Lack of blogging and unpacking...

Hello folks! (in best Neddie Seagoon type voice)

How you all doing out there? Well actually I know how most of you are doing as I've been reading your blogs but not actually writing one of my own. Campbelli told me she was shocked at my lack of bloggage so I thought I'd better whip up some inspiration from somewhere.

I'm still unpacking, naturally. In fact, there's still stuff at the old house to be moved over here! Most of it is bits and bobs that weren't essential to be moved straight off (xmas tree and decs, boxes of stuff from school and uni) but there are occasional things over there that I really wish I had moved that weekend (like the microwave). Since it is only a two minute walk between the houses, moving things hasn't been too bad, it's just getting up the umph to go and get them!

Most rooms are mostly done, but there's still boxes and bin bags scattered round the place. I've taken some photos of the house so far (which I will post when I've uploaded them) including my current wardrobe arrangements (black bags scattered across the spare room floor), the front room (with boxes of odd things that currently have no home) and my bookshelves in the middle room - which are about the only things that are "properly" organised so far.

Those bookshelves actually nearly drove me round the bend, trying to fit my favourite authors onto them in combinations that made sense but that also fitted! Then yesterday I made the mistake of buying the new Meg Cabot book (Size 14 Isn't Fat Either) and nearly cried when I realised it wouldn't quite fit! Luckily my bookselling skills came to the fore and I was able to fit it on in true bookseller style - the kind that usually fits 8 hardbacks in a space that should only hold 5 paperbacks, you know the style.

I have been "nesting" like crazy. Not in a broody fashion (although I am and trying to resist it), but in a wanting this place to feel like my home quickly fashion. The nice people at Additions decided to raise my credit limit just before I moved so I have splashed out on new throws, cushions and curtains. Now I just await my new statement and monthly payment total...eek!

In other news:
- I got to speak to Mark today after one of his colleagues was an absolute star.

- Campbelli didn't win the award she was up for :-( but she is still the best bookseller in our Division and we are very proud of her for that :-)))

- I have become far too enamoured with Facebook. I'm not spending hours and hours on there, but with the broadband changing (and thus the browser I use) it has become my new homepage... Once I've come online and poked everyone and then gone round and read blogs, whatever it was that I'd planned to blog about has just whooshed straight out of my tiny little brain!

Oh, and the various problems with this house (back door now broken) should all be getting fixed next week as the guy phoned me today to sort out coming round on Monday to start work. Yippee!

Right, I'm off to see what goodies we've got for dinner and to see if anyone has written on my Wall...

Rollercoaster Ride

So this morning I went off to sign my new letting agreement for my new house. Got there at 10.30, read through and signed the contract, then had to take a quick detour into town as they couldn't take my deposit off my debit card and I don't have a chequebook.
Holding £950 in my sweaty little hands was quite nice, although Anthony insisted that we didn't walk back to the car past work in case I was overcome and spent the lot on books.

So, contract all signed, money handed over and key obtained! Yippee!

Then we went over to the house...

Basically for a house that's just had new heating, new carpets and been decorated, it wasn't really "finished" (as those TV people would say). There are marks on the walls by the paintwork and stains on the new carpets. Fine I thought, I'll just make a list and take photos so I don't get penalised at the end. Bit of rubbish in the garden, again, this can be sorted.

Came back here and did a bit of packing and had a nap as I was shattered, although Mr Nightshift couldn't get any kip so he's been up now for 24 hours... (not good when he's trying to disconnect my washing machine).

We went back over there to hoover the carpets ready for tomorrow and to write a list of the marks etc. Three A4 pages later I decided we'd better go see the letting agents. Basically, as well as the marks and unpainted pipes (which are just cosmetic so not that hard to live with), only two of the doors actually shut properly, we couldn't find any way of making the shower work, and in the passage between the houses where you can take the bin out, you can look up and see the floorboards of one of the back bedrooms. Most of the things were there when we viewed it the other week, but then they hadn't put the carpets down (they only went in yesterday) or finished off so I just thought they'd have fixed them.

Anyways, the list is with the letting agent and they're going to speak to the landlord tonight. I will almost certainly be moving in tomorrow and Sunday as I can't really move at any other time due to work etc. The guy at the agents is going to sort it all out apparently - I'll just have to trust him.

I did annoy myself by almost crying when trying to explain to the letting lady about why I had to get this done. Work this week has been very stressful and next week with certainly not be any easier so I wanted moving to go as smoothly as possible.

Ah well, that's life. It's all a learning experience.

I'm off to pack more things, I just hope that everything in the house gets sorted double-quick, that Virgin Media can connect me up nice and quickly, and that I hear some fabulously good news about Miss Campbelli on Tuesday night!

PS: I do have a 1kg bar of Dairy Milk for when I get overwhelmed!

Meh

Nothings been happening that's worth blogging about really. I'm worrying about having a house to move into, trying to eat healthily, trying to pack all my possessions and enjoying the fact that Anthony is working days this week so I actually get to spend time with him in the evenings.

I haven't been spending much time online other than to nip on and check blogs/FaceBook so I can't even post an entertaining list of random blogs that I've been reading.

Today I went and paid the admin fee to get my references for the house I want. It's on hold for me now and when (not if) my refs come back fine I can then sign the contract - appointment made for next Friday at 6. So that's helped with my stress a little bit, the fact that I can't seem to get myself in gear and actually pack things is another problem.

I've got almost all my books packed up, and have also filled a box with bubble-wrapped precious things. I get all proud of myself that I've packed lots...and then I look around and realise I haven't! That's partly cos I'm leaving the things I use most until last (of course) and so they're everywhere making me think I've not done enough.

I'd been thinking about changing my broadband/tv to try and save some money and then a nice guy from Virgin phoned today to offer me some funky package. Apparently it'll be easy to install and all that and can be done next Sat when I plan to move in. So hopefully I shouldn't be without broadband for too long when I move, but I shall keep Twittering via mobile so you should know whats going on.

Better go pack some more stuff...

Cleansing

Had another attack of packing and clearing out on Sunday. All the books from upstairs are packed and I think we're up to 25 boxes now. Just the downstairs books to pack, although that does include Pratchett who'll probably fill three boxes on his own! (I don't mean Mr Pratchett himself by the way).

We also managed to fill three bin bags with rubbish, four if you include the bag containing my wedding dress...

Yup, you read that right. It's a fabulous dress and I adore it, but it'll always be my wedding dress. I'm not binning it before you scream in dismay, it'll be going into the clothing bank at Waitrose. I figured that I could have taken the time to list it on eBay, but I just want it gone with no hassle. It's sharing its bag space with my velvet cloak, and a long velvet dress that I don't think has ever fitted me and would probably only look good on a stick.

I also threw all my wedding photos out. I've still got copies of them stashed on my Yahoo webspace, but I don't want/need paper copies so they've gone too.

It was very cleansing, but also rather scary. I did burst into tears at one point after looking at the wedding photos, but it was because I couldn't actually believe I was ever that girl rather than from regrets. (Which Anthony was very pleased to hear through the sobs).

Last year I kept a sort of diary for a few months. It was basically a list of all the things that had made me feel good that day. It's very cool to look back on it and remember how I was finding myself those first few months. To remember the nights out with Campbelli and Katie, Phil getting rubber bands stuck on his head, and RichieFingers stabbing himself in the head with a stanley knife when answering the phone.

Moving house is just the next step in moving away from the person I was when I was with the Yeti, and the next step into a future of happiness and sunshine.

Update: Silly silly me. I mentioned getting rid of my wedding dress to my mother and promptly got a 15 minute guilt trip. So it will be getting sold on eBay after all. I love my mother dearly, but sometimes I wish she understood me.

Hell Yeah.

Nothing else needs to be said about this post, it's perfect.

Baths

Books/Boxes, Boxes/Books...

I have been putting off starting to pack. Partly this is because I wasn't sure if I was ready to move, partly because I had no idea where to start!

I'd collected a load of boxes from work (the first of many loads I think), got some brown tape (although I want a tape gun now) and even found a black marker to write on the boxes with - but didn't start.

Today I did.

So far I've done five boxes (1 x Penguin, 2 x Transworld, 2 x HarperCollins) of books, only the tip of the iceberg. I had to be careful about how I started to pack them too. What I wanted to do was group them in boxes the way they need to go on the shelves...but I'd be here til next June doing that! In the end I did it the "booksellers way" - by size.

It was quite freeing really, grabbing an armful of 'A' format (think most crime, horror, fantasy) and filling a whole box with them. Some Anne McCaffrey, the Chalet School series, the Redwall series, a scattering of Enid Blyton, a few Kelley Armstrong... they all went in together. I've emptied one whole bookshelf of 'A' format, leaving behind the occasional stray hardback for an author.

Yes, it might be a bit of a bitch when it comes to unpacking, but better that I faff about arranging them and listing them on spreadsheets then, rather than doing it now and not being packed the day before I have to move.

Since I have also rediscovered LibraryThing it's a good thing for me to pack my books quickly. I keep losing whole chunks of time by popping on there to just change a couple of covers to the correct ones for my editions and then getting sidetracked. I actually even made it a paid account since on a free one you can't have more than 200 books, but when I loaded up my spreadsheet it loaded all 500+ and I had a note from them to say:

*****
Hi Kate,

I've noticed you've managed to catalog more than 200 books yet remain an unpaid account.

As the terms of use state, "LibraryThing users may not subvert the system. For example, right now there is a bug that lets you add more than 200 books without paying if you do it in a special way. If you do this by accident, fine. If you do it on purpose, you have legally promised to pay us $10. Fork it over."
*****

So I did. (Especially since I'd had that note back in Oct but only went back on there the other day and they hadn't deleted anything or suspended my account).

When I went upstairs I decided that the first thing to tackle should be a big box (Penguin) full of paperwork that was part mine, part the Yetis. It turned out to contain things like my debt management paperwork from three years ago, old cards, copies of C.V.'s and all sorts of leaflets and tat. I got ruthless. If I found any of my payslips I kept them, but everything else went into a bin bag. Yes there were things like P45's and P60's in there, not to mention chequebooks and exam certificates... BUT NONE OF THEM WERE MINE!!! Like I'm gonna throw my stuff away like that hehe. Very very satisfying in a way.

I eventually stopped packing boxes when Foley came and sat on the one I was trying to seal in a "Both of us have had enough of this, come and have a snuggle" kind of way. So Foley is snuggling on my lap while I type this, and I'm actually cooling down enough to need to put my jumper back on.

Prevarication 2

One word only
1. Where is your cell phone? Sofa.
2. Describe your boyfriend/girlfriend? Mine.
3. Your hair? Blonde.
4. Your mother? Complicated.
5. Your father? Sarcastic.
6. Your favourite item? Book.
7. Your dream last night? Friends.
8. Your favourite drink? Lemonade.
9. Your dream car? Bugatti.
10. The room you are in? Tidy!
11. Your ex? Yeti.
12. Your fear? Lonely.
13. What do you want to be in 10 years? Settled.
14. Who did you hang out with last night? Cats.
15. What you're not? Tactful.
19. The last thing you did? Stretch.
20. What are you wearing? Jeans.
22. Your favourite book? All.
23. The last thing you ate? Chocolate.
24. Your life? Full.
25. Your mood? Relaxed.
26. Your friends? Fabulous.
27. What are you thinking about right now? Packing.
28. Your car? Anthonys.
29. What are you doing at the moment? Prevaricating.
30. Your summer? Endless.
31. Your relationship status? Heavenly.
32. What is on your tv? History.
33. When is the last time you laughed? Yesterday.
34. Last time you cried? Friday.
35. School? Life.

Prevarication 1

(I actually did this after the other one, hence the quantity of one word answers!)

My Autobiography
Fill this out IN YOUR OWN WORDS and repost as, "My Autobiography" ... And use your own answers, not anyone else's.

My Autobiography

1.Where did you take your profile pic?
Sitting on a bench in Bath.

2.What exactly are you wearing right now?
Black slouchy trousers, big blue jumper.

3.What is your current problem?
Getting distracted by things instead of packing books.

4.What makes you happy most?
Anthony, the cats, my sister, books, sunshine.

5.What's the name of the song that you're listening to?
No music on...

6.Which celeb you would marry?
None of them.

7.Name someone with the same birthday as you?
Marlene Dietrich

8.Ever sang in front of a large audience?
Yes, with Johnny Ball.

9. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity?
Nope.

10.Do you still watch kiddy movies or kiddie TV shows?
Yep, but only classic ones.

11. Do you speak any languages?
English, tiny bits of French and German, single words in lots of others.

12. Has anyone you've been really close with passed away?
Yes.

13.Do you ever watch MTV?
Nope.

14.What's something that really annoys you?
Customers who act like they're better than me cos I work in a shop.

Chapter 1:
===============
1.Middle name:
Mary.

2.Nickname(s):
§kate§, BookshopKate, Oi You!

3.Current location:
Living room, My House, Wolverhampton, England, Earth, Solar System, Universe.

4.Eye color:
Blue.

Chapter 2:
===============

1.Do you live with your parent(s):
Nope.

2.Do you get along with your parent(s):
Mostly.

3.Are your parents married/separated/divorced?
Married, but sometimes I wish they weren't.

4.Do you have any Siblings?:
Younger sister.

Chapter 3: Favorites
===============
1. Ice Cream:
Phish Food.

2. Season:
Summer.

3.Shampoo/conditioner:

Lush Karma Komba and Veganese.

Chapter 4: Do You..
===============
1.Dance in the shower?
Nope, just spend waaaaaay too long in there.

2.Do you write on your hand?
Yes, at the moment it says BOXES!

3.Call people back?
I try too.

4.Believe in love:
Yes.

5.Sleep on a certain side of the bed:
Usually.

6. Any bad habits?
Millions.

7. Any mental health issues:
Depression.

Chapter 5: Have You..
===============
1.Broken a bone:
Left wrist twice, left arm once, collarbone once (can't remember which one now!)

2.Sprained stuff:
Ankle, wrist.

3.Had physical therapy:
Nope.

4. Gotten stitches:
Nope.

5.Taken painkillers:
Yep.

6. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling:
Nope.

7.Been stung by a bee:
Yep, and it went septic so I have a nice scar on my leg.

8.Thrown up at the dentist:
Nope, but I've wanted to.

9.Sworn in front of your parents
Hell yeah!

10. Had detention:
Yup, Miss Black and her Drama favouritism.

Chaper 6: Who/What was the last
===============
1.Movie(s):
I Capture The Castle.

2.Person to text you:
Anthony.

3.Person you called:
Customer at work about their order.

4.Person you hugged:
Anthony.

5.Person you tackled:
Emily probably.

6. Person you talked to on IM?
Emily.

7.Thing you touched:
Apart from this keyboard, Esme - sitting on my lap and purring.

8. Thing you ate?
Chocolate.

9.Thing you drank:
Buttercup cough syrup.

10.Thing you said:
Urgh - after coughing for about 5 minutes.

11.Person you kissed:
Anthony.

Library trip again

Yup, it's that time of the month again.

I read 2 of the books I got last time; The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets and Red Planet. I'm currently halfway through Special Topics in Calamity Physics and The Puppet Masters / Waldo / Magic,Inc so I renewed those two.

Latest batch of books:

Sharpe's Prey, Sharpe's Escape and Sharpe's Havoc - Bernard Cornwell (to keep Anthony busy).
Cupcakes and Kalashnikovs - 100 Years of the Best Journalism by Women - edited by Eleanor Mills (it was the first book I saw when I walked in).
One Big Damn Puzzler - John Harding (fabulous cover attracted my attention and I remembered I wanted to read it).
The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton (I'm trying to read more of the books I "should", and this is one of them).
The Sittaford Mystery - Agatha Christie (I sold a load of these the other day and since I've never actually read one I thought I should give her a try).
The Pilo Family Circus - Will Elliott (I remember this coming in at work and loving the cover, then the blurb. Spotted it on the "Just Returned" shelf so grabbed it.

I got about halfway through The Sittaford Mystery while waiting for Anthony to turn up from work and I'm enjoying it so far.

Reading not essays

When I was at home for the weekend my mum announced that she always thinking that it's a shame I didn't do English A-Level. "But you never liked writing essays did you" she suddenly said at the dinner table - just after my dad had attempted to increase the intelligence level of our wittering by asking what the best book we'd read so far this year was.

Me - "It wasn't because I didn't like writing essays, it was because I couldn't stand the way that 1984 got ruined for me when I did it for GCSE and I didn't want that to happen with something else."

Mum - "Rubbish. Don't you love talking over a book with someone and discovering new layers of the story and the characters. It's wonderful."

There speaks a woman with a first class degree (honours) in English. (Done through the OU too, so while she was bringing us up).

I conceded that I do like talking through books with people, but that it was probably a combination of my English teacher and the fact that we didn't look at the text that way (have to extract the maximum juice for your essays, not ENJOY discussing it) that put me off doing English for A-Level.

(I actually got quite lucky with the conversation as she then didn't go into her "I wish you'd done the IB" speech, when I would have had to throw things at her).

I read books that catch my attention. Sometimes they're recommended to me by people, or there's a link from another book that makes me hunt down something obscure. Sometimes it's just pure chance. I only read Animal Farm and 1984 all those years ago (I was about 9) because they happened to be on the bottom shelves of the bookcase next to the sofa. Animal Farm had a bright cover and I liked reading it, so I read the other book there by that author. I did read some random stuff off my parents bookshelves by cover choice - strangely the black covered "classics" never got picked up.

Anyway, this whole post came about because I started reading one of my newest batch of library books last night - The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice. I picked that up because Mark had recommended it but since it also states on the back that it is "in the tradition of Nancy Mitford and I Capture the Castle" I would probably have picked it up at some point. I found a brilliant bit in it last night that summed it all up perfectly.

***********************************************************************

"I had been looking forward to the English course, but soon found the endless dissection and analysis of the books utterly destructive. I wanted to read, but not to write about what I had read. Shakespeare was the greatest trial. I had adored watching The Merchant of Venice and The Winter's Tale, but had no interest at all in talking about the minutiae of the text."

***********************************************************************

That's it! I can read something and enjoy it, maybe write a review of it for work and wiffle about it on here. What I can't do is go "why did the writer choose those words in that passage?", "why was she writing in the kitchen sink?", "what is the significance of the dog being called Heloise?". ARRRGGGHHH!!!

I have tried rereading 1984 a couple of times, but I just can't get into it anymore. I can hear Mrs Jemmerson's voice in my head as I try to read about Winston in his flat and the magic of the words gets chewed up and lost. Maybe it's a subconscious reason I avoid the classics so I don't get into a discussion of exactly what the author meant by this or that.

Every now and again I think of doing an OU English course, thinking that I was pretty good at writing essays (I was, I just never got the hang of the endless rewriting) and that I'd end up reading some interesting and important things. Then I hear Mrs Jemmerson in my head and shudder, flicking back to the science degrees instead.

---------

BTW, I haven't read a single one of my new library books yet, been too busy. I am about halfway through Special Topics in Calamity Physics (I have to keep stopping to let it settle in my head) and, as stated above, started The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets last night. It's this having time off work thing, I have lots of other things to do at home and so lose my guaranteed (lunch) hour a day of reading time.

Best books of the year so far: Anthony and mum passed on answering, Emily said the new Tamora Pierce, I went with The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and dad chose The Tenderness of Wolves which won this years Costa Prize.

---------

Ooh, and that 100 again post was my 500th post on this blog. That's rather scary.

Plastic Pink Champagne Glass

PinkChampagne
Originally uploaded by Petronella Rose.

See no's 47/48 from the 100 again post.

100 again

1. I find typing out the numbers from 1 to 100 really satisfying.
2. Little things mean a lot to me.
3. I’m not adventurous with food…
4. …in restaurants I pick what I know I’ve had before, or steak, or a burger…
5. …except at Café Champagne where I have to have something different each time.
6. I like simple food. (typed while eating bread and cheese for lunch).
7. I can’t now remember why I decided to do this again.
8. But I’m sure it made sense at some point.
9. The cheese I’m eating came from the Fine Cheese Co in Bath.
10. We bought some Old Spot Real Ale Chutney from there for my dad…
11. …but after I tried it we had to get him a new jar (and a spare for me).
12. I know Foley loves me because when I get a glass of water she has to taste it first to be sure it’s ok for me to drink…
13. …then I have to go get another one!
14. I don’t like tea or coffee, the only hot drink I like is hot chocolate.
15. I drink a lot of squash and fruit juice.
16. I keep a bottle of Bucks Fizz in my fridge at all times (Champagne is too expensive).
17. I also keep sparking mineral water in there to have with elderflower cordial.
18. One day I want a big American style fridge with lots of space inside!
19. I am very much enjoying my holiday.
20. It’s giving me time to get to know myself again.
21. The nice letting agent (James) phoned this morning to let me know I’ve got 2 months left in this house. (Their notice period)
22. This is both good and scary.
23. I’m looking forward to moving somewhere that is just mine.
24. I will definitely have a proper spare room for Emily to sleep in when she comes to visit in July for Harry Potter.
25. I’m terrible at keeping in touch with old friends.
26. When I write letters they’re just like my blog posts…
27. …all long and rambly with the important bits crammed in at the end!
28. This year I made a vow to read 12 books that I’m “supposed” to have read.
29. I’ve managed one so far.
30. I have a book that I write down quotes and poems that I like.
31. When I move I want to (finally) get a pin board to stick them all on.
32. I last had one when at home before uni, and I miss it still.
33. These 100 things are quite hard as my thoughts are not flowing right now.
34. I daydream a lot.
35. I just watched the episode where Buffy has to kill Angel and cried as much as I did the first time I saw it.
36. At the moment Buffy is on while I play WoW...
37. ...although later I might watch it some more while I sew...
38. ...or I might watch Shooting The Past that I've borrowed from mum.
39. I love Stephen Poliakoff's work.
40. I tried to watch a Harold Pinter play the other day and it just gave me a headache.
41. I guess I'm not very cultured really.
42. But I'm happy with what I watch and read and that's what counts.
43. As Emily would say; "Meh".
44. Does watching the TV while playing on the PC count as multi-tasking?
45. I'm not very good at only doing one thing at a time.
46. This means I have lots of half finished cross-stitch projects as I sew different things depending on what I'm in the mood to watch on TV.
47. While washing up I thought about how much I love the glasses I have...
48. ...so I had to stop and take photos of them...
49. ...and then Anthony had to finish the rest of the washing up.
50. It's exactly a year today (5th April) that I first had an email from him.
51. I can't believe that it's not been a year yet...
52. ...and my mother already made him put up curtain poles!
53. We only have "serious" conversations in bed.
54. The rest of the time we're always norking tonsense!
55. That was Thingummy and Bob language by the way.
56. They're from The Moomins.
57. Which I still haven't finished watching on DVD...
58. ...but it is 474 minutes long (plus the 696 minute German language version).
59. I love my sister.
60. That might seem a random jump, but she bought me the DVD for Christmas.
61. I still can't believe I won't be in this house after the 4th of June!
62. I shall have to have a big party...
63. ...or maybe just a grown-up dinner party.
64. I never thought that at 28 I'd still be thinking of them as "grown-up dinner parties"...
65. ...I guess that's cos I still feel 21.
66. I always feel younger in the summer.
67. It's my favourite time of year.
68. I love just basking in the sunshine.
69. I was probably a cat at least once in a former life.
70. Although I don't really believe in former lives.
71. I just believe in something.
72. Just don't ask me to define it.
73. (I know it's not stereotypical anything though).
74. I want to go to Ikea and buy lots of glass prisms.
75. Then I can hang them in all my windows to fill my house with rainbows.
76. I would like to be good at gardening.
77. But I forget to water things!
78. At the moment I have 5 different notebooks for writing things in.
79. One day I'll just put everything in together rather than having different ones for different things.
80. But I love buying pretty notebooks and then I need things to write in them.
81. I adore my new tattoo.
82. It's in the perfect place, but sometimes I wish it was somewhere I could see it too.
83. I'm on the lookout for a labyrinth rug that Ikea used to sell.
84. Then I can have it in my new library room to make it even cosier.
85. I'm dreading the thought of packing my hundreds of books.
86. My spell checker had a problem with this number and a full stop, but not with any of the others.
87. Stopping typing just made Foley wake up and give me a sarcastic look.
88. That usually only happens when I start being noisy, not when I stop!
89. I like things to be beautiful as well as functional.
90. That's why I love my see-through umbrella.
91. And also why I crave a straw dispenser.
92. I have a passion for fairy lights.
93. I want to write by hand more.
94. I feel guilty when I have to work sunny summer Sundays, like I'm insulting the wonderful weather.
95. One day I hope to finally stop biting my nails.
96. I love being blonde again.
97. I feel more like myself than ever.
98. That is A GOOD THING.
99. I have just remembered there are Gu Puds in my fridge.
100. I made it to the end again!

Cheesy grin

Cheesy grin
Originally uploaded by Petronella Rose.

Anthony in the park below The Royal Crescent

Anthony in the park below The Royal Crescent
Originally uploaded by Petronella Rose.

Our House?

I fully intended to blog all about Bath and what a lovely time we had there, but events have overtaken me. (I shall try to do it next week instead).

When we got back on Wednesday I had a phone call from my landlady to tell me that she would be selling this house. She offered me first refusal on buying it and then said she'd pop round Friday night so we could sort everything out. Well she didn't pop round, but that's not really a problem, just means I have to sort out with my useless letting agents (of which more later) exactly when I can give notice.

We had a scoot through the local paper and found a couple of houses in this same area that are up for rent, one of them is even cheaper than this one (cos the road is dodgier I think) which is saying something as the rents have changed in the three years I've been here. Also, the house opposite is up for rent again, and that would be a nice easy move! I like this area, yes it's a bit dodgy in places, but other areas at the same kind of prices are all out of town and would be a 40 min walk or a bus ride. This area I know (cos the house I lived in before was only down the road) and it's a nice easy walk to work.

The only bugger was waiting for the landlady to come round meant I didn't do anything about finding out how much the one over the road is. There have been several groups move in and out of that house in the time I've been here, mainly Polish folk, so the landlord there might not want someone "long-term" like me.

The main thing that's making us both really ratty, is that when the landlady offered it to me, the first thing I did was refuse. Now thinking about it, we could afford this but... I've known Anthony less than a year do I want to buy a house with him? Buying somewhere now hadn't entered our thoughts before her call (although we looked in lots of estate agents windows in Bath - doesn't everybody?) so why should one phone call change that.
I think it was that when he mentioned it to his mum, she said why don't you buy it. It's made us both get all paranoid and think, well why not. But we know all the sensible reasons for why not, not least the fact that technically I'm still married to someone else and if anything happened to me the Yeti probably wouldn't miss a trick if there was a house involved. (My nice little self-written will should be fine for all other things, but I bet he'd go to court if there was any prospect of real money).

I just hate the not quite knowing. I didn't want to stay here forever, I want to own a house, and live there with Anthony, and get married again and have babies and cats and dogs and happiness - but that's all an ahead dream, not a buying a place right now dream. The fact that we've both admitted to this should make it easier, but as it is the not-knowing about when I have to move is making us ratty and snappy and worried. Gah!

----------------------------------------------

The other, ongoing, problem is with my letting agents over my rent...

- 5th March, rent goes out of my bank account.

- 9th March, rent came back...confusing me.

- 9th March, phoned letting agents to discover cause of rent coming back. Informed that accounts have changed and should have had a letter, girl on phone informs me it would have been sent a couple of weeks before and addressed to a Mr Polly. I say that a) it's Polley, b) he hasn't been a tenant here for a year so it should have been addressed to me, and c) that I had no letter anyway. She then gives me a bank account no and sort code over the phone and tells me to use the reference HILLM. I ask why this reference, she says "it's your name". I point out that it isn't and tell her my normal ref is 37BURLEIGH. She says to use the new one. I say I'd like it all confirmed in writing.

- 12/13/14th March - no letter yet.

- 14th March, go in to see agents and ask for letter with details to be posted. Explain yet again that Mr Polly is no longer a tenant.

- 21st March, as no letter yet received go in and see agents. Get great satisfaction from walking in and announcing that I have a complaint. Everyone in office stops to help! Get official bit of paper with bank details on. (Acc number different from one given during phone call). Asked to sign this. Query why I am on there as Mr, and why ref is POLLYA. Told ref is POLLYA as he was original tenant and the one references were taken for. Explain we were joint tenants and refs were taken for me as well, also that Polly is spelt Polley. Man says is a Head Office thing, correct Mr to Ms and sign paperwork.

- 21st March, set up new standing order and do bank transfer of rent from March 5th.

- 22nd March, money comes out of account. Sorted!?

- 29th March, morning, receive letter from agents informing me that I have not paid my rent, their ref 37BURLEIGH. Phone agents. Get original girl on the phone and explain, she says I'll have to speak to the manager, Michelle, who is out but will ring me as soon as she gets back.

- 29th March, as no call received, phone agents again. Get same girl who is now rude as I have phoned back without waiting for Michelle to phone me. Say I phoned at 10 and it's now 4. Rude girl says Michelle is with someone, but has had my message and will ring me straight back.

- 29th March, no phonecalls.

- 30th March, ring agents twice, busy both times. No calls from Michelle.

- 2nd April, go down to letting agents with pieces of paperwork showing three different references and two different account numbers. Get very very very angry.

*breathe out*

Needless to say I won't be renting my new house though Martin & Co as they are a waste of DNA...

Holiday!!!

I am on holiday for two and a half weeks now...I go back to work on the 12th of April! The half week is due to Easter Monday and then my day off being the Wed, and having an odd day of holiday to use so taking that Tuesday.

The last time I had two weeks together off work was back in 2003 when I broke my arm, and then before that was Sept/Oct 2002 between moving up here and getting my current job.

It's very odd. Even with a week off there's a certain amount of "must do this today" but I have no feeling of that at all. Yes I only get one week of that with Anthony (since I get a weeks more holiday than him and our holiday years fall differently too) so we have to move all the bookcases this week so I can rearrange to my hearts content next week. Other than that...nothing HAS to be done on any day.

We're actually getting to go away too. My mother is spending this week in Bath where she's rented a flat. She made sure when she rented it that it would be able to fit two errant daughters and one of their blokes. Although Emily possibly isn't coming now, it means we get what is essentially a free holiday.

Yes we'll be taking her out for a slap up meal etc, but we've had assurances that she'd have rented that flat just for herself anyway (especially comforting when Anthony's car went bang on Thursday and we didn't think we'd be going at all.)

So I have a guidebook to all the places there are to go and a man who is happy to go to most of them (although he's not too keen on the Museum of East Asian Art). The only slight downside is that this will be the longest I've been away from t'internet for a while. I shall have to get used to getting my news from papers and the radio, and my entertainment from other things.

That really does make me sound like a sad junkie, I'm not. I'm just used to being able to pull up things as and when (like info on the Poll Tax after we had another political discussion in bed this morning - is it just us who only have discussions on religion and politics in bed?) and not having to wait for info.

So now for a few days of culture and shopping...well certainly shopping anyway!

Gadget Lust

I really shouldn't read the IWOOT catalogue when they send it to me...

There's this Lifetimer, and this Adopt a Vine, and this Binary Clock and there's definately, definately this Moon In My Room!

"The Past Is The Future, With Lights On"

(title pinched from Emily's current MSN Messenger note, dunno where she got it from)

I joined Facebook the other day. Mainly cos certain people kept raving about it, and partly cos I was bored. It's alright. Highly addictive at present as many new and exciting things are to me.

I've got all the usual suspects from work as friends on there and thought I'd do a bit of browsing around to see who else I could spot. I found my uncle and aunt which surprised me, and a few old friends from school but not as many as I thought I would.

One in particular that I found is a girl I met when she started at my school in the 6th form. I remember her mainly because she did what she wanted. She wore what she liked, listened to the music she wanted to and basically didn't take any shit from anyone.

For little me, just starting to emerge from the cocoon I'd stuck myself in to hide from the bullies - she was amazing. I can remember envying her confidence and abilities, but never ever disliking her. She was just who she was, no pretence in order to please anyone, just herself. She helped me grow a lot that first year and most of my memories of that year have her firmly in the heart of things.

Going into London to meet her and go to Covent Garden - not a big thing for that London-bred lass, but quite a big adventure for me compared to the life I'd been leading.
Her coming to the station to see us all off on our Biology field trip and singing The Beatles in the common room while the "in-crowd" argued over what was cool enough to play in there.
The reaction of one of the "in-crowd" girls when she turned up for the 6th form photo wearing a stunning vintage green dress. Apparently she was going to ruin the picture and stick out like a sore thumb - the first thing you see when you look at it is the in-girl's Union Jack top and her fake bleached smile. The vintage dress however, looks beautiful.
Walking round and round Witham in the middle of the night with me the week after Jamie died. She knew exactly what to say to comfort me, but wouldn't bullshit me that everything would soon be ok, she knew it would be tough but told me I'd get through it.

We drifted apart a long way during the second year of 6th form. We no longer had Chemistry lessons together, although that wouldn't have mattered as Chemistry was the main lesson I'd miss - I'd be hiding away in the computer room, swigging my Fanta laced vodka. When I did start coming back to myself, 6 or 7 months later, she was one of the first to pull me back into the crowd, to treat my life as normal again.

Seeing her face on there made me think about how many things I'm proud to admit that I enjoy now that she has influenced me on, even though it's 10 years since we've even spoken I think.

My life is going in cycles, this is one reason for the labyrinth tattoo. My life loops around and back on itself and things from the past come round again in the future. Last year was a time of growth for me in many ways, as 1996 was the lovely summer when I felt like I had the world at my feet.

I'm grateful for my friends, they teach me so much even when I am far from them in space and time. Whether this Facebook thing means I rekindle old friendships or not, it's good to know that these people are still there, doing their things and lighting up other peoples lives.

More books

I went to the library again today. Since Anthony needed food for lunch (and I wanted lemonade) I made the executive decision that we would go to Sainsbury's via the library and then I wouldn't have to carry a(nother) heavy bag of books into work with me.

I didn't manage to read all the books I got last time. I passed completely on Thunderball and Sense and Sensibility. This was partly due to the fact that I loved the Kim Harrison book The Good, The Bad and The Undead so much that I bought all five books in the series from work and have been working my way through those.
Luckily it was the last library book I read as then The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay and Full Dark House were granted my full attention and I very much enjoyed them both. This does mean that I now want to get my mitts on the rest of Christopher Fowler's books - *sigh* The library was supposed to be SAVING me money!

Anyways, this time I got this mixed selection.

Watch Your Mouth - Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket).
The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets - Eva Rice (as recommended by Mark).
The Cryptographer - Tobias Hill (which some mad woman was hassling Campbelli about the other day).
The Puppet Masters / Waldo / Magic,Inc - Robert A. Heinlein (3 in 1)
Red Planet - Robert A. Heinlein (I used to love reading his stuff, so thought I'd try it again).
Special Topics in Calamity Physics - Marisha Pessl (which was the first book I saw, practically snatched it out of someone elses hand).

I also came away with two books by Duncan Harding, Sink HMS Kelly and Sink HMS Cossack. Anthony picked these up to take on holiday as he's having a break from Pratchett.

I've also got provisions for while I'm reading, lovely lovely cloudy lemonade and squidgy chocolate brownies!

Tattoo

Anthony took some sensible pictures of my new tattoo the other day.

Here you can see the relative size of the thing.



(I know, I'd been scratching round it...)

Then he took this rather funky angled shot that shows him, me, and both of my tattoos (even if my hummingbird just shows as a small black blob!)



I have a day off tomorrow so I shall attempt deep thoughts and post something...or I may just play lots of Zelda.

(I'm annoyed that my hair still looks so red. It's very blonde until people take pictures of it! Roll on the summer and pictures taken in natural light!)

Monkey brains

Yesterday I went upstairs to cover Maggies break and took over seeing the rep from Elsevier. I'm flicking through the catalogue of books that mostly don't apply to our store and I said to him that most of these books seem like the one on monkey brains that another rep showed me the other week. I was a bit embarrassed when the other rep turned out to be him as well.

This then led to a conversation about time speeding up recently, since it had been a month since he'd been in and it had only seemed like the week before that I'd seen him. He was saying that he'd just had his birthday and that he couldn't believe how old he was when he didn't feel it, and how stuck he felt when he thought of all the things he could be doing.

We had a chinwag about this for a few minutes before he went, but it really got me thinking.

When I was little, 28 was old. I know that about 9 years old I thought that when I was 27 I'd be married and have kids, that was an aim right up until this time last year in fact. Not a big aim, but the kind of childhood aim that stays in your subconscious and hangs about there, occasionally making itself known. Last year I really felt I'd failed this aim that I'd had for such a long time, and it took a bit of work to acknowledge that although it was a valid aim, it just didn't apply anymore.

I think part of the problem is that the media feeds such a constant image of not good enough. Celebrity magazines say that you're not thin enough, or your life is not worthwhile if you don't have these sunglasses, that dress, those shoes. Lifestyle magazines try to sell you the perfect home, the perfect cleaning product to clean your perfect new gadget with. Advertising is designed to sell you a product by selling you the image (and I'm the advertisers dream according to my dad) but the whole of the media seems to be going this way. Even book prizes do it, the idea that you HAVE to read the Booker/Orange/Costa winner or not be a serious reader.

TV programmes show you the dream of quitting the rat race and going to grow vegetables, but they gloss over the hard work and focus on the "goodness" of eating your own produce. Relocation, Relocation did a programme when a mother and daughter followed their dream of going to run a pub in the country (which our new manager was raving about it being a fabulous idea), but it never mentions the fact that someone has to be up early for deliveries, someone up late to close up and you never get a day off. (My parents have friends who own a pub, and all this was mentioned when once I said I'd like to do it)

It's no wonder that we sell so many Pop Psych books, the world just seems to be set up at the moment to tell you that you're not good enough. Your job isn't paying enough, you should love your job, you should be going to these places on holiday, you should be recycling more, eating better, reading these books.

For a long time I thought it was just me, doing my whole paranoia thing and feeling generally insecure. But having a chat with a guy who said that he harbours dreams of living like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall but knows he wouldn't like the hard work bit has helped me realise that it's something affecting other people than just me.

I don't know if I'll ever manage to be free of it, but knowing this is helping me look at it that much clearer.

Photographing your own back is difficult

Yes you can see I've been scratching, bad Kate!

I'll get Anthony to take a better one tomorrow.
Then you'll actually be able to see what it looks like properly!

Bloody family

My horoscope this morning made me grin.

"Worries about a relative who lives far away might be plaguing you today, KATE, and the situation isn't helped by the fact that you may not be able to reach them by phone or e-mail. You may have to go around them and contact mutual friends who might be able to give you the information you need. Circumstances probably aren't all that dire, and there's probably nothing to be overly concerned about, but you need to hear this. Keep trying!"

They're all fine, I thought to myself. Spoke to the parents at the weekend and IM'd with Emily the other day.

Then tonight I got a phonecall to inform me that a member of my family had fallen down the stairs when pissed, no bones broken but some nasty cuts from the glass they'd been holding at the time.

It wasn't my student sister, it was my old enough to know better father.

He downplayed it all when he called me, it was mum who said that when she saw him at the bottom of the stairs she thought he'd broken his neck.

But he's fine, got all checked out and patched up by some lovely Essex paramedics and technicians. Mum was saying that if he hadn't been pissed he wouldn't have tripped, but if he hadn't been he'd definately have broken something.

Honestly, you get to the age where they've just stopped worrying about you, and then you have to worry about them!

So I'm distracting myself from the desire to go straight home and hug him by playing some WoW.

*sigh*

Inspired...

...to wash-up by Keris, I looked up at the two pictures stuck to the window frame above the sink and thought I'd try and find them to share with you.

So I Googled one of them and instead of what I expected, I found this...

Contemplating Washing-up

This is the one I was looking for



So I search for a picture for Keris...and find a picture from Mark instead.

We really are all interconnected in strange ways.

Grumpy Cats

Esme and Foley are not very happy with us at the moment.

This is because we took them to get spayed yesterday... Foley was unimpressed with car riding and yodelled all the way there, then went very very quiet.

Everything went ok at the vets, then yesterday afternoon it was a question of keeping an eye on them while the drugs wore off.

Foley made a break for freedom as soon as the carrycase was opened when we got back. She made it a whole three steps before realising that her back legs were still numb and falling over. That was how the afternoon was spent, watching them stagger from one sleeping spot to the next and then conking out.

Today they are better, Esme is almost back to normal, but Foley squeaks if you touch her back anywhere. They're curled up on the spare bed in the sunshine and look very cute apart from the bald bits.

Poor pussy cats, they'll appreciate it when they realise that this means I can let them outside a lot more.

Happy Valentines!

This is what I got for Valentine's Day...



It's nestled just between my shoulder-blades and currently aches.

I think the aching is also possibly due to the fact that Anthony bought a Wii yesterday too. All that nunchuk waving as I try to spank Rabbids and bowl strikes has made my arms ache. It's exercise though!

That's one of the contributing factors behind its purchase, the fact that Campbelli has one and has stopped going to the gym because she's getting lots of exercise from it. Also the comments that one of his co-workers made about "sitting back and watching her bounce up and down" (ahem) - I can't even work out how to explain that so it doesn't sound smutty so I won't.

Anyways, it's stonkingly good fun, although the cats are a little confused by it.

You'll get a photo of the actual tattoo when it's no longer covered in clingfilm and antiseptic cream - in about two days.

Time filler

I'm having a very nice holiday so far and have done absolutely bugger all worth blogging about. Today I am off to get my Valentine's secret present so I shall leave you with a quiz (obtained from Emily) in the meantime. I've even persuaded Anthony to fill it in too!

Level 1
(A) Smoked A Cigarette
(AK) Smoked A Cigar
(AK) Kissed A Member Of The Same Sex [pissing about and family count!]
(AK) Drank Alcohol

SO FAR: 4A 3K

Level 2
(K) Shoplifted
(A) Been Fired [Being made redundant isn't the same!]
(AK) Been Dumped
(AK) Been In A Fist Fight

SO FAR 7A 6K

Level 3
(AK) Had A Crush On An Older Person
(AK) Skipped School
(AK) Slept With A Co-worker
(AK) Seen Someone / Something Die

SO FAR: 11A 10K

Level 4
() Had / Have A Crush On One Of Your Facebook Friends
(A) Been To Paris
(K) Been To Spain
(AK) Been On A Plane
(AK) Thrown Up From Drinking

SO FAR: 14A 13K

Level 5
(K) Eaten Sushi
() Been Snowboarding
() Met Someone BECAUSE Of Facebook
(K) Been in a Mosh Pit

SO FAR: 14A 15K

Level 6
(AK) Been In An Abusive Relationship
(AK) Taken Pain Killers
(AK) Love/loved Someone Who You Can't Have
(AK) Laid On Your Back And Watched Cloud Shapes Go By
(K) Made A Snow Angel

SO FAR: 18A 20K

Level 7
(AK) Had A Tea Party
(AK) Flown A Kite
(AK) Built A Sand Castle
() Gone mudding
(AK) Played Dress Up

SO FAR: 22A 24K

Level 8
(AK) Jumped Into A Pile Of Leaves
(AK) Gone Sledging
(AK) Cheated While Playing A Game
(AK) Been Lonely
(AK) Fallen Asleep At Work / School

SO FAR: 27A 29K

Level 9
(AK) Watched The Sun Set
(A) Felt An Earthquake
() Killed A Snake
(A) Sent a letter by post to yourself

SO FAR: 30A 30K

Level 10
(AK) Been Tickled
(AK) Been Robbed / Vandalized
(AK) Been cheated on
(AK) Been Misunderstood

SO FAR: 34A 34K

Level 11
(AK) Won A Contest
(A) Been Suspended From School
(AK) Had Detention
(A) Been In A Car / Motorcycle Accident

SO FAR: 38A 36K

Level 12
(K) Had / Have Braces
(K) Eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night
(K) Danced in the moonlight

SO FAR: 38A 39K

Level 13
(AK) Hated The Way You Look
(AK) Witnessed A Crime
(K) Pole Danced
(AK) Questioned Your Heart
(K) Been obsessed with post-it-notes

SO FAR: 41A 44K

Level 14
(K) Squished Barefoot Through The Mud
(AK) Been Lost
() Been To The Opposite Side Of The World
(AK) Swam In The Ocean
(AK) Felt Like You Were Dying

SO FAR: 44A 48K

Level 15
(AK) Cried Yourself To Sleep
(AK) Played Cops And Robbers
(AK) Recently Colored With Crayons / Colored Pencils / Markers
(AK) Sang Karaoke
(AK) Paid For A Meal With Only Coins

SO FAR: 49A 53K

Level 16
(AK) Done Something You Told Yourself You Wouldn't
(AK) Made Prank Phone Calls
(AK) Laughed Until Some Kind Of Beverage Came Out Of Your Nose
(AK) Kissed In The Rain

SO FAR: 53A 57K

Level 17
(K) Written A Letter To Father Christmas
(AK) Watched The Sun Set/ sun rise With Someone You Care/Cared About
(AK) Blown Bubbles
(AK) Made A Bonfire On The Beach or anywhere

SO FAR: 56A 61K

Level 18
(AK) Crashed A Party
(A) Have Travelled More Than 5 Days With A Car Full Of People
(AK) Gone Rollerskating / Blading
(K) Had A Wish Come True
() Been Humped By A Monkey(?)

SO FAR: 59A 64K

Level 19
() Worn Pearls (pearl necklace counts)
() Jumped Off A Bridge
(A) Screamed "Penis" or "Vagina"
(K) Ridden an elephant

SO FAR: 60A 65K

Level 20
(A) Got Your Tongue Stuck To A Pole/Freezer/ice Cube
() Kissed A Fish
(K) Worn The Opposite Sex's Clothes
(AK) Sat On A Roof Top

SO FAR: 62A 67K

Level 21
(AK) Screamed At The Top Of Your Lungs
() Done / Attempted A One-Handed Cartwheel
(K) Talked On The Phone For More Than 6 Hours (A= can I have half a point. been on phone for over 3hrs b'ham to swansea in a truck)
(AK) Recently stayed Up for a while talking to someone you care about

SO FAR: 64.5A 70K

Level 22
(A) Picked And Ate An Apple Right Off The Tree
(AK) Climbed A Tree
(AK) Had/Been In A Tree House
(K) Been scared To Watch Scary Movies Alone

SO FAR: 67.5A 73K

Level 23
(AK) Believed In Ghosts
() Have had More Then 30 Pairs Of Shoes
() Gone Streaking
(AK) Visited Jail (K= On a school trip...)

SO FAR: 69.5A 75K

Level 24
(A) Played Chicken
() Been Pushed into a pool with all your clothes on
(AK) Been Told You're Hot By A Complete Stranger
(AK) Broken A Bone
(AK) Been Easily Amused

SO FAR: 73.5A 78K

Level 25
() Caught A Fish Then Ate It Later
() Made A Porn Video
(A) Caught A Butterfly
(AK) Laughed So Hard You Cried
(K) Cried So Hard You Laughed

SO FAR: 75.5A 80K

Level 26
(AK) Mooned/Flashed Someone
(AK) Had Someone Moon/Flash You
(AK) Cheated On A Test
(AK) Forgotten Someone's Name
(K) French Braided Someone's Hair
(K) Gone Skinny Dipping
(A) Been Kicked Out Of Your House
(AK) Tried to hurt yourself

SO FAR: 81.5A 87K

Level 27
(AK) Rode A Roller Coaster
(A) Went Scuba-Diving/Snorkeling
(AK) Had A Cavity
(A) Black-Mailed Someone
(A) Been Black Mailed

SO FAR: 86.5A 89K

Level 28
(AK) Been Used
(AK) Fell Going Up The Stairs
(AK) Been Licked By A Cat
(AK) Bitten Someone
(AK) Licked Someone

SO FAR: 91.5A 94K

Level 29
(A) Been shot at/or at gunpoint
(AK) Had sex in the rain
(A) Flattened someones tyres
(AK) Rode your car/truck until the fuel light came on
(AK) Got five quid or less worth of fuel

Total 96.5A 97K

Thursday....

Yup, today was a Thursday...

But I did get a nicely eclectic selection (try saying that pissed) of library books.

Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
Happy Ever After - Adele Geras
Bad Kitty - Michelle Jaffe
Elsewhere - Gabrielle Zevin
French Women for all Seasons - Mireille Guiliano
The Good, The Bad and The Undead - Kim Harrison
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - Michael Chabon
Behind with the Laundry and Living off Chocolate - Lynette Allen
Thunderball - Ian Fleming
Full Dark House - Christopher Fowler

So they should keep me busy for a little while at least.

Is it Thursday?

It's certainly been one of those days today.

It started off ok, not late for work or anything, but the day got crazier as it went on.

Campbelli (who came in when she's supposed to be on holiday) and Fingers were coming up with grand plans for the kids department and none of us noticed the time so the breaks all got a bit late. Then I ended up in a HUGE queue in Boots when I went in for some more Sudafed Max.

A school phoned up needing a list of books that they wanted five minutes ago (if you know what I mean, it's a phrase that's easier to say than write!).

Then just as we thought things had calmed down a bit an old lady came in to sit down as she'd felt a bit faint while in the bus queue and ended up fainting into my arms. I was trying not to drop her and put her down carefully (since she was quite frail) while Fingers tried to track down Rich Daws (our first aider). Then we had ambulances and first aiders turn up and try to convince her to go to hospital while I sat on the floor supporting her for half an hour or so. Despite the ambulance crew trying to convince her to go, she held firm and got a cab home. (I hope I'm that bolshy at 86).

Just as we'd all got back into the swing of the afternoon, Rich Daws announced he could smell burning plastic and we all started hunting round the shop for the source. It turned out to be the sign above the lift, so we turned the light out and hoped it would stop. The smell went away but we're hopefully getting it checked tomorrow...

At least it did a good job of distracting me from the fact that this day last year I spent the day in hospital.

Thanks to the fabulous Tim from Random House I managed to get my mitts on a proof for the new Katie Fforde so I've decided my evening will be well spent by running a hot Lush bath and spending a few hours reading my new book, drinking wine and eating chocolate. That way I should get a good nights sleep to cope with whatever the real Thursday decides to throw at me!

Fictional fiction

I read this yesterday.

It was a bit pants to be honest, I only picked it up from the library because of all the fuss. The bits I liked best were the bits about Indian culture, describing the food and the family connections, that kinda thing.* The rest of it was same old teen novel...well several teen novels as it turned out. I knew some bits would be familiar, I just didn't expect it to all be familiar!

Opal Mehta vs Sloppy Firsts
Opal Mehta Controversy
Kaavya Viswanathan

*and it turns out that the Wiki article says they were pinched too!

Secrets

After we'd opened our Valentine's cards this morning (my first in three years!) Anthony made me toss a coin to choose my present. I chose Tails, and so it was. He then told me that Heads would have meant a trip to the jewelers to buy a nice bit of bling, but that Tails was a surprise still and I can't have it until my week off.

So I have a whole week and a half longer to wait! Arrgh!

Other than that we had lovely steak sandwiches and after he went off to work (5-1 shift this week) I've watched Breakfast at Tiffany's and Chocolat. Nice films and a lovely evening.

I've been fuzzy stressed recently, not stressed about anything in particular, just remembering what was going on this time last year really. Plus we went to a wedding on Saturday where I spent most of the time trying not to cry over the fantastically cute 4-month old baby that was there. I calmed myself down my working out how many days til I can start divorce proceedings...

Can't wait for my break from work. I've needed it for ages and then with all the changes that are going on I've got to the point where I'm dreaming about work again and just can't switch off. That was one of the things that was nice about today, being able not to think about work for a bit.

Oh, the changes?
Our manager has gone to another branch for six months, so we have a new manager (Ian) to replace her. Then our assistant manager has gone to replace Ian at his branch so Richie Fingers has stepped up to be our assistant manager. Add into this Campbelli doing her CRSM job two days a week, Fi and Phil doing extra hours to compensate and the fact we're all trying to fit in holiday...it's a little hectic. But all still fun - if it wasn't for the idiots we get in our shop. But that's a whole different story...

Snow

I love snow.

I love the crunchy squeaky noise when you walk in it and the way walking in deep snow feels. I love walking where no one else has walked and leaving my own little trail. I love watching it fall and being outside and catching snowflakes on my tongue.

I hate the fact that this morning when I got to work the town centre was grey and slushy and depressing, no hint of the snowy loveliness I'd just waded through (in the park, I went right across the grass and got funny looks). I hate the people who seem to think that cos it's snowed they don't need to clean their dog poo up (no, I didn't tread in any).

Most of all I hate the idiot driver who speeded up at the crossing tonight when the lights turned red and absolutely fucking SOAKED me. Bastard. I'd stood right back to avoid it, then the lights went red when he was well away from them and I stepped forward and he sped up to go through. If I was less cautious I'd have been in the road in front of him. So yeah, he's a wanker.

But on a lighter note, my cats are undecided about snow. Foley made a snow angel cat in the back garden, and Esme had a fight with a snowy bit of hedge. Now they are both right next to the radiator and looking grumpy.

But I still love snow.

Pinched from Michelle

1. Name six things in your refrigerator: Activia yogurt drinks, orange juice, Marks & Spencers Cornish Cruncher Extra Mature cheddar, ginger beer, pate, several bottles of Kronenbourg 1664

2. Name six things in your freezer: Chicago Town pizzas, ready-to-roast parsnips, Tesco Lasagnas, pork loin steaks, Waitrose Aberdeen Angus meatballs, bag of winter veg roasting mix.

3. Name six things under your kitchen sink: cat litter, squirty polish, yellow dusters, Dettol, posh beeswax solid polish, bleach.

4. Name six things around my computer: half-pint glass mug full of pens, four candles, tv remote, stack of World of Warcraft guides, FlyLady timer, jar of bullseyes.

5. Name six things in your medicine cabinet: little bottle of TCP, Imperial Leather soap (Anthony's), cotton buds, spare tub of hair gunk, scarlet nail varnish, spare razor blades.

6. Name six things on or around your nightstand: Lumie alarm clock/lamp (best present EVER), drinks mat showing The Simpsons dressed in Leyton Orient gear, notebook for writing, pens, Lush peppermint foot lotion, pile of Black Lace books.

A nice little bit of luck

I had rather a lot of library fines.

I know, I know. I'm ashamed of myself. Does it excuse me by saying that I acquired them because the Yeti used my ticket and "forgot" to tell me - about 18 months ago.

Ah well.

I owed them £41.60, which my lovely mother sent me as a birthday present. So I went in today to pay it off.

Girl - That's your account reactivated then.

Kate - How much is it to pay again please?

Girl - Actually, nothing.

Kate - I'm sorry, did you say nothing?!?

Girl - Yup. We're having an amnesty in February for anyone rejoining the library, like you. So no fines to pay.

Kate - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


So I got myself some books out (and I've made a big note on the calendar for when they're due back) and I now have some spare money.

I had planned to finally buy my Unseen University Cut-Out Book(s) with it, but having just spoken to my mother she says I can't spend it on books.

Since I'm trying to eat less chocolate I can't spend it on 168 creme eggs either (12 for £3.50 at Woolworths, £50 = 168 eggs + £1 left) so I don't quite know what I shall do with it.

I know the grown-up thing would be to put it back in the bank to pay towards my gas bill, but that's not much of a birthday present.

When mum rings back I shall confer with her and she what she thinks would be a suitable purchase.

Update: Mum says put half of it towards the gas bill and spend the other half on something frivolous - but not books.

At last

Someone has finally talked about the real issues in BB.

I watched very little of it, mainly cos I can't stand the programme.

When the Jade row happened, I must confess I didn't see most of it as a racist thing, just as a Jade thing.

It's about background, not skin colour. Jade would probably have had a stinking great row with Tara P-T if she'd been in there.

The thing about it that shocked me (that shouldn't have done) is the way the media have reacted. For the last few years they've written stories about Jade and secretly loathed her, this affair gave them the chance to rip her to shreds.

Class issues run a lot deeper than anyone thinks. In the comments on the BBC article, someone says that "chavs" are working class and that it's the middle class that disparage them. I don't think of chavs as working class, to me they are the benefit scroungers, the people who could be working but can't be bothered. If you're on benefits because you need them and are entitled to them then fine. If you'd sooner claim than do any work then off to the workhouse with you!

The Yeti always used to call my parents middle class. He'd laugh at me because I was used to certain things, like proper cheese instead of cheese slices, and having salt and pepper grinders rather than using packets you've lifted from KFC. If being middle class is having a certain standard of living, then that's me. But I know for a fact that if I quit my job and had a couple of kids I could be living in a council flat free of charge and picking up more in benefits than I earn working.

Whatever I am, I'm someone who has respect for other people and for myself. Something that's lacking in a lot of places these days, especially in the media.

Paranoia

I admit to being paranoid.

If I read about traffic accidents in Essex I worry in case they involve someone I might know.

So when this story appeared on the BBC I had my usual few moments of panic. In fact I panicked more than usual until I remembered that my dad is actually 60 (and I had an email from him on Sat morning). I know, I know - like I wouldn't find out before it turned up on the news. (But we didn't with George (Dad saw it on Ceefax) and that's still the fear).

Then today the story has been updated. Ok, I didn't know the guy...but Grosvenor Gardens is basically the next road up from my parents. So closer to home even if I didn't know the guy.

Customer Satisfaction

A young lad walks up to the counter, can't be more than 20. Dark hair, dark eyes, looks good and knows it.

He places a copy of 'The Modern Kama Sutra' on the counter and looks up at me.

"So, your place or mine?" he says with a smirk.

In return he receives a raised eyebrow from me.

"I'd have to see if my boyfriends free" I reply.

The transaction continues as normal except he's gone a little bit red.

As he goes I say "Enjoy the book" and get a brilliant smile in return.

---------------

I'm not used to customers trying to flirt with me, last time I managed to short-change the guy cos I was so flustered. This time I'm flattered but at the same time the ultimate unanswered question pops into my head.

Why is it only guys under 20 who buy the Kama Sutra?

Girly jeans, proofs and the Burning Crusade

Anthony bought me some girls jeans on Sunday. I haven't had any for years. The ones I've been wearing have been blokes ones (good old M&S) as they are so much easier to size. But we went into Dorothy Perkins and I tried on 5 or 6 different pairs until I found a style I liked. Anthony loves them, apparently they give me a "proper girls bottom". (I'm not sure what type of bottom I usually have in that case).
I haven't worn them to work yet as they sit a lot lower than my other jeans and since work is mainly pulling returns at the moment (lots of bending over) I'm not quite ready to reveal quite so much of my nice new short pants to the world.

I've also had a bit of luck (although nothing compared to the jammy git who won himself £26 on a scratchcard and £100 on the Premium Bonds on Mon) in that I managed to find the proof of The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters lurking in Goods In today. I didn't think it would be something I'd be interested in from what I'd heard about it, but we've had some samplers for customers so I had a flick through one and quite liked it. GI Chris had seen a set of the proofs in Goods In but didn't know where they'd gone to. Today I found them and have them sitting on the sofa waiting to be delved into.

I shall have some time to be reading them in this week, as Anthony is working "normal" hours (7-4) and so is monopolising the computer. Since The Burning Crusade expansion pack has just come out I sense that he'll be rather preoccupied with it for a few days/weeks/months (but then again, me too!) so I shall inflict Buffy on him and perhaps actually do some of my sadly neglected cross-stitch.

It's been partly neglected because I've been having lots of baths and showers due to my rediscovered love of hot water - which I dearly missed for the week I was without it. My stash of Lush goodies (32 things) has been taking a hammering, although I've been trying bits of all the solid bubble baths rather than using up all my precious ballistics all in one go.

Right, I'm being evicted...

Hoicked from Keris

1. What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before?

Quite a few things: I'm living on my own for the first time which is the big one I guess.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I kept one of them which was finishing my Oranges and Lemons cross-stitch. Didn't keep any of the others.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

nope

4. Did anyone close to you die?

nope

5. What countries did you visit?

lol, Birmingham, Essex and London.

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?

Dunno, last year was a blast in the the end. I guess a proper holiday.

7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

There were a couple of big ones. Feb 27th when the Yeti dumped me, and April 16th, when I first met Anthony.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Picking myself up and getting on with life from the lowest point I'd been at in years. If someone had told me back then, when I was mourning a miscarriage and a broken heart that now I'd be writing about a new relationship and being so very happy, I'd have said they were lying.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Even though my life has changed for the better because of it, even though I know it wasn't my fault - the miscarriage.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

See above, plus a little sunburn and a couple of very nasty colds.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

I'm not sure if it counts as a thing but paying my own rent makes me feel very grown-up.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My sister's - she's a brightly shining star. Plus Missy Campbelli who proved she's the best Grade 5 bookseller I know.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

The Yeti, but only for a couple of weeks.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Rent and bills. I hardly bought any books compared to 2005.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Leyton Orient getting promoted.

16. What song will always remind you of 2006?

Argh, tough. Probably Corrine Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

happier or sadder?

Happier, definately.

thinner or fatter?

thinner, but only by a little

richer or poorer?

richer I think, I've got no debt left and I'm (mostly) living on my earnings.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Relaxing.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Worrying.

20. What was your favorite TV program?

Probably Veronica Mars.

21. Do you dislike anyone now that you didn’t dislike this time last year?

See no.13

22. What was the best book you read?

Growing Up Again by Catriona McCloud

23. What was your greatest musical discovery?

iTunes...drool.

24. What did you want and get?

A grown-up relationship

25. What did you want and not get?

The Unseen University Cut-Out Book (I'm gonna buy it on payday though)

26. What was your favorite film of this year?

The Lake House (which Anthony bought me on Sunday when I was hungover)

27. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 28 and spent the day with my folks and Anthony and then when for a nice meal at Cafe Champagne (without Anthony who had to work).

28. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Kicking the Yeti repeatedly in the bollocks when he first told me he didn't love me anymore

29. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?

Jeans and boots.

30. What kept you sane?

Campbelli, my sister, Mark, this blog, my cats, Anthony.

31. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Robbie Williams...still

32. What political issue stirred you the most?

Nothing specific.

33. Who did you miss?

Campbelli while she was off converting the world.

34. Who was the best new person you met?

Anthony has to be top, but meeting Mark was bloody good too.

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006?

To stick with it.

36. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On

Three little birds, sat on my window.
And they told me I don’t need to worry.
Summer came like cinnamon
So sweet,
Little girls double-dutch on the concrete.

Maybe sometimes, we got it wrong, but it’s alright
the more things seems to change, the more they stay the same.
Oh, don’t you hesitate.

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

You’re gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow.

Blue as the sky, sombre and lonely,
Sipping tea in the bar by the road side,
(just relax, just relax)
Don’t you let those other boys fool you,
Gotta love that afro hairdo.

Maybe sometimes, we feel afraid, but it’s alright
The more you stay the same, the more they seem to change.
Don’t you think it’s strange?

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

You’re gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow.

Just more than I could take, pity for pity’s sake
Some nights kept me awake, I thought that I was stronger
When you gonna realise, that you don’t even have to try any longer.
Do what you want to.

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

Oh, You’re gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow.

Hoicked from Mark

1. Take five books off your bookshelf.
2. Book #1 -- first sentence
3. Book #2 -- last sentence on page fifty
4. Book #3 -- second sentence on page one hundred
5. Book #4 -- next to the last sentence on page one hundred fifty
6. Book #5 -- final sentence of the book
7. Make the five sentences into a paragraph:

Marianne had looked forward to her tenth birthday as being something special; quite different from any birthday she had yet had, for two reasons. Nearly at the top of the tree stump, which was about four feet high, a white cross had been painted on the side nearest to the water. Jeannie looked up to him. The fourth match was dry, and rasped into flame, flickering. Open your eyes.

1. Marianne Dreams - Catherine Storr
2. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
3. A Hat Full of Sky - Terry Pratchett
4. The Dark Is Rising Sequence - Susan Cooper
5. The Probable Future - Alice Hoffman

I didn't go and grab anything particular for this one, just 5 of the last few books I've read.

Breathe out

I have hot water and heating again!

Anthony came round today after his night shift and waiting in for the gasman while I went off to work. The gasman came round, changed the valve, and now my house it starting to get warm again.

I have got all my supplies (2 books, bottle of vin rouge, box of 12 Creme Eggs) and now I'm off to spend the evening in the bath.

Furious

So I STILL have no heating or hot water.

When he drained the boiler to fit the new parts one of the valves failed. This means that while my boiler now works, no water will stay in it. Apparently this is quite a common problem with old boilers when they get drained, but my boiler is not that old that he thought it would be a problem. He was surprised at the condition of my boiler to begin with.

So Anthony is coming here tomorrow morning when he finishes work, since there is no way in hell I can take another day off.

I'm so angry.

Angry as hell with my useless letting agents for starters. They phoned me back at last yesterday after my phoning them on Friday, and then had the cheek to ask if it was fixed! Plus, I've never had the electricity and gas safety certs that I've been after for months.

So.

Once again today I will be washing my hair with a couple of kettles of water. I shall be doing some washing up, but not all of it, just enough so that I can cook another casserole which has the nice side effect of warming up the kitchen slightly. I shall again be confining myself to my living room and kitchen with all other doors shut and again be sleeping on the sofa in three layers of clothes.

If I had hot water, if I had the cash to buy some electric heaters like I had at the old house (where we had no central heating, but did have a very good gas fire)...the hot water is the main thing. No heating, ok I can cope with little heaters and layers of clothes, but no hot baths to ease my aching knees is hell.

VERY VERY VERY PISSED OFF.

Today's Horoscope

You tend to house clean like someone with attention deficit disorder, KATE. You never linger long on any one task. As a result, your bathroom mirrors and counters will get cleaned, but not the floor. Today, make an effort to do a thorough cleaning, one room at a time. Even if you don't get the entire house clean, you will at least receive some satisfaction from knowing that your bedroom and bathroom are both spotless. Now, if you could only figure out how to keep them that way!

*giggle*

That is indeed so true, although I don't think it's as bad a thing as it sounds. I try to do a little every day to keep on top of things. This doesn't always work so I do have cleaning blitzes, like before Christmas.

I 'm actually really antsy to get the washing up done and my kitchen tidy again. I didn't do it yesterday because I couldn't face boiling kettle after kettle of hot water to wash up and wash the floor. But the gasman is back again with a pile of bits and hopefully I shall have hot water aplenty later on.

Although I will be having a long hot bath as my hot water priority!

Sucker for romance

I've just watched The Lake House and gone all soppy.

I'm a sucker for romantic films, and this one has shot into my list of favourites. Yes, I know that the whole letters-through-time plot is implausible, and that people will say Keanu's acting is "wooden". But I love it. Despite the bit at the end when I nearly had a heart attack and was in floods of tears.

It's led me to put on Serendipity (another favourite) due to the fact that Nick Drake has songs on both, and in a way they're similar films - the two lovers spend most of the movie apart.

Strangely, I'm not a big fan of Sleepless In Seattle, I think cos it had sooo much hype at the time. Instead I love You've Got Mail.

I shall have to try and compile a list of my favourite romantic films...

Still cold pt 3

Well the gasman originally came on New Years Day afternoon, muttered over the boiler for a couple of hours and then had to order a microswitch for today.

Today he came back, with his manager too no less, and fitted the new microswitch.

This then caused something else to overheat.

He's had to order some more parts (at £150 and £180 each) and will be back tomorrow morning.

Now I just have to see if Bod will let me swap my Friday off for a Thursday off and if not I shall have to get Anthony to come here after his nightshift.

Time to start boiling the kettle for the washing up.

(Oh, I'm feeling slightly more human than the other day as when he couldn't fix it on Mon I went and had a long hot bath at Anthony's folks house instead.)

Edit: I don't have to pay for the parts btw. He was saying that the parts bascially equal the cost of the next two years worth of British Gas Homecare that the landlady has. So that's a good thing.

There's a gasman in my bathroom...

Still cold pt 2

Still got no heating or hot water...for now.

But we got randomly lucky yesterday when I got home from work to find a message from my landlady on my answerphone.

When I phoned her back she'd actually called to ask me to forward a letter to her, but (obviously) I took the chance to mention to her that I was a little cold.

Five minutes later she called me back having contacted British Gas on the emergency call-out system. They should be with us tonight between 6 and 8 so fingers are crossed (as crossed as they can be when I'm trying to type anyway) that I might be able to see in the New Year in my traditional fashion - in a hot Lush-filled bath.

Alf has just come round to entertain us for the evening so I had better go and be sociable for a few minutes.

Mean people

So we're all teasing RichieFingers. Not about anything specific (apart from his pink shirt), just because he's RichieFingers.

Richie - "You're all so mean to me."

Katie W - "We're not being THAT mean."

Richie - "Yes you are, I'm feeling really vindicated."

Kate - "Do you mean victimised?"

Richie - "Yeah, that too."

Still cold

No one phoned or came round last night so in the end I slept on the sofa having made the living room as warm as I could.

I was actually too hot in the very middle of the night so I was daring and took one of my three pairs of socks off!

Esme and Foley enjoyed me sleeping on the sofa. Esme shared the duvet with me and kept my knees warm, while Foley either slept on my pillow or entertained himself by fishing for my feet.

Now it's time for work...at least it's warm there!

Is it Thursday?

I always have bad Thursdays...

...yesterday was quite a good one though. Should have known it couldn't last.

I went up to bed last night all snuggly and warm having had a nice long hot Lush-filled bath...

...and then woke up this morning feeling rather chilly.

My heating is not.

My hot water is also not.

My letting agents finally turned their answer phone off at 11am and told me that someone would be round this evening, after 6 when I get home from work.

As you can see, it's now nearly 7 and I haven't seen anyone or had the phone ring. I am wearing several layers of clothes and have lit numerous candles in order to try and keep the living room at a manageable temperature. I don't have any other method of heating except putting the oven on, and it's a bit far from the computer. I may resort to that later. I'm dreading going up to bed and the cats are huddled round my feet under the blankets.

Brrrr...

So that was Christmas...

...I had a very nice time. I shan't blog about it all now as a hot bath with some of my new Lush stuff is calling and I have a new book to read courtesy of Miss Campbelli.

Emily had a new shiny camera for Christmas (joint with her 21st birthday) and spent lots of time taking photos.

Some of the best are here...

...and my hair definately looks more blonde in person...

Finish the sentences:

1. I've come to realize that my ex...'s voice has vanished from my head.

2. I am listening to...BBC2.

3. I talk...too much about random things.

4. I love...reading.

5. My best friends...are people who believe in themselves.

7. I lost...a contact lens at a party and thought my vision was blurry cos I was drunk.

8. I hate it when people...ask me for a book and then tell me I'm wrong.

9. Love is...love is love.

10. Marriage is...something I will do again.

11. Somewhere, someone is thinking...about eating chocolate.

12. I'll always be...my father's daughter.

13. I have a crush on...Robbie Williams.

14. The last time I cried was because...I was stressed and frustrated with not being able to explain the way I was feeling.

15. My cell phone...is my second alarm clock.

16. When I wake up in the morning...I am always very sleepy.

17. Before I go to sleep at night...I turn on my CD of the sea.

18. Right now I am thinking about...going to bed early.

19. Babies are...cute and horrible in turns, just like adults.

20. I get on myspace...about once a week.

21. Today I...got to see Anthony before he went to work.

22. Tonight I will...watch Oz and James and then go to bed.

23. Tomorrow I will...be up at 6 for another early shift.

24. I really want...another bottle of beer.

25. The person who most likely to repost this is...no-one, cos Emily has already done it.

Christmas Tree

Tree put up - 20.00 Friday 1st December.

Tree put up again - 10.00 Saturday 2nd December.

Tree put up yet again - 23.00 Saturday 2nd December.

Tree tied to radiator and window handle with lots of string - 23.10 Saturday 2nd December.

Remains of ball of string collected from around ground floor of house - 10.00 Sunday 3rd December.

------------------

My cats LOVE Christmas.

You know it's nearly Christmas when...

...the number of people after totally obscure books increases exponentially.

...you get a bigger list every week of titles that need stickers changing.

...everywhere you go is playing either tacky tunes or whiney carols. (Except us, who still currently have James Brown on, although I'm sure that'll change this weekend).

Speaking of Christmas "music" - I woke up this morning singing the worst festive song of all time. Not Slade, Cliff or Elton...

"Because Pookie-Doodle-Puppy's Christmas party is always so much fun, when he goes Woof Woof Tiddley-Poof you know the party's just begun"

Oh yes indeed music fans...Emily's favourite song from the age of 5 resurfaced in my subconscious this morning...OH DEAR.

In other news, Miss Campbelli is now a CRSM (Children's Regional Support Manager) so well done to the little blonde bombshell for that one.

And I'm about to be late for work...