to understand that our friendship was no less important because it wasn't conducted face to face, and that loss can't really be measured in those terms either. I miss Miranda, and I will always miss her, and I am trying hard to take something from what happened, and spend less time stressing about what I think my friends think about me, and enjoy the fact of their presence.
Hey, that all got a bit heavy. Time for a bit of a change of pace. It's Thursday, so here is my Hot and Not list.
Hot
I finished Jane and Prudence on my way to work this morning, and I loved the ending. I'm certainly going to make the effort to look for more Barbara Pym novels.
Spontaneous evenings out – as discussed above
New series of Gavin and Stacey starts tonight. I expected to dislike Gavin and Stacey and for ages I wrote it off as just another crappy BBC3 comedy. I'm not overly fond of either Gavin or Stacey, but I love all of the other characters, particularly Pam(-elaaaaaa)
£10 to spend at Wysteria Lane, I'm just trying to decide what pretty thing to buy!
I've figured out what to do with my hair and makeup for C and N's wedding. Just need to buy dress and shoes, and I'm hoping to do this in London at the start of December.
Not
Anxiety dreams. Boke.
My right shoulder is very sore. I think it might be RSI, so I'm going to look into buying one of those ergonomic mouse things, or a tablet and pen.
This weather is no good for my wispy mousy hair.
Virgin Cross-Country train to and from work. It has been especially smelly and unpleasant this week. Ugh!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)