I'm tired as I write this, so please forgive any unusually stupid writings you see on this post. The usual idiocy is to be expected, i'm afraid.
Well, it hasn't been a good week for deliveries for me. I was supposed to get dog food yesterday, which arrived at 2 O'clock today. I'd also ordered a laptop. Why? I'll tell you why. List of problems with my old laptop.
1. Battery doesn't work. It won't even hold a second of charge. as soon as you pull the plug, the thing shuts down as though there were no battery in it.
2. Charger. It doesn't connect so well any more since some idiot stood on it, pulling it out of the back of the laptop.
3. Wire. It's broken a little where it attaches to the charger itself. I've selotaped it to within an inch of its life, but it's only a patch up job, really. That comes with making your charger travel to and from work every day. Who ever said laptops were designed to be portable!
4. Screen. The plastic housing's readily peeling away from the edges of it now.
5. Heat. Yes, that's right, even my laptop's hot! So hot, in fact, that it can blister your thighs through jeans, and the plastic tray it's sitting on, because it was too hot to sit on your knee and you thought it would run cooler if the air vents were free. Can you tell i've had that experience?
So, yes, all things considered, it was time i got a new one. i used some of my precious savings for it... At least, i will have, once I put them in the bank. I can just hear my bank manager screaming as my overdraught grows right before his beady little eyes.
They told me, when i bought it, that it would be delivered today. So I sat in all day... again. And it didn't come! At 3, I phoned them, only to be told that, "No, we wouldn't have told you it would be delivered so quickly, because it's having a memory refit. It won't be with you till Monday." I blew up when they called me a liar, and demanded the refund of my delivery costs. They, of course, refused. "Oh, I can't do that. It would have to be my manager, and she's not available." So, being the nice, calm, mild tempered person that I am, I demanded a call back and told her that, if I didn't get it within 24 hours, i was cancelling the order and telling my bank it was fraud. Let's see if they call back, shall we? I'm thinking they probably will!
And that's the only thing of any interest that happened me today. Oh, except for the fact that i'm now going to have to cancel some consultancy work I had booked for Monday, all because I have to sit in all day... Again, to wait for the laptop... again. What fun!
I'm teaching hot Stone massage tomorrow and Sunday, and that usually makes me quite tired, so you won't hear from me until Monday in all likelihood.
Don't scare the children too much tonight. All right, do it, but i want to hear the stories!
Friday 31 October 2008
Thursday 30 October 2008
Loose interpretation
Well, I was right to warn you to interpret 'tomorrow' loosely, wasn't I? Just pretend you don't see the date on the top of this post, and it'll all run smoothely from there.
Now, for the next exciting installment. Prepare yourself, for it's a thrilling ride this time. There's implements of torture and everything.
The day was the usual hum-drum feed the dog, walk the dog, brush the dog, pick up dog poo, clean the house, look for jobs, kind of affair that it always is... With one exception. Cue scary Jaws music, for, it was time to go to the doctor! Yes, that's right folks, Carly was voluntarily walking to a slow painful death by flu jab. I hate them, I really do, and they make me cringe even more, now that I know the damage they do.
It actually wasn't a doctor, but a nurse doing the pricking. Stop sniggering; she was female! So, i sat there, perfectly still, even managing to contain the screams of deepest agony which wanted to burst from my obediently compressed lips, and imagined what that injection was doing to me. They inject the fluid directly into the deltoid muscle; the chief instigator in you lifting your arm away from your side. When something's pushed into a muscle, you get micro tears. As fluid is definitely a something, and a quite large something at that, I grimaced as I thought of the thousands of tiny little scars i'd get as a result, and how they would impair the muscle's ability to function. I was therefore unsurprised when she warned that my arm was likely to feel a bit tender for a week or so. Yes, i'm a physio; I know the damage you've just willingly and knowingly done to my muscle! And i don't like it!
Didn't do much in the evening, apart from eat gorgeous pasta in a mushroom and wine sauce. Well, it was supposed to be gorgeous, but i forgot about the sauce, so it was far too thick and gloopy. I then roleplayed until the crack of dawn, but I blame Andy's radio show for that. It was good last night.
I woke up this morning with a throbbing left arm, a sore back, and a myriad of other tiny aches. I dragged myself out of bed long enough to feed the dog, fully intending to get straight back in, when I remembered I was having dog food delivered. I was afraid of missing the courier, so sat up instead. I did make one concession to my poorly state though; I stayed in jammies. Well, might as well give the man a show when he comes to the door! I've felt really sick all day, but again, i'm not surprised. For about three days after the jab, I feel really pants, and not myself at all. I felt so ill this morning that I had to force myself to eat breakfast. I had some good company on MSN to distract me though, and managed to get through the rest of the day. Did the courier come? But of course he did! Not. So now I have one hungry dog, and only enough food for one more day. He'd better come soon or else my life might be in danger... Or my bones will be, at least.
Time for a newsflash. You know the potato peeler I was going on about the other day? That nice, snazzy electric one that makes peeling spuds as easy as shelling peas? Well, I decided to try it out with that shepherd's pie i've been threatening to make. Oh, it worked so well! It vibrated so much that I couldn't feel where skin ended and tender tatie flesh began. My hands aren't the largest in the world, so I already find it difficult to hold potatoes and use the fingers on that hand to find the skin. With this vibrating monster in my hand *the potato peeler, you dirty minded reader!* I could hardly even keep my grip on the potato! So I reluctantly threw it across the room and reverted to terribly old fashioned physical effort to peel them instead. And you know what? It worked! So i'm writing this with a bellly full of a very good pie.
I think i'm gonna go up and broadcast with my mate on his show at some point next week. We have this ongoing joke of husband and wife, so we're planning to do a Richard and Judy style broadcast. Or is that Punch and Judy? Andy, don't get any ideas into your head, for in this show, Judy beats Punch! I'll let you know dates so that my rabid fan base may choon in and listen. Yes, I did write 'choon'. The kids tell me it's the new, hip, way of spelling it, and I do so wish to keep up with these new fads. Don't you? Until next time, let me leave you with this little pearl of wisdom.
A woman who thinks she is equal to a man...
Is lacking ambition!
Thank you, Mae West.
Now, for the next exciting installment. Prepare yourself, for it's a thrilling ride this time. There's implements of torture and everything.
The day was the usual hum-drum feed the dog, walk the dog, brush the dog, pick up dog poo, clean the house, look for jobs, kind of affair that it always is... With one exception. Cue scary Jaws music, for, it was time to go to the doctor! Yes, that's right folks, Carly was voluntarily walking to a slow painful death by flu jab. I hate them, I really do, and they make me cringe even more, now that I know the damage they do.
It actually wasn't a doctor, but a nurse doing the pricking. Stop sniggering; she was female! So, i sat there, perfectly still, even managing to contain the screams of deepest agony which wanted to burst from my obediently compressed lips, and imagined what that injection was doing to me. They inject the fluid directly into the deltoid muscle; the chief instigator in you lifting your arm away from your side. When something's pushed into a muscle, you get micro tears. As fluid is definitely a something, and a quite large something at that, I grimaced as I thought of the thousands of tiny little scars i'd get as a result, and how they would impair the muscle's ability to function. I was therefore unsurprised when she warned that my arm was likely to feel a bit tender for a week or so. Yes, i'm a physio; I know the damage you've just willingly and knowingly done to my muscle! And i don't like it!
Didn't do much in the evening, apart from eat gorgeous pasta in a mushroom and wine sauce. Well, it was supposed to be gorgeous, but i forgot about the sauce, so it was far too thick and gloopy. I then roleplayed until the crack of dawn, but I blame Andy's radio show for that. It was good last night.
I woke up this morning with a throbbing left arm, a sore back, and a myriad of other tiny aches. I dragged myself out of bed long enough to feed the dog, fully intending to get straight back in, when I remembered I was having dog food delivered. I was afraid of missing the courier, so sat up instead. I did make one concession to my poorly state though; I stayed in jammies. Well, might as well give the man a show when he comes to the door! I've felt really sick all day, but again, i'm not surprised. For about three days after the jab, I feel really pants, and not myself at all. I felt so ill this morning that I had to force myself to eat breakfast. I had some good company on MSN to distract me though, and managed to get through the rest of the day. Did the courier come? But of course he did! Not. So now I have one hungry dog, and only enough food for one more day. He'd better come soon or else my life might be in danger... Or my bones will be, at least.
Time for a newsflash. You know the potato peeler I was going on about the other day? That nice, snazzy electric one that makes peeling spuds as easy as shelling peas? Well, I decided to try it out with that shepherd's pie i've been threatening to make. Oh, it worked so well! It vibrated so much that I couldn't feel where skin ended and tender tatie flesh began. My hands aren't the largest in the world, so I already find it difficult to hold potatoes and use the fingers on that hand to find the skin. With this vibrating monster in my hand *the potato peeler, you dirty minded reader!* I could hardly even keep my grip on the potato! So I reluctantly threw it across the room and reverted to terribly old fashioned physical effort to peel them instead. And you know what? It worked! So i'm writing this with a bellly full of a very good pie.
I think i'm gonna go up and broadcast with my mate on his show at some point next week. We have this ongoing joke of husband and wife, so we're planning to do a Richard and Judy style broadcast. Or is that Punch and Judy? Andy, don't get any ideas into your head, for in this show, Judy beats Punch! I'll let you know dates so that my rabid fan base may choon in and listen. Yes, I did write 'choon'. The kids tell me it's the new, hip, way of spelling it, and I do so wish to keep up with these new fads. Don't you? Until next time, let me leave you with this little pearl of wisdom.
A woman who thinks she is equal to a man...
Is lacking ambition!
Thank you, Mae West.
Tuesday 28 October 2008
Sleeping
Why this for a title? Because that's all i've seemed to do for the last couple of days.
I blame it on the travelling! Well, I actually suspect it's the winter hybernation bug biting me again. This happens every year. In the summer, I turn into an insomniac, surviving quite happily on about 3 hours of sleep. In the winter, I could sleep the clock round and still feel tired. It's odd.
I spent most of Sunday in bed, and this I blame on a really good book. You remember the one that kept me awake a couple of nights ago? It took me nearly a whole day, but I finished it. If you haven't done so already, you really need to read Robert Jordan's 'Wheel of Time' series. It's very long and involved, but so well written, and the character development's excellent.
I eventually dragged my bones out of bed long enough to throw some chips in the oven for dinner. No fancy Sunday roasts this week!
Ah, in fact, my bad memory's playing tricks again! That was Saturday that I was lazy because, on Sunday, I went shopping. How could I forget such a momentus event!
Yep, it was time to buy interview clothes, so off I traipsed to Next. I love shopping here, even if it means visits are infrequent because of the price of everything. It is amazing how much people will pay for clothes. But I did need something new for interview. The suit I had was years old and I had to kind of keep my elbows bent a little bit to make sure the arms of the jacket looked long enough. I've gone for a slightly less power dressing look this time. I'm wearing nice smart trousers, and a smart shirt, but no suit, no matching jacket. I think it's a better image to portray, bearing in mind the job market i'm trying to appeal to. It looks a lot more approachable; a little softer.
Because the clothes were on offer, I was able to get 2 of these outfits, plus new shoes. I even got a new dressing gown! And all courtesy of a friend who decided that they wanted to spoil me on their credit card. I felt a bit guilty, as there's no way i'd have chosen two outfits if i'd known someone else was going to be paying. But I paid them back by making dinner for us when I got home. Don't ask me what I had, because I can't remember. Old age again... Oh, is that a pee stain on my sofa?
Yesterday was pretty uneventful. Because i'd set aside that money for clothes, I was able to go down town and get a couple of bits and pieces I needed for my kitchen. No more using tongs where, every minute you're holding the meat in them, you're praying that the handle doesn't fall off... again! I also got a silicon version of a wooden spoon, and they're brilliant. I had one before, and they're excellent, because they don't take the teflon off the pan, they don't scrape it, and they don't go all splintery and horrible after the first wash.
I got one of those new nifty electric potato peelers. The blade vibrates a little on them, so that it slides through the spud easier. For any Irish who subsides solely on a diet of taties, it's a must, and is sitting proudly resplendent on my kitchen worktop, just begging to be used. I think i'll make a Shepherd's Pie today, so that i can test it out. I absolutely hate peeling potatoes because it takes so long, so hopefully this'll make it a little less arduous.
So that's it. nothing more to tell. oh, except that a Turkish friend of mine's going into the army apparently. I didn't hear it from the horse's mouth though, so all I know is that he's going in the winter. I don't know how long for, or where he'll be posted, but, let the worry begin. Army's tough on the boys and the country law states that every single one of them has to be conscripted. If they've gone through uni, it can be for as little as 6 months, but this is at the government's discression. If they haven't had the benefit of a good education, which most of them haven't, it's an 18 month stint, complete with mind numbing drugs and hard work. Luckily, Abuzer's done uni, so i'm hoping the government will give him a short shift.
Today, I plan to be lazy, and not to look at the state of my bank account! It's frightening! Until tomorrow. Please interpret that term loosely!
I blame it on the travelling! Well, I actually suspect it's the winter hybernation bug biting me again. This happens every year. In the summer, I turn into an insomniac, surviving quite happily on about 3 hours of sleep. In the winter, I could sleep the clock round and still feel tired. It's odd.
I spent most of Sunday in bed, and this I blame on a really good book. You remember the one that kept me awake a couple of nights ago? It took me nearly a whole day, but I finished it. If you haven't done so already, you really need to read Robert Jordan's 'Wheel of Time' series. It's very long and involved, but so well written, and the character development's excellent.
I eventually dragged my bones out of bed long enough to throw some chips in the oven for dinner. No fancy Sunday roasts this week!
Ah, in fact, my bad memory's playing tricks again! That was Saturday that I was lazy because, on Sunday, I went shopping. How could I forget such a momentus event!
Yep, it was time to buy interview clothes, so off I traipsed to Next. I love shopping here, even if it means visits are infrequent because of the price of everything. It is amazing how much people will pay for clothes. But I did need something new for interview. The suit I had was years old and I had to kind of keep my elbows bent a little bit to make sure the arms of the jacket looked long enough. I've gone for a slightly less power dressing look this time. I'm wearing nice smart trousers, and a smart shirt, but no suit, no matching jacket. I think it's a better image to portray, bearing in mind the job market i'm trying to appeal to. It looks a lot more approachable; a little softer.
Because the clothes were on offer, I was able to get 2 of these outfits, plus new shoes. I even got a new dressing gown! And all courtesy of a friend who decided that they wanted to spoil me on their credit card. I felt a bit guilty, as there's no way i'd have chosen two outfits if i'd known someone else was going to be paying. But I paid them back by making dinner for us when I got home. Don't ask me what I had, because I can't remember. Old age again... Oh, is that a pee stain on my sofa?
Yesterday was pretty uneventful. Because i'd set aside that money for clothes, I was able to go down town and get a couple of bits and pieces I needed for my kitchen. No more using tongs where, every minute you're holding the meat in them, you're praying that the handle doesn't fall off... again! I also got a silicon version of a wooden spoon, and they're brilliant. I had one before, and they're excellent, because they don't take the teflon off the pan, they don't scrape it, and they don't go all splintery and horrible after the first wash.
I got one of those new nifty electric potato peelers. The blade vibrates a little on them, so that it slides through the spud easier. For any Irish who subsides solely on a diet of taties, it's a must, and is sitting proudly resplendent on my kitchen worktop, just begging to be used. I think i'll make a Shepherd's Pie today, so that i can test it out. I absolutely hate peeling potatoes because it takes so long, so hopefully this'll make it a little less arduous.
So that's it. nothing more to tell. oh, except that a Turkish friend of mine's going into the army apparently. I didn't hear it from the horse's mouth though, so all I know is that he's going in the winter. I don't know how long for, or where he'll be posted, but, let the worry begin. Army's tough on the boys and the country law states that every single one of them has to be conscripted. If they've gone through uni, it can be for as little as 6 months, but this is at the government's discression. If they haven't had the benefit of a good education, which most of them haven't, it's an 18 month stint, complete with mind numbing drugs and hard work. Luckily, Abuzer's done uni, so i'm hoping the government will give him a short shift.
Today, I plan to be lazy, and not to look at the state of my bank account! It's frightening! Until tomorrow. Please interpret that term loosely!
Friday 24 October 2008
Normality reigns once more
And, I am even glad of it! I haven't updated in a couple of days, firstly because I was shattered after the journey back, and secondly because, when I got home, there was a nice little surprise waiting for me. The batteries in the wireless keyboard had gone done. I *coughs* borrowed, my friend's really terribly awful keyboard, and was forced to subsist on substandard stolen goods for a whole day. It was terrible to type on, and I couldn't face posting my usual long-winded ramblings via the thing. I've already told you of my previous technical problems with the pen, so I wasn't going there again!
So, what to tell this time? Prepare yourself for the usual brand of sarcasm, general pesimism *is that how you spell it?* and edge of your seat, pants wetting type of excitement.
I got up at stupid o'clock on Wednesday morning to get back on my chosen flight, chosen, I might add, for the possibility that I might make that memorial service on time. So I sacrificed most of a good night's sleep for nothing! 6 was the time of my rather rude awakening (yes, my mobile is considered rude when it warbles the 'get up, get up now!' noise at me at that time of the morning). It was harder to get my granny up than it was to drag my bleary-eyed, wobbly-legged carcus out of the all too comfortable bed. I'm reading a good book, so had spent most of the night with my nose buried in it. I'd got maybe 5 hours of sleep at a push, and now it was time to trek halfway across the universe, all in the name of returning to oxford.
I pulled myself together in time to feed the dog before we left, and then worried the whole way up the road to the airport that she'd chuck up all over my aunty's car. You're supposed to leave them for at least 20 minutes after feeding before you do anything with them, but extra time was a luxury I didn't have, thanks to my need to get as much sleep as possible, and leave the getting up as close to departure time as I could.
Once Molly realised that her new love interest, the lodger, was howling his misery at her departure in his bedroom instead of coming with us, she huffed mightily! Ok, he was snoring his displeasure... And she knew it! If a dog could flounce, old Molly would have done it as she threw her food engorged body into the car, and turned her back on us all. Clearly, she thought we were terribly unjust in parting her from her newfound love. Even my aunty, who she usually goes mad for, couldn't bring her out of this latest strop.
So, we travelled to the airport in sulky silence, if the loud groans, snorts, and general vocalising of her displeasure are discounted. We actually arrived early in the end, despite my mad scramble to locate my iPod which my Granny was convinced was a phone. She'd taken it downstairs and tried to plug it into my phone charger for me. I'm just thankful the connections didn't match, or else my Pod would be no more, given the difference in voltages.
And what better way to make up the time we had until the flight left than having an Ulster Fry? For those of you who have never had one, it consists of bacon, fried eggs, sausage, vegetable roll which is meat, not vegetable (Nope, I never claimed the Irish were logical!), soda bread, potato bread, mushrooms, beans, and tomato. I didn't have all that, but the prices were extortionate! £7.99 for the fry.
The flight was pretty good, apart from the landing. It was done so badly that we bounced off the runway before touching down properly. Molly didn't like it. It's the first time i've seen her really bothered on a flight, but she wouldn't settle at all after that, and nearly strangled herself pulling to get off. Then I had to convince the guy helping me that the suitcase i'd said was mine, truly was mine. he kept glancing at the bag tag on my passport, then the tag on the bag. "Oh, they don't match!" "Yes, mister, I know they don't. That's because they didn't give me a new tag at check in. Honestly, the case is mine." "Oh, but i have to put it back. We can't be sure it's yours, and the numbers don't match." Well, it went round in circles, until I lost the rag, ripped open the top of the suitcase, and flashed the contents at him. "Yep, sir, it's mine all right! Those are my pants!" He didn't really see them, but wouldn't it have been funny if he did! The clothes were all zipped away, so all he got was an eyeful of boots, handbags, and girlie purfume.
I'd had a phone conversation with my mum earlier in the day, who suggested the bright idea of getting the bus home instead of the train. The only reason I hadn't done it on the way up was because it took over an hour longer. But, when she told me it had electric, and wireless internet, I just couldn't resist. All excited i was as I made my way to the terminal, and even Molly was happy, for a wonder. I climbed on the bus, completely content in the fact that i'd be totally amused on the way home, and blissfully unaware that, by the usual cruel twist of fate, I had one of the very few buses which didn't possess the technological knowhow to have electricity, let alone internet access!
So there I was, stuck for about 4 hours on a bus, with nothing to do except resort to phone, ahem, i mean iPod, for amusement. I get real bad cabin fever if i'm forced to sit still for more than 3 hours. It's almost a panic i get into. So I really didn't enjoy knowing that i'd be stuck there for that length of time.
When I eventually did get off, I can tell you, I was glad! I arrived home after having travelled for 10 hours, but my day wasn't over. A friend was doing a radio show, which you should listen to, by the way. www.smogradio.net. he broadcasts between 10 and 1, and is a nice background distraction to whatever you're doing.
So I didn't get to bed for ages! Then iwas up with the dog at the usual time, and I think she must have been shattered herself. After i'd fed her, she crawled back into bed. So it was only natural that i followed suit! It was freezing yesterday. From getting up at 8, I didn't get my feet warmed back up again until after 11. then it was up, breakfast, and job hunting. I didn't do much else yesterday, but I did find a job to apply for, which is good. I didn't make it right through to the end of the radio show last night, and i slept late this morning. But I made up for my sins in a sinfully, deliciously long bath when I woke up. I further compounded my hanus crimes by having a whole bar of chocolate for breakfast!
I've been invited to interview in Selly Oak hospital on the 11th of next month, so things are looking up. Today, I have no plans really, but i think i'll teach myself the way to Tesco I don't know if this is a good thing though; me having access to a readily available chocolate supply... Well, that's it for today. I have things to do you know! Until next time, whenever that may be.
So, what to tell this time? Prepare yourself for the usual brand of sarcasm, general pesimism *is that how you spell it?* and edge of your seat, pants wetting type of excitement.
I got up at stupid o'clock on Wednesday morning to get back on my chosen flight, chosen, I might add, for the possibility that I might make that memorial service on time. So I sacrificed most of a good night's sleep for nothing! 6 was the time of my rather rude awakening (yes, my mobile is considered rude when it warbles the 'get up, get up now!' noise at me at that time of the morning). It was harder to get my granny up than it was to drag my bleary-eyed, wobbly-legged carcus out of the all too comfortable bed. I'm reading a good book, so had spent most of the night with my nose buried in it. I'd got maybe 5 hours of sleep at a push, and now it was time to trek halfway across the universe, all in the name of returning to oxford.
I pulled myself together in time to feed the dog before we left, and then worried the whole way up the road to the airport that she'd chuck up all over my aunty's car. You're supposed to leave them for at least 20 minutes after feeding before you do anything with them, but extra time was a luxury I didn't have, thanks to my need to get as much sleep as possible, and leave the getting up as close to departure time as I could.
Once Molly realised that her new love interest, the lodger, was howling his misery at her departure in his bedroom instead of coming with us, she huffed mightily! Ok, he was snoring his displeasure... And she knew it! If a dog could flounce, old Molly would have done it as she threw her food engorged body into the car, and turned her back on us all. Clearly, she thought we were terribly unjust in parting her from her newfound love. Even my aunty, who she usually goes mad for, couldn't bring her out of this latest strop.
So, we travelled to the airport in sulky silence, if the loud groans, snorts, and general vocalising of her displeasure are discounted. We actually arrived early in the end, despite my mad scramble to locate my iPod which my Granny was convinced was a phone. She'd taken it downstairs and tried to plug it into my phone charger for me. I'm just thankful the connections didn't match, or else my Pod would be no more, given the difference in voltages.
And what better way to make up the time we had until the flight left than having an Ulster Fry? For those of you who have never had one, it consists of bacon, fried eggs, sausage, vegetable roll which is meat, not vegetable (Nope, I never claimed the Irish were logical!), soda bread, potato bread, mushrooms, beans, and tomato. I didn't have all that, but the prices were extortionate! £7.99 for the fry.
The flight was pretty good, apart from the landing. It was done so badly that we bounced off the runway before touching down properly. Molly didn't like it. It's the first time i've seen her really bothered on a flight, but she wouldn't settle at all after that, and nearly strangled herself pulling to get off. Then I had to convince the guy helping me that the suitcase i'd said was mine, truly was mine. he kept glancing at the bag tag on my passport, then the tag on the bag. "Oh, they don't match!" "Yes, mister, I know they don't. That's because they didn't give me a new tag at check in. Honestly, the case is mine." "Oh, but i have to put it back. We can't be sure it's yours, and the numbers don't match." Well, it went round in circles, until I lost the rag, ripped open the top of the suitcase, and flashed the contents at him. "Yep, sir, it's mine all right! Those are my pants!" He didn't really see them, but wouldn't it have been funny if he did! The clothes were all zipped away, so all he got was an eyeful of boots, handbags, and girlie purfume.
I'd had a phone conversation with my mum earlier in the day, who suggested the bright idea of getting the bus home instead of the train. The only reason I hadn't done it on the way up was because it took over an hour longer. But, when she told me it had electric, and wireless internet, I just couldn't resist. All excited i was as I made my way to the terminal, and even Molly was happy, for a wonder. I climbed on the bus, completely content in the fact that i'd be totally amused on the way home, and blissfully unaware that, by the usual cruel twist of fate, I had one of the very few buses which didn't possess the technological knowhow to have electricity, let alone internet access!
So there I was, stuck for about 4 hours on a bus, with nothing to do except resort to phone, ahem, i mean iPod, for amusement. I get real bad cabin fever if i'm forced to sit still for more than 3 hours. It's almost a panic i get into. So I really didn't enjoy knowing that i'd be stuck there for that length of time.
When I eventually did get off, I can tell you, I was glad! I arrived home after having travelled for 10 hours, but my day wasn't over. A friend was doing a radio show, which you should listen to, by the way. www.smogradio.net. he broadcasts between 10 and 1, and is a nice background distraction to whatever you're doing.
So I didn't get to bed for ages! Then iwas up with the dog at the usual time, and I think she must have been shattered herself. After i'd fed her, she crawled back into bed. So it was only natural that i followed suit! It was freezing yesterday. From getting up at 8, I didn't get my feet warmed back up again until after 11. then it was up, breakfast, and job hunting. I didn't do much else yesterday, but I did find a job to apply for, which is good. I didn't make it right through to the end of the radio show last night, and i slept late this morning. But I made up for my sins in a sinfully, deliciously long bath when I woke up. I further compounded my hanus crimes by having a whole bar of chocolate for breakfast!
I've been invited to interview in Selly Oak hospital on the 11th of next month, so things are looking up. Today, I have no plans really, but i think i'll teach myself the way to Tesco I don't know if this is a good thing though; me having access to a readily available chocolate supply... Well, that's it for today. I have things to do you know! Until next time, whenever that may be.
Tuesday 21 October 2008
Country roads, take me home
Doesn't quite sound the same when you sing, "country skies, fly me home," does it? So we'll stick with tradition and pretend that planes can get down those tiny little country lanes a lot easier than even the smallest of cars can. And if planes can do it, then i'll have no more wining from you drivers about how difficult it is to edge your large 4-wheel-drive through the thicket of country shrubbery.
Again, nothing much went on today. I've job hunted, did a little bit of cleaning, played with the dog, went shopping, and, yet again, managed to avoid cooking by the speedy and timely arrival of a little mobile van serving chips and other horribly fattening goodies. I had chicken nuggets, chips and gravy, and only managed to get through about half of it before the sheer amount of oil and grease saw me defeated, and, if I admit it, rather sick. I grew up on this stuff, and absolutely loved it, but since i've lived in England, i've tended to oven cook my food wherever I can. Initially, this was only because I was afraid of the deep fat fryers and the scalding, dripping oil. But now, it's because I like the taste of the food better when it's done in the oven. I can't eat too much grease now without feeling ill. Pity really, as it tastes so good!
And that's it. Exciting, right? Now I need to pack my suitcase for going home rediculously early in the morning. I also need to order shopping to be delivered when I arrive home, or else i'll not be having dinner tomorrow night. More importantly, I need to finish a mountain of chocolate before I can leave here! So, stop distracting me. The removal of this hazardous food product is of great importance. I am only consuming it to prevent harm to others.
Again, nothing much went on today. I've job hunted, did a little bit of cleaning, played with the dog, went shopping, and, yet again, managed to avoid cooking by the speedy and timely arrival of a little mobile van serving chips and other horribly fattening goodies. I had chicken nuggets, chips and gravy, and only managed to get through about half of it before the sheer amount of oil and grease saw me defeated, and, if I admit it, rather sick. I grew up on this stuff, and absolutely loved it, but since i've lived in England, i've tended to oven cook my food wherever I can. Initially, this was only because I was afraid of the deep fat fryers and the scalding, dripping oil. But now, it's because I like the taste of the food better when it's done in the oven. I can't eat too much grease now without feeling ill. Pity really, as it tastes so good!
And that's it. Exciting, right? Now I need to pack my suitcase for going home rediculously early in the morning. I also need to order shopping to be delivered when I arrive home, or else i'll not be having dinner tomorrow night. More importantly, I need to finish a mountain of chocolate before I can leave here! So, stop distracting me. The removal of this hazardous food product is of great importance. I am only consuming it to prevent harm to others.
Monday 20 October 2008
Happy Monday
A bit of an Oxymoron, don't you think? But mine has been happy so far. I've been lazy, yes, lazy. Didn't sleep in late though, thanks to the Mollster, but i've done nothing except lie around on my granny's rather posh reclining sofa, play solitaire on my computer, and eat lots of chocolate.
I went back to church last night, and didn't get home till about half 10. As i'm so old, I was tired right about then, but my granny, being the young spring chicken she is, sat up till 1! Eventually, I fell asleep in front of the computer waiting for her, and she took pity on me and went to bed.
So, here I am, stuffed with chocolate, cheese and corned beef toasties, and potato bread, with absolutely no idea of what to tell you today. The only thing of import I can think of is that i've been short listed for a job, a really good one. It's working in a special school with children who have CP (cerebral palsy). It's ideal actually. Means I can specialise quickly, and be paid at the level of my knowledge, not the time spent in the NHS. They don't work on a banded/graded system, as the hospitals do, so they pay you according to how well you perform. The interview has a practical element too, which is wonderful. Up until now, it's been all theory based which really makes me mad. I mean, how can you judge how well a therapist will perform in clinic by sitting down over a cup of tea (or water in my case), and asking them what they know and how they know it?
The interview's on the 10th of November, and i'll be working directly with the kids from 9:30 until 1:30. I'm looking forward to it. I'll need to dig out my smiley face and 'I was brave' stickers, and then find something for the kids to have as a reward! I even have a sticker that says, "I'm a big girl now". I'm considering putting it on my badge. It would be such a statement!
That's it, that's all I can think of to tell you. Oh, apart from the fact that the lodger has stolen my dog's affections! She even sneaked off to his bedroom with him while I was at church... It must be love!
I've also managed to miss the memorial service of a very dear friend, and one time tutor of mine. Also missed her funeral sadly, both times due to the fact that I was in Ireland. I thought it was on Wednesday, so booked an early flight. But as it turns out, it's tomorrow instead. I'm quite sad that i've missed it. Another friend down that direction's going through some difficult times too, so I really must get down that way soon, so that we can commiserate with each other, and perhaps even support one another! He's not allowed to get down in the dumps... He's one of my job referees! See? there was no alterior motive in that offer of support at all!
Anyway, i'm scraping the bottom of the barrel here for things to tell you, so like you probably have, i've decided i've had enough for the day. I might write more tomorrow, but then again, I might not! If you comment enough, i'll give you a fresh instalment. Do it... Do it now!
I went back to church last night, and didn't get home till about half 10. As i'm so old, I was tired right about then, but my granny, being the young spring chicken she is, sat up till 1! Eventually, I fell asleep in front of the computer waiting for her, and she took pity on me and went to bed.
So, here I am, stuffed with chocolate, cheese and corned beef toasties, and potato bread, with absolutely no idea of what to tell you today. The only thing of import I can think of is that i've been short listed for a job, a really good one. It's working in a special school with children who have CP (cerebral palsy). It's ideal actually. Means I can specialise quickly, and be paid at the level of my knowledge, not the time spent in the NHS. They don't work on a banded/graded system, as the hospitals do, so they pay you according to how well you perform. The interview has a practical element too, which is wonderful. Up until now, it's been all theory based which really makes me mad. I mean, how can you judge how well a therapist will perform in clinic by sitting down over a cup of tea (or water in my case), and asking them what they know and how they know it?
The interview's on the 10th of November, and i'll be working directly with the kids from 9:30 until 1:30. I'm looking forward to it. I'll need to dig out my smiley face and 'I was brave' stickers, and then find something for the kids to have as a reward! I even have a sticker that says, "I'm a big girl now". I'm considering putting it on my badge. It would be such a statement!
That's it, that's all I can think of to tell you. Oh, apart from the fact that the lodger has stolen my dog's affections! She even sneaked off to his bedroom with him while I was at church... It must be love!
I've also managed to miss the memorial service of a very dear friend, and one time tutor of mine. Also missed her funeral sadly, both times due to the fact that I was in Ireland. I thought it was on Wednesday, so booked an early flight. But as it turns out, it's tomorrow instead. I'm quite sad that i've missed it. Another friend down that direction's going through some difficult times too, so I really must get down that way soon, so that we can commiserate with each other, and perhaps even support one another! He's not allowed to get down in the dumps... He's one of my job referees! See? there was no alterior motive in that offer of support at all!
Anyway, i'm scraping the bottom of the barrel here for things to tell you, so like you probably have, i've decided i've had enough for the day. I might write more tomorrow, but then again, I might not! If you comment enough, i'll give you a fresh instalment. Do it... Do it now!
Sunday 19 October 2008
Dinner
I couldn't think of a better title, and i'm just about to have my dinner, so it seemed appropriate, all right?
There's really not much to tell about yesterday. Slept in till 9, then ate a yummy fried breakfast, played with the dog, and then it was off to church. They're having a harvest convention at the moment, so there was 2 services yesterday, both of which were good. I even got roped into singing last night!
It was an all day thing, with tea in between the two services. I even got Birthday cake, as it was one of the minister's birthdays... I had 2 pieces! Aren't I naughty?
Other than that, there really isn't much to tell. I came home, did a quick job check, then went to bed, only to get up early for the Sunday morning service this morning. I'm home only briefly now, as we have to be back there for 7. Molly hates me. She's huffing because I leave her behind when I go to church. She just gives me these looks of disdain, before trotting off to cuddle up with my Granny's lodger, who she took an instant liking to. I wish he'd walk her as well as play fighting with her!
Dinner today will be baby potatoes, good, fresh bacon, peas and gravy. Be jealous! And, if any of you are eating Yorkshire Puddings today, I too will be jealous. The Irish have never heard of them, so we don't get them here.
I managed to speak to a friend of mine last night who's just had a baby. I am also jealous of him! He's got a little one who's just 1, and another tinier one. Think of all the baby loving he can do! The baby was healthy though, which is great, and, in his native tongue, the boy's second name means Storm. Talk about making a statement with a name! He did cause quite a storm with his arrival, I can tell ya.
And Kudos to my followers... All 1 of you! Thank you for commenting, faithful, lone reader. You other thousands, nay, milions, who read this should follow his example, or feel my wrath! Go on, tell me how much you hate me... I love it!
There's really not much to tell about yesterday. Slept in till 9, then ate a yummy fried breakfast, played with the dog, and then it was off to church. They're having a harvest convention at the moment, so there was 2 services yesterday, both of which were good. I even got roped into singing last night!
It was an all day thing, with tea in between the two services. I even got Birthday cake, as it was one of the minister's birthdays... I had 2 pieces! Aren't I naughty?
Other than that, there really isn't much to tell. I came home, did a quick job check, then went to bed, only to get up early for the Sunday morning service this morning. I'm home only briefly now, as we have to be back there for 7. Molly hates me. She's huffing because I leave her behind when I go to church. She just gives me these looks of disdain, before trotting off to cuddle up with my Granny's lodger, who she took an instant liking to. I wish he'd walk her as well as play fighting with her!
Dinner today will be baby potatoes, good, fresh bacon, peas and gravy. Be jealous! And, if any of you are eating Yorkshire Puddings today, I too will be jealous. The Irish have never heard of them, so we don't get them here.
I managed to speak to a friend of mine last night who's just had a baby. I am also jealous of him! He's got a little one who's just 1, and another tinier one. Think of all the baby loving he can do! The baby was healthy though, which is great, and, in his native tongue, the boy's second name means Storm. Talk about making a statement with a name! He did cause quite a storm with his arrival, I can tell ya.
And Kudos to my followers... All 1 of you! Thank you for commenting, faithful, lone reader. You other thousands, nay, milions, who read this should follow his example, or feel my wrath! Go on, tell me how much you hate me... I love it!
Saturday 18 October 2008
home, home on the range
Where the cows and the horses do play? Hmmmm, that sounds wrong somehow. But i'm there, home, in the very near vicinity of fields full of the things! Isn't their stink wonderful? "It keeps the lungs healthy," my Grandad used to say, and perhaps more worryingly, when we kids complained loudly about the stink as we drove through the country, "It'll put hairs on your chest."
With that frightening possibility in mind, I didn't moan about the eau de perfume of cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, the odd elephant and a mountain lion, as myself and my aunty drove up to Belfast to pick up our American friends for a day of castle touring, and of course, the obligatory shopping. We've known the dad for about 10 years, but this was the first time i'd met his daughter. She's the quietest 14-year-old i've ever met. She didn't say boo to a goose, although that's hardly surprising, as we don't usually carry geese in the car with us.
So off we trooped, to Carrick Fergus castle. Being slightly more mature than when I was 8, and last there, I was actually able to appreciate some of the history behind the place. So here goes.
It was built in 1190 by John De Coursey, about 10 years after the Normans started building them all over Ireland. As far as I can remember, the Normans were the first to conquer us. Up until that point, all would be overthrowers had glanced across the Irish sea, and thought, "sod this. It's too cold and rainy over there." Sensible people, I say. But, here came those weather tough Normans, and they got us. King John, 20 years later, decided he didn't like the position of the castle, as it guarded the seas too well. So he sent irl De Lacy over to "sort out the boys". De Lacy took one look at the place, and liked it so much he made himself at home. After 20 years, the king wondered why he didn't come back. Old kingy was a bit slow if it took him that long to realise his plans hadn't, if you'll pardon the lame and cheesy punn, gone to plan!
Edward De Bruce was the next person to take it over, but only after a long siege which saw the inhabitants of the castle forced to eating those of De Bruce's men they managed to trap. They fled in the end, leaving the castle for De Bruce. After that, it's not really clear what happened. The videos that showed us all this were made for kids, and were woefully lacking in detail. But, to this day, the castle stands. I had a real good look at it all, and even climbed into a crevace in one of the walls to see how thick it was. It was about 6 ft thick! I'll post photos if I can get some off my aunty. There's some of the gorgeous views over the sea too.
Once the Americans had taken more photos than you could shake a USB stick at (yes, their camera is digital, and I am clever!), we headed back into civilisation. I say civilisation, because Belfast has shops, and shops =a desirable place to live. We didn't spend too long there though, as the oldies were tired from all the walking. I did manage to get my hands on sweeties though, really old ones like shrimps and milions. It was one of those sweetshops that has the sweets in jars all round the edges. I haven't seen one of those in years!
Once i'd squirrelled away my purchases, we jumped back in the car and dropped them off with the people they were staying with. Then it was a quick stop at the chinese to prevent our bellies from complaining, and home to a Molly who went absolutely mad to see me.
And that's it, oh so avid reader. Substitute avid for bored, if it fits better. I suspect it might! Now, go and enjoy that good country air. Oh, watch out for that elephant!
With that frightening possibility in mind, I didn't moan about the eau de perfume of cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, the odd elephant and a mountain lion, as myself and my aunty drove up to Belfast to pick up our American friends for a day of castle touring, and of course, the obligatory shopping. We've known the dad for about 10 years, but this was the first time i'd met his daughter. She's the quietest 14-year-old i've ever met. She didn't say boo to a goose, although that's hardly surprising, as we don't usually carry geese in the car with us.
So off we trooped, to Carrick Fergus castle. Being slightly more mature than when I was 8, and last there, I was actually able to appreciate some of the history behind the place. So here goes.
It was built in 1190 by John De Coursey, about 10 years after the Normans started building them all over Ireland. As far as I can remember, the Normans were the first to conquer us. Up until that point, all would be overthrowers had glanced across the Irish sea, and thought, "sod this. It's too cold and rainy over there." Sensible people, I say. But, here came those weather tough Normans, and they got us. King John, 20 years later, decided he didn't like the position of the castle, as it guarded the seas too well. So he sent irl De Lacy over to "sort out the boys". De Lacy took one look at the place, and liked it so much he made himself at home. After 20 years, the king wondered why he didn't come back. Old kingy was a bit slow if it took him that long to realise his plans hadn't, if you'll pardon the lame and cheesy punn, gone to plan!
Edward De Bruce was the next person to take it over, but only after a long siege which saw the inhabitants of the castle forced to eating those of De Bruce's men they managed to trap. They fled in the end, leaving the castle for De Bruce. After that, it's not really clear what happened. The videos that showed us all this were made for kids, and were woefully lacking in detail. But, to this day, the castle stands. I had a real good look at it all, and even climbed into a crevace in one of the walls to see how thick it was. It was about 6 ft thick! I'll post photos if I can get some off my aunty. There's some of the gorgeous views over the sea too.
Once the Americans had taken more photos than you could shake a USB stick at (yes, their camera is digital, and I am clever!), we headed back into civilisation. I say civilisation, because Belfast has shops, and shops =a desirable place to live. We didn't spend too long there though, as the oldies were tired from all the walking. I did manage to get my hands on sweeties though, really old ones like shrimps and milions. It was one of those sweetshops that has the sweets in jars all round the edges. I haven't seen one of those in years!
Once i'd squirrelled away my purchases, we jumped back in the car and dropped them off with the people they were staying with. Then it was a quick stop at the chinese to prevent our bellies from complaining, and home to a Molly who went absolutely mad to see me.
And that's it, oh so avid reader. Substitute avid for bored, if it fits better. I suspect it might! Now, go and enjoy that good country air. Oh, watch out for that elephant!
Thursday 16 October 2008
The Eagle Has Landed
Wait, did I fly on an eagle? Blast that Dementia; I forget so much! That's what happens when you're 21, nearly 22. Eagles are awfully advanced now though; they have air hostesses and everything!
You'll be glad, or perhaps disappointed, to know that I arrived safely late last night. Yes, dear reader, 10 PM is late when you're as old as I. The day started off well enough. I managed to get all the housework done before I left, and even got my jeans dry that i'd forgotten to wash until 11 the night before, and which I wanted to wear during travelling. Molly, as usual, hid when she realised that she'd have to work for her keep, but once she got going, she worked like an absolute trooper, despite the suitcase she had to look out for as well. As usual, we got to the bus stop just as the bus was about 5 feet from the kerb, and, as usual, he didn't stop to let us on. So we passed a nice 15 minutes waiting for the next bus, while I sweated about missing my train. I made it in the end, due in no small part to how well Molly worked. She even found the help desk first time!
We had to go to Paddington, which took an hour. Molly wasn't thrilled to say the least, as she couldn't sprawl under a table and laze around. Instead, she was packed under a seat, and let me know, through grumbling and throwing herself about, that she was not happy! I was expecting her to huff, but she didn't, and worked brilliantly all the way through the underground and up to the next train, where she made fast friends with another passenger on the train to the airport. He took it all in good humor, which I was glad of, because she attached herself to him like a limpit! Ended up sitting under his seat and everything. So we swapped dog stories for half an hour, and moaned about the state of the economy, the government, and the world in general... It was great! Cheered me up no end!
I got to the airport in plenty of time, and got all the boring check in and paperwork done for check in. I can't believe how good the dog was all the way through. She didn't even fuss when I fitted her into her flight harness which she usually hates. Slept most of the way through the flight, and then worked brilliantly, finding my aunty in the crowd and everything. It's on days like that that I really appreciate the extra independence we get as a good, working team.
My aunty's soft with animals, and even let her sprawl on the back seat of the car, instead of in the boot where she usually goes. As usual, we stopped for chips on the way home, and we were very very naughty and even got ice cream! With strawberry sauce!
After that, it was plain sailing, well, driving, all the way home. I'm there now, staying with my Granny, and working on my cruddy old laptop which runs so hot that I think it's blistering my leg! So, I don't think i'm going to write much more, as third degree burns aren't my idea of a desirable way to spend a holiday. I'll try and update daily, but I expect i'll be quite busy here, catching up with the family, and some friends that we have over from America. Until next time!
You'll be glad, or perhaps disappointed, to know that I arrived safely late last night. Yes, dear reader, 10 PM is late when you're as old as I. The day started off well enough. I managed to get all the housework done before I left, and even got my jeans dry that i'd forgotten to wash until 11 the night before, and which I wanted to wear during travelling. Molly, as usual, hid when she realised that she'd have to work for her keep, but once she got going, she worked like an absolute trooper, despite the suitcase she had to look out for as well. As usual, we got to the bus stop just as the bus was about 5 feet from the kerb, and, as usual, he didn't stop to let us on. So we passed a nice 15 minutes waiting for the next bus, while I sweated about missing my train. I made it in the end, due in no small part to how well Molly worked. She even found the help desk first time!
We had to go to Paddington, which took an hour. Molly wasn't thrilled to say the least, as she couldn't sprawl under a table and laze around. Instead, she was packed under a seat, and let me know, through grumbling and throwing herself about, that she was not happy! I was expecting her to huff, but she didn't, and worked brilliantly all the way through the underground and up to the next train, where she made fast friends with another passenger on the train to the airport. He took it all in good humor, which I was glad of, because she attached herself to him like a limpit! Ended up sitting under his seat and everything. So we swapped dog stories for half an hour, and moaned about the state of the economy, the government, and the world in general... It was great! Cheered me up no end!
I got to the airport in plenty of time, and got all the boring check in and paperwork done for check in. I can't believe how good the dog was all the way through. She didn't even fuss when I fitted her into her flight harness which she usually hates. Slept most of the way through the flight, and then worked brilliantly, finding my aunty in the crowd and everything. It's on days like that that I really appreciate the extra independence we get as a good, working team.
My aunty's soft with animals, and even let her sprawl on the back seat of the car, instead of in the boot where she usually goes. As usual, we stopped for chips on the way home, and we were very very naughty and even got ice cream! With strawberry sauce!
After that, it was plain sailing, well, driving, all the way home. I'm there now, staying with my Granny, and working on my cruddy old laptop which runs so hot that I think it's blistering my leg! So, I don't think i'm going to write much more, as third degree burns aren't my idea of a desirable way to spend a holiday. I'll try and update daily, but I expect i'll be quite busy here, catching up with the family, and some friends that we have over from America. Until next time!
Tuesday 14 October 2008
Daily updatees?
Ahem, who ever said anything, in their first post, about updating daily? Not me, i'm sure! I have a good excuse for it this time. But first, to the bank.
I went down there on Saturday to try and take my savings out of the none too stable bank. I'd rather have them gathering dust under my matress than frozen in a liquidised bank somewhere, even if they are worthless when inflation sky rockets. I know that the government say they'll protect my money up to 50 thousand, but firstly, the forecast time it will take to go through the admin to give people their money back is three months, and secondly, Iceland made a similar, if smaller, guarantee to Brits who invested in IceSafe and Kaupthing. When their banks went bust, they said "Well, we're sorry. We don't have enough money so we're not giving you yours back." So, bearing all that in mind, I decided that I wanted to hear the crackle of crisp notes in my grubby little fingers.
I had a web saver account, and thought that, if I told them I was closing it, they'd give me the balance straight away. Turns out they don't any more. So, the only way to get the money out is to transfer it to my current account and withdraw from there, i'm told. I do this, so now, the sneaky bank have made me pay off an overdraft with that money sitting there. Then, she tells me that there's a daily limit on withdrawals which means i'll have to come back 4 days on the trot to get all of my savings. "Why didn't you tell me this before I transfered?" I want to know, to which she has no good answer. I tell her I want the money in cash, and she says she can write me a cheque, a banker's draught. Um, hello? I'd have to pay that into my current account to get the cash! So we're right back at square 1 here, aren't we?
After a lot of interrogation *pins on MI5 badge*, I managed, through cunning trick questions, to learn that I could put in a cash order, but that it would take at least 48 hours for them to have the cash. Yes folks, I am so rich that the bank doesn't have enough money to pay me! Grovel at my highly polished, very expensive, custom made boots! or the pair of grubby old Sketcher trainers that I got on special offer, take your pick.
So, I requested the cash order, and was told by some old battle axe of a manager that I couldn't have the money until next Saturday. Um, didn't you just say 48 hours? no? Ah, don't worry, it's my old age kicking in... The dementia, you know. But even old people can shout, and shout I did, asking them for policy to back up this spurious time period, which they couldn't provide. The upshot was that I sailed in there yesterday morning, and scooped my fat wad of cash from under the nose of the same old witch... And she had the cheek to say "See you again soon." as I left. See me soon? I don't think so, unless of course, you read Heat. I'll be on the front cover of there next month for being one of the richest people in the world.
Ok, so it was a thin wad. My conscience is too good to lie to you, dear reader. Aren't I such a model to look up to? Yes, send your children to learn at my knee... If you want slightly deranged and unstable kids, that is.
After I got home from the bank, I had a look for jobs for about the 50th time that day, and, shock horror, I found 2! Yes, not 1 but 2. I grabbed my pen, and started to scribble furiously and diligently. I made some nice designs on my desk, but surprisingly, it didn't get the online application form filled in! After that, I resulted to the terribly old fashioned method of simply typing my answers, and that seemed to get the job done. Old technology's far more reliable than these new-fangled devices. Pens are far too complex for this simple gal.
I've found a new addiction, and it goes by the name of Solitaire. Nope, not a new street drug, but the wonderful, horribly adicting card game. My mum has the blame for this placed squarely on her shoulders, has the sole responsibility for my new, dependent, status. She introduced me to it last week and I thought I wouldn't like it initially. But now, i'm as hooked as the cod on the end of 6 fishing lines who ate every worm because his mum didn't feed him breakfast that morning. That means i'm really hooked!
But something really exciting happened yesterday. I was due to go home, Northern Ireland that is, for something i'd arranged to do ages ago, but didn't think I could afford to go. When I called them to let them know, they told me they'd pay for my flights. I found out at about 5 last night, and i'm leaving at 1 today. A whirlwind which looked oddly Carly shaped, was released on my house. It packed quicker than I ever have before, but if you asked me what i'd put in my suitcase, I don't think I could tell you. What I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, is that it left a *lot* of mess behind it. It's understandable I suppose; whirlwinds have such a strong backlash, but i had words with it this morning! I hope I have everything I need! I definitely have my toothbrush though, and, as long as I have that, and a towel of course, i'll survive. And, if you haven't read the HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you'll not have a clue what i'm talking about with towels. If so, don't worry, it's just an oldy thing. If you've read it, where's my kudos for fitting it into a post! Oh, and pull up a pee stained chair; you're now officially considered ancient by the kids, who tell me, "You're soooo not hip Carly, because you haven't got a Facebook account." Well, I do actually, so there!
After I packed, I filled in another job application, but this one wasn't for a physio job. It's for a post assessing visually impaired people for appropriate technology in schools and employment. Of course, I won't get it. Jaded? Nope, just cynical. Anyway, I don't have the qualifications they want. I'm applying on the off-chance that they'll think life experience with this technology is far better than theory teaching in a classroom. I'm sure you'll agree with most sensible, well run organisations, that life experience counts for nothing, especially if you're proficient in whatever it is they're looking for. You can't possibly know it completely without a bit of paper to say you do!
After that, it was chocolate (Galaxy Cookie Crumble), phone calls, and bed.
I'd just like to point out that i'm showing my dedication to you, well, kind of anyway. It was before 7 when I started writing this! Yes, that's commitment. Or is it a person's way of passing time when they can't sleep? I'm pleading the fifth, I think.
I went down there on Saturday to try and take my savings out of the none too stable bank. I'd rather have them gathering dust under my matress than frozen in a liquidised bank somewhere, even if they are worthless when inflation sky rockets. I know that the government say they'll protect my money up to 50 thousand, but firstly, the forecast time it will take to go through the admin to give people their money back is three months, and secondly, Iceland made a similar, if smaller, guarantee to Brits who invested in IceSafe and Kaupthing. When their banks went bust, they said "Well, we're sorry. We don't have enough money so we're not giving you yours back." So, bearing all that in mind, I decided that I wanted to hear the crackle of crisp notes in my grubby little fingers.
I had a web saver account, and thought that, if I told them I was closing it, they'd give me the balance straight away. Turns out they don't any more. So, the only way to get the money out is to transfer it to my current account and withdraw from there, i'm told. I do this, so now, the sneaky bank have made me pay off an overdraft with that money sitting there. Then, she tells me that there's a daily limit on withdrawals which means i'll have to come back 4 days on the trot to get all of my savings. "Why didn't you tell me this before I transfered?" I want to know, to which she has no good answer. I tell her I want the money in cash, and she says she can write me a cheque, a banker's draught. Um, hello? I'd have to pay that into my current account to get the cash! So we're right back at square 1 here, aren't we?
After a lot of interrogation *pins on MI5 badge*, I managed, through cunning trick questions, to learn that I could put in a cash order, but that it would take at least 48 hours for them to have the cash. Yes folks, I am so rich that the bank doesn't have enough money to pay me! Grovel at my highly polished, very expensive, custom made boots! or the pair of grubby old Sketcher trainers that I got on special offer, take your pick.
So, I requested the cash order, and was told by some old battle axe of a manager that I couldn't have the money until next Saturday. Um, didn't you just say 48 hours? no? Ah, don't worry, it's my old age kicking in... The dementia, you know. But even old people can shout, and shout I did, asking them for policy to back up this spurious time period, which they couldn't provide. The upshot was that I sailed in there yesterday morning, and scooped my fat wad of cash from under the nose of the same old witch... And she had the cheek to say "See you again soon." as I left. See me soon? I don't think so, unless of course, you read Heat. I'll be on the front cover of there next month for being one of the richest people in the world.
Ok, so it was a thin wad. My conscience is too good to lie to you, dear reader. Aren't I such a model to look up to? Yes, send your children to learn at my knee... If you want slightly deranged and unstable kids, that is.
After I got home from the bank, I had a look for jobs for about the 50th time that day, and, shock horror, I found 2! Yes, not 1 but 2. I grabbed my pen, and started to scribble furiously and diligently. I made some nice designs on my desk, but surprisingly, it didn't get the online application form filled in! After that, I resulted to the terribly old fashioned method of simply typing my answers, and that seemed to get the job done. Old technology's far more reliable than these new-fangled devices. Pens are far too complex for this simple gal.
I've found a new addiction, and it goes by the name of Solitaire. Nope, not a new street drug, but the wonderful, horribly adicting card game. My mum has the blame for this placed squarely on her shoulders, has the sole responsibility for my new, dependent, status. She introduced me to it last week and I thought I wouldn't like it initially. But now, i'm as hooked as the cod on the end of 6 fishing lines who ate every worm because his mum didn't feed him breakfast that morning. That means i'm really hooked!
But something really exciting happened yesterday. I was due to go home, Northern Ireland that is, for something i'd arranged to do ages ago, but didn't think I could afford to go. When I called them to let them know, they told me they'd pay for my flights. I found out at about 5 last night, and i'm leaving at 1 today. A whirlwind which looked oddly Carly shaped, was released on my house. It packed quicker than I ever have before, but if you asked me what i'd put in my suitcase, I don't think I could tell you. What I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, is that it left a *lot* of mess behind it. It's understandable I suppose; whirlwinds have such a strong backlash, but i had words with it this morning! I hope I have everything I need! I definitely have my toothbrush though, and, as long as I have that, and a towel of course, i'll survive. And, if you haven't read the HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you'll not have a clue what i'm talking about with towels. If so, don't worry, it's just an oldy thing. If you've read it, where's my kudos for fitting it into a post! Oh, and pull up a pee stained chair; you're now officially considered ancient by the kids, who tell me, "You're soooo not hip Carly, because you haven't got a Facebook account." Well, I do actually, so there!
After I packed, I filled in another job application, but this one wasn't for a physio job. It's for a post assessing visually impaired people for appropriate technology in schools and employment. Of course, I won't get it. Jaded? Nope, just cynical. Anyway, I don't have the qualifications they want. I'm applying on the off-chance that they'll think life experience with this technology is far better than theory teaching in a classroom. I'm sure you'll agree with most sensible, well run organisations, that life experience counts for nothing, especially if you're proficient in whatever it is they're looking for. You can't possibly know it completely without a bit of paper to say you do!
After that, it was chocolate (Galaxy Cookie Crumble), phone calls, and bed.
I'd just like to point out that i'm showing my dedication to you, well, kind of anyway. It was before 7 when I started writing this! Yes, that's commitment. Or is it a person's way of passing time when they can't sleep? I'm pleading the fifth, I think.
Monday 13 October 2008
Sorry!
For I must say sorry, as i've been very bad indeed! You know why? Because I didn't update my blog once while i was away. I've slapped myself on the wrist already, so please don't feel the need to do it for me... once was bad enough!
I did, believe it or not, have a reasonably good excuse for not updating you. There isn't much to tell! I arrived safe and sound at mum's work where I was supposed to meet her, and, shock horror, the trains actually ran on time so I was early! yes folks, you heard it here first, English public transport does occasionally work the way it was promised to!
"So, what to do?" I thought, having arrived a whole hour early. Well, there was only one thing for it. I sneakied into Burger King to wile away the time by having an intimate relationship with a chicken burger and chips... I think i've found my other half!
In the end I met mum, and, after she too had committed the hanus crime of indulging in a BK, we trapsed off home with every intention of going to a pub quiz. However, the leur of new laptops, cruddy old music, and a warm house kept us very firmly indoors.
The next day, we were supposed to cook but again, the cunningness of comfy beds, girlie chatter and turkey drummers and waffles beguiled us with honeyed words. We tried to cook, honest we did! But those wiley distractions were having none of it!
After some quick thinking and fast talking, we managed to escape their clutches long enough to hightail it to the supermarket for some essentials like: 3 bars of chocolate, coconut biscuits, rice crispies and sausage rolls. Well, it was such hard work choosing which type of chocolate to buy that we thought we deserved a drink. The pub was very close, so really, it would have been rude to just walk past it...
We did manage to make it home, and even to cook! We had yummy chicken supreme with some weird pasta/potato stuff that I can't spell, and rice crispy buns and banana bread topped it off just nicely. We also had a friend over, and it's her fault that I didn't sleep until about 2 in the morning!
The next day, the dreaded interview day, wasn't too promising. I'm not gonna go into mega detail here, as it still makes me cringe to think about it. I spent the whole morning biting my nails to the quick, pacing, and generally being a nervous wreck as I am before all interviews. The dreaded wrinkles in the suit were removed by hanging it for a while, and, once on, you wouldn't know it had spent the last 3 days of its life in a rucksack. My boots? Oh, I thought they were great at the start of the morning, but, by the time I got home, I swore i'd never wear heels ever again.
So, off I go in the taxi, after he's refused to knock on the door because I have a dog, and he's Asian (no, i'm not being racist here... Merely stereotypical!) We're about 5 minutes late, but it's Ok; i've left time for that. We even get to the hospital on time. But here's where the fun starts. The man, despite me telling him the name of the building repeatedly, doesn't know where he's going. We stop for directions no less than 3 times, each stop taking us about 5 minutes. By this point, i'm really panicking that we're going to be late, and wondering how the third set of directions will help him any more than the first. Each person told us the same thing and, each time, he drove the wrong way. In the end, he brought a woman to the car to drive with us and show us where to go... and he still couldn't drive the right way!
On the other side of the hospital from where we needed to be, and with only 5 minutes to spare, I asked the woman if she'd walk it with me. The taxi man even had the cheek to over charge me! So, out we got, and ran the 10 minute walk in under 5 minutes... Can you see now why I hate heels? But wait, it gets better! We arrived, just on time, to a deserted block. Yes, there was nobody waiting for me, and no clear signing as to where the interview was taking place. After a while, we disturbed someone's lunch to ask them to call for us... Turns out, HR, that oh so helpful and efficient department, had given me the wrong building for the interview! "Where were you supposed to go!" I here you scream (or is that the voices in my head again?) Can you guess? Yep, right round the other side of the hospital... Right where I was initially!
So, yet again, we ran the 10 minute walk in 5 minutes. By this point, I was hot, sweaty, out of breath, and 10 minutes late for my interview; so late in fact that one of the pannel was waiting outside for me. For the first 5 minutes of my very short interview, I could hardly talk due to breathlessness. The dog wouldn't sit still. I had my rucksack with me, through not having the time to leave it at reception... The list goes on. And I didn't know the answers to two of the questions they asked me!
Perhaps unsurprisingly, they didn't offer me the job, although I was rather glad, as the rotations they offer are really rubbish, and not at all what was stated on the job description, and St George's hospital doesn't look the nicest place to work. Apparently, it also has a pretty bad reputation. So, stuff you Georgey, I didn't want to work there anyway!
But wait! Hold on to your seats folks! The fun isn't over yet. The tube trains are next. Usually, it's a breeze to get to the train station to go home to Oxford. Today, I jumped on the tube, and settled in for a long journey, which was cut short when the driver informed us of a signal failure. I was going to have to get off at an earlier station and change twice rather than once. "Typical," I thought, in a semi-jaded fashion, "But it's all right, at least i'll still get home." We were sailing along quite nicely, when they then told us that the train was terminating in 2 stations' time. Ok, so i'll just get off and wait on the next tube that's going through to my station. Which I did. Again, it was chuntering along, as tubes generally do, and then, it stopped. Yep, just stopped. For 10 minutes. We were told that, just in front of us, there was yet another signal failure and that we were stuck. We couldn't go forward because the track points weren't working, and we couldn't go backwards for some unknown, but probably valid, reason. So there we sat, for about 40 minutes while people tried to fix the track. Eventually, I did make it to my station, and even to the train station. I even caught the train to Oxford without a hitch! But, when I went outside to grab the taxi i'd ordered, turns out that the controller hadn't passed on the message that i'd have a dog with me. The taxis like to put a blanket down to keep her hairs off the car, but I was lucky. I knew this one, so he didn't argue and fight about taking me, blanketless as I was. Thankfully, I arrived home in one piece, at the end of a very long, very tiring day.
Ok, so perhaps there was a little more to update you on than I thought. And i haven't even got to the weekend yet! There really isn't much to tell here. Lazy days in the house, dog walks, fighting with my bank... But i'll leave the fight until tomorrow, as that's when i'll discover if i've been successful or not. Until then, comment, or else!
I did, believe it or not, have a reasonably good excuse for not updating you. There isn't much to tell! I arrived safe and sound at mum's work where I was supposed to meet her, and, shock horror, the trains actually ran on time so I was early! yes folks, you heard it here first, English public transport does occasionally work the way it was promised to!
"So, what to do?" I thought, having arrived a whole hour early. Well, there was only one thing for it. I sneakied into Burger King to wile away the time by having an intimate relationship with a chicken burger and chips... I think i've found my other half!
In the end I met mum, and, after she too had committed the hanus crime of indulging in a BK, we trapsed off home with every intention of going to a pub quiz. However, the leur of new laptops, cruddy old music, and a warm house kept us very firmly indoors.
The next day, we were supposed to cook but again, the cunningness of comfy beds, girlie chatter and turkey drummers and waffles beguiled us with honeyed words. We tried to cook, honest we did! But those wiley distractions were having none of it!
After some quick thinking and fast talking, we managed to escape their clutches long enough to hightail it to the supermarket for some essentials like: 3 bars of chocolate, coconut biscuits, rice crispies and sausage rolls. Well, it was such hard work choosing which type of chocolate to buy that we thought we deserved a drink. The pub was very close, so really, it would have been rude to just walk past it...
We did manage to make it home, and even to cook! We had yummy chicken supreme with some weird pasta/potato stuff that I can't spell, and rice crispy buns and banana bread topped it off just nicely. We also had a friend over, and it's her fault that I didn't sleep until about 2 in the morning!
The next day, the dreaded interview day, wasn't too promising. I'm not gonna go into mega detail here, as it still makes me cringe to think about it. I spent the whole morning biting my nails to the quick, pacing, and generally being a nervous wreck as I am before all interviews. The dreaded wrinkles in the suit were removed by hanging it for a while, and, once on, you wouldn't know it had spent the last 3 days of its life in a rucksack. My boots? Oh, I thought they were great at the start of the morning, but, by the time I got home, I swore i'd never wear heels ever again.
So, off I go in the taxi, after he's refused to knock on the door because I have a dog, and he's Asian (no, i'm not being racist here... Merely stereotypical!) We're about 5 minutes late, but it's Ok; i've left time for that. We even get to the hospital on time. But here's where the fun starts. The man, despite me telling him the name of the building repeatedly, doesn't know where he's going. We stop for directions no less than 3 times, each stop taking us about 5 minutes. By this point, i'm really panicking that we're going to be late, and wondering how the third set of directions will help him any more than the first. Each person told us the same thing and, each time, he drove the wrong way. In the end, he brought a woman to the car to drive with us and show us where to go... and he still couldn't drive the right way!
On the other side of the hospital from where we needed to be, and with only 5 minutes to spare, I asked the woman if she'd walk it with me. The taxi man even had the cheek to over charge me! So, out we got, and ran the 10 minute walk in under 5 minutes... Can you see now why I hate heels? But wait, it gets better! We arrived, just on time, to a deserted block. Yes, there was nobody waiting for me, and no clear signing as to where the interview was taking place. After a while, we disturbed someone's lunch to ask them to call for us... Turns out, HR, that oh so helpful and efficient department, had given me the wrong building for the interview! "Where were you supposed to go!" I here you scream (or is that the voices in my head again?) Can you guess? Yep, right round the other side of the hospital... Right where I was initially!
So, yet again, we ran the 10 minute walk in 5 minutes. By this point, I was hot, sweaty, out of breath, and 10 minutes late for my interview; so late in fact that one of the pannel was waiting outside for me. For the first 5 minutes of my very short interview, I could hardly talk due to breathlessness. The dog wouldn't sit still. I had my rucksack with me, through not having the time to leave it at reception... The list goes on. And I didn't know the answers to two of the questions they asked me!
Perhaps unsurprisingly, they didn't offer me the job, although I was rather glad, as the rotations they offer are really rubbish, and not at all what was stated on the job description, and St George's hospital doesn't look the nicest place to work. Apparently, it also has a pretty bad reputation. So, stuff you Georgey, I didn't want to work there anyway!
But wait! Hold on to your seats folks! The fun isn't over yet. The tube trains are next. Usually, it's a breeze to get to the train station to go home to Oxford. Today, I jumped on the tube, and settled in for a long journey, which was cut short when the driver informed us of a signal failure. I was going to have to get off at an earlier station and change twice rather than once. "Typical," I thought, in a semi-jaded fashion, "But it's all right, at least i'll still get home." We were sailing along quite nicely, when they then told us that the train was terminating in 2 stations' time. Ok, so i'll just get off and wait on the next tube that's going through to my station. Which I did. Again, it was chuntering along, as tubes generally do, and then, it stopped. Yep, just stopped. For 10 minutes. We were told that, just in front of us, there was yet another signal failure and that we were stuck. We couldn't go forward because the track points weren't working, and we couldn't go backwards for some unknown, but probably valid, reason. So there we sat, for about 40 minutes while people tried to fix the track. Eventually, I did make it to my station, and even to the train station. I even caught the train to Oxford without a hitch! But, when I went outside to grab the taxi i'd ordered, turns out that the controller hadn't passed on the message that i'd have a dog with me. The taxis like to put a blanket down to keep her hairs off the car, but I was lucky. I knew this one, so he didn't argue and fight about taking me, blanketless as I was. Thankfully, I arrived home in one piece, at the end of a very long, very tiring day.
Ok, so perhaps there was a little more to update you on than I thought. And i haven't even got to the weekend yet! There really isn't much to tell here. Lazy days in the house, dog walks, fighting with my bank... But i'll leave the fight until tomorrow, as that's when i'll discover if i've been successful or not. Until then, comment, or else!
me so far.
October 8th
Hurray, Hurray, it's a Holli holiday!
Well, not really, but it's still exciting. I'm going up to London to see my mum today, and spend a couple of days with her. I'm using the job interview that i have on Friday as an excuse to go up there, but really, I can't wait to see her. We haven't seen each other since my graduation on the 12th of September. The other reason i'm so excited is that she always has chocolate! Yes mum, this is the real reason why I love you, so share!
But, back to the job interview. I have it at 1 PM on Friday, and it lasts a grand total of half an hour. Is this the NHS ticking its "We interview disabled people too" Box? Who knows! I'm going in with the attitude that it isn't though, even though the interview's so short. So, how do I wow them in half an hour? By my dazzling charm and good looks, of course! Not to mention my quick wit and super smile. Well, someone's got to love me!
So i've ironed, yes, you read that right, I ironed! My suit and shirt, then grumbled loud and long at the fact that neither would fold without wrinkling. I did the best I could, stuffed suit, shirt, boots, other clothes, and of course my perfume, all into a rucksack, and now, i'm ready to go! Ready, that is, if you discount the fact that i'm still wearing my pink slippers. you must also ignore the fact that Molly, sensing that she'll actually have to do some work today, is feigning absolute exhaustion, curled into a tight ball right in the very corner of her bed. She's such a funny dog. Let's hope she decides that working is a good idea, else the train station might just elude my seeking, this day. Toodle pip, until i get back.
October 7th
Introduction
Ok, so who am I, and what's the point in you reading my inane ramblings?
The answer to both these questions is simple. Firstly, I am Carly, a 21-year-old physiotherapist from the Oxfordshire area. And the answer to the second? There is absolutely no point whatsoever, unless, of course, you need an excuse to procrastonate at work for a few minutes each day. Ah, did I say procrastonate? What I meant to say was, read something deeply interesting, educational, and integral to the continued existence of the company you work for. Aren't you a good employee!
So, what's the purpose of the blog? It has no higher purpose i'm afraid; none beyond that of the usual blog, anyway. It's to let people know how i'm getting on, and, perhaps more importantly, to keep my own brain amused and stimulated while I go through the headache of job hunting. At the minute, due to this recession and NHS budget cuts, physiotherapy jobs, already thin on the ground, are almost impossible to find. Back in the summer, I was applying for about 7 or 8 a week on average. This week i've only found 1. I need some real luck if i'm to secure this single job for my good self.
But, do i even want to work in physio any more? The thought has plagued me with worrying regularity over the last month or so. Do i really want to struggle for the whole of my career with lifting people, cajoling them to do exercises they blatantly have no intention of doing, put old, arthritic, miserably unhappy stroke patients through repetative actions that they feel are pointless at the time? Do I want to struggle to find a job, struggle to prove to my work colleagues that a blind person can do it just as well as they, struggle to keep it when the recession really hits?
But then, you have the other side of the proverbial coin. The thanks and satisfaction you get after suctioning someone whose lungs are so full of phlegm and gunk that they couldn't breathe. The gratitude from parents and family when they see their child be enabled to crawl like any other kid of their age. The self satisfaction you get when you make a lonely, unhappy, scared elderly person feel better about their life and themselves through enabling them to be mobile enough to get to the shops again. There is no easy answer to my quandery, but I suppose it gives me something to ponder on, in between making job applications.
So, what can i tell you about my day? I slept late this morning (Naughty Carly!). Well, late, if you count 9 AM as late. Usually i'm up at 8 on the dot, with the guide dog, Molly, running in circles around me, attempting, to the best of her ability, to wag her tail right through the walls of the house! I've never seen a dog who can hit you with their tail with the force that Molly musters when she's excited or if there's the slightest chance that food will be offered as a reward for such exuberance. Once i'd distracted the raging beast with a good sized bowl of doggy biscuits, and slipped stealthily out of the range of the whip tail, it was time to begin the daily ritual of job hunting. Nothing presented itself this morning, so, as usually happens, i filled the time in between checking by logging onto a roleplay game i play over the internet. I'll tell you more about my character on there another time.
At about 11, when my belly started threatening to eat itself if I didn't feed it, I grabbed the first thing I could find in the fridge which happened to be a rather yummy tuna, garlic mayo, sweetcorn and cheese wrap. Yes, i'm still a student at heart, so don't bat an eyelid at eating stuff like this for breakfast.
With the belly appeased, it was a quick jaunt back to the computer to see if a job had presented itself. nope, still nothing. So, i'll have to find something else to fill my day with.
Anyway, that's all I have to tell at the minute. I told you it would be exciting! Until tomorrow, be good. Don't forget to leave a comment... whenever i work out how to give you the option of doing so, that is.
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