Mocha Choca

post

2006-11-25T17:17:00.000Z

Post arrived last night.

Post is good.

I DIIIIIIIID IT, I DIIIIIIIIID IT (insert image of merry jig here), yep, I passed. I got me a MSC in Library and Information Management, with commendation no less. Woo hoo the girl done good. It is impossible to portray in writing quite how fantastic it felt to get those results. The fact that I almost dislocated my jaw with the grin that emerged might give you some idea. That and the bone crushing hug that my dad gave me cos he was here for the grand opening of the envelope. Flowers from my mam. Beer with AGC. Cake this morning. Cake this afternoon. Champers tonight. Is all good, overwhelming, and very happy joy joy.

So that's it. The end. I won't gush cos I've done enough of that on the blog over the past few months. Thanks so much for joining me. Thanks for reading. So long, farewell, auf wiedersehn, adieu as they would say in the Sound of Music. Here the sermon end-eth.

Over and out xx

mess

2006-11-24T18:03:00.000Z

as in don't. Mess with me. Not this week anyway. All week I've been hyper aware that the diss result post is due. On Monday I started counting down the days till Wednesday when they're being posted out. On Tuesday I nearly had a melt down when someone who in all fairness knew nothing about the diss situation, dared to mess with me. But it proper upset me. I had to go and hide behind the curtains at theatre, count to 10, and try not to cry. How pathetically wimpy is that? On Wednesday I sat all day at work thinking about the post. Then all the way home on the bus. Then all night at home. Then in bed...well you get the picture. On Thursday I went Xmas shopping in an attempt to distract myself. I got home later than usual. Heart pounding at the front door. Open door. Only post is crap post. Have wee melt down. Throw crap post on the floor and shout c**ksuckers lots of times. Neighbours may well have called for men in white coats. So today is Friday. And I'm at work doing overtime. Who knows if anything is laying on the doormat in wait for me? I don't finish till 8. Heart will pound at door. Lesson learnt from this: not as patient as I thought I was. Ho-hum x

you really couldn't make this stuff up

2006-11-21T18:36:00.000Z

What an odd day! It started this morning whilst I was waiting for the visitor I had been assigned to collect from the bus station, being the only person in the building who actually knows what a bus is for and where they come from they had no choice but to send me. Anyhoo, I'm waiting, with absolutely no idea what this woman looks like, when this shifty looking man approaches me and says "I think I might go badger hunting today..." As he shuffles off past me, I just stared at his back, astonished at this oddness.

Then it just gets better. I'm on the desk this afternoon and this man approaches the desk with something green in his hand. He says it's for lost property. It's only when I take it off him that I realise it is an (unopened/unused thank god!) sanitary towel! Trying desperately not to laugh and wondering if this really constitutes lost property (would you ever claim it?) I show my supervisor it and we decide that the best place for it is the bin.

Thinking that must be the end, the next incident occurred over a bad choice of words. I approached the stationery drawer to get a stapler, there was a big boss in front of me so I called excuse me loudly. He said in reply that he thought I'd been going to shout at the boys using their mobile phones when they had only actually "fingered" it...again, I had to do my bestest not to laugh as I walked away to hand the student the stapler. What the...?

Then some creepy oldey blokeys were lusting after one of my colleagues who apparently looks like Jennifer Aniston and is "cute". I'll give them that, cos she's really teeny but ugh, nasty lechy old men perving over young colleagues, not good.

Then, R. ripped her skirt and had to fix it with glue and staples!

I tell you, a very odd day. Who can guess what will happen tonight? x

the week

2006-11-19T20:15:00.000Z

well people, this is it, this is the week when the results get posted out. So hopefully by this time next week I should know either way. I'll either be drunk in a corner somewhere...or drunk in a corner somewhere, either way I guess it's a win-win situation as far as being drunk is concerned. I shall let you all know as soon as poss; the end is nigh!

Busy worker-bee this weekend up at theatre. AGC has nominated me and Wavey as her painting bitches for Project Floor, so we were there all day yesterday and even gave up our Sunday to assist as well, how nice are we? Actually it's probably more accurate to say that we're scared of her and wouldn't dare mess...nah not really, but it's a lot of work and I've got chuff all else to do other than laze around and being helpful is all good. Plus it's really relaxing, or "zen" as it's now known. It is a bugger on your back/neck/knees however so lots of groaning and moaning and stretching is required post-painting. The work in progress looks like this so far:

By the end it will have a fleur-de-lis style pattern in that border as well as possible red dots in the green diamonds and hearts too. Then a big medallion in the middle. Will look fabulous dahlings! I've been painting the green diamonds, that's my job. Wavey started with the green diamonds but had trouble with the concept of painting outside the lines (as did I at the beginning but am rebelling with ease now) so had to do the brown bit in the 16 inch border. Is going to be lovely and AGC is the designer extraordinaire on it so it's extra special. Photos of the completed thing will follow.

So there you go. Still haven't sorted out Xmas pressies. Oh well. Ho-hum and all that jazz. Soon be time for Planet Earth, it's the jungle tonight. So off I trot.
Bye for now xx

overtime again

2006-11-17T18:21:00.000Z

1 hour and 10 minutes into the overtime this evening and it's been problem-city. Almost every customer has had some problem, or more importantly, some bad attitude that needs dealing with. Pah! We don't do this overtime and expect to work you know!!

Diss news: It's less than a week now to the date that they said they'll post the results out. I'm beginning to feel a bit agitated again. But am also trying not to be bothered about it because it's bound to be yet another trick and they won't be posting them out till next year...see how cynical they've made me? Before all this started I was a happy go lucky kind of gal; ATD I'm Missy Cynical.

There is no other news of great interest. Started my Xmas shopping after my work neighbour very calmly informed me that it was 6 weeks till the festive event on Monday...sheeeeeeet! I'm so not organised. And there's all these smug feckers around me who keep telling me that they've not only bought all their Xmas presents but wrapped and tagged them and written their Xmas cards; as you might be able to tell I'm delighted for them (she says through gritted teeth). I love rushing around with the crowds really, elbows at the ready to shove that pesky shopper away who wants the same toy I do from M&S. All will be well. 6 weeks is ages...isn't it?

That's it then. Hey, the next post might even have some real news in it!
Ta-ta x

news, sort of

2006-11-10T17:28:00.000Z

don't get too excited, it's nowhere near the news I want to hear. I've been so fed up of waiting, running anxiously home for the post every night only to find a doormat filled with catalogues for Xmas pressie ideas, and junk mail, and bills! So I emailed the administrator for the course who has always been very helpful with my queries. She didn't email me back until the following day by which point I was just heading into mild meltdown mode. Anyhoo, turns out that they aren't posting out the results until 22nd November, which means with the Xmas post, at least a further 3 day wait so we're basically talking the end of the month. I say a very loud PAH! I'd like to say lots of bad things about them but feel that it might be a jinx so best to keep quiet for now methinks.

In other news, the replies to the hair muddle have been coming in via the blog, emails and texts. So far, the majority opinion is to keep it short, with only one person asking me repeatedly when I am growing it back, and two cowardy-custards sitting on the fence and refusing to commit to a decision :o) This week has been a straight and sleek hair week so I'm thinking next week I'll go curly and messy, that way when it sticks up all over the place in the morning I'll just go with the (sticky-up) flow and be done with it.

Am 24 minutes into my 3 hour overtime shift at work. I've served 3 people. Luckily I have my Marianne Faithfull autobiography to keep me going. So far she's only 20 and she's turned down Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix and sha**ed Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and too many others to list, and dropped a lot of acid. She's cool, maaaan.

Bye-eee x

the long and the short of it

2006-11-08T20:01:00.000Z

it's funny I've had my hair chopped off before but it's never had quite the same reaction as I get with this new one. I've been complimented muchly ("foxy lady"); confused muchly (anyone remember that drumstick comment); but most of all I've had mixed reactions. On the one hand I have people telling me how fab my new hair is and on the other I have them asking me when I'm growing it back. It's getting me into quite a muddle. So I'm going to do something that I very rarely do: I'm taking it to the public. Yes readers, you will get to decide what I should do with my hair. I could quite possibly regret this but what the hey? Might as well keep you entertained whilst I continue the ETERNAL WAIT for the results...

To assist you with your decision I am very kindly going to post two photos of me, one with the v.long hair and one with the current do (you know as I'm writing this the words of one of my interviewees is ringing in my ears: vanity...forums...photos of myself all over the place...perhaps he's right?)

1st up is the long:

2nd up is how it looks today:

btw, nice necklace eh? AGC made that for me, I heart it so.

Anyhoo, so there you have it. The second photo is not so good as it's one I took myself and it's quite tricky to get a good photo of yourself. The decision is your's peeps. Vote away. I shall post the results as they start coming in.
Ta-ta x

a gal in a hat

2006-11-07T16:34:00.000Z

Went on a hat hunt today. Have been wanting one of those baker boy hats but having tried on many today I've decided that they are not for me. It was verging on ridiculous when the fake furry ones looked tempting, it really doesn't get that cold here. Ended up compromising with a black beret with a flower on it. Have been trying to take a photo but the flower detail just isn't coming up right. Hang on, one last try...nope it looks more like a window cleaners hat. I guess you'll just have to go with your imagination and if you see me in it, then go ah-ha, there's your hat from the blog. I do love a hat. Keeps your head toasty roasty warm when it gets cold out. Looks funkay. I'm sat in my new one now so ideally I need me a webcam then you could see me in my new hat.

Pleased to report that I am feeling much better today. Still traumatised by the up-chucking. I don't think I ever want to eat noodles again...they were on my shopping list but I just couldn't face buying them. Maybe Wavey is right and they are wormy-worms and that's what made me vom? Hmmm.

Still no news.

Bought my first Xmas present today. I know I know it's way too early. It worried me slightly. But as they are of the chocolate variety there's every chance that I'll get the munchies one night and they will no longer be someone's Christmas pressie but will instead be in my stomach.

Ta-ta x

best laid plans...

2006-11-06T20:17:00.000Z

...were ruined by some serious up-chucking last night. Bleurgh. Not good. Was supposed to be in Leeds today with my ma but instead I was in recovery mode from my 24 hour bug that left me crying over the toilet, oh what joy. Pleased to report that all seems to be well now. I've had several meals and none of them have tried to come out (too much?) Question: why does up-chucking make you cry? Does it make everyone cry or am I just extra wimpy? Ugh I hate it muchly.

Anyhoo, moving on. Before said up-chucking incident we did go and see the pretty fireworks. Thanks to Huw, who is possibly the only person I know to attend a firework display armed with a tripod and fancy camera, here is one for you to enjoy:

Everyone say oooh and aaaah as if you were there to watch now.

As I have yet again been a very bad blogger I shall update you quickly now. Still no news on the diss or final marks. Perhaps they don't want us to know? Perhaps everyone else knows and not me? All these thoughts run through my head on an almost daily basis as it drags on longer and longer. I mean COME ON! I just want to know now. Enuff already. Mini-rant completed.

I'm moving bedrooms. I don't think I've mentioned this on the blog. To cut a very long story short, new neighbours moved in. New neighbours loud. New neighbours might as well be in the same room as me when in bed. Me no likey. So am moving into the back bedroom where peace reigns. Ah bliss. Had been sleeping on the spare bed which is okay for a night but after a week and a half and serious neck ache and no bouncy mattress it couldn't go on any longer. I enlisted through gentle persuasion (it's so good being a helpless female sometimes!) the help of Huw and Wavey who very kindly took my bed to pieces in order to get it into my new bedroom. They will never know how very very happy and content and oh so grateful I was to sleep in my much loved bed last night. Especially after up-chucking, shaking, tears, etc. Oh god it was heaven. Thank you boys :o) General plan is to make new bedroom all glam and have the front bedroom as spare bedroom/dressing room. Oh how decadent I hear you cry, a dressing room! Sounds so posh doesn't it? Who would have thunk it? Too much watching of those decorating programmes.

Have been merrily enjoying lots of music of late. New Scissor Sisters, new Killers, oh monsieur how you spoil us with all these lovely new musical treats! Then I discovered The Gossip, bought their new cd and now I think it's stuck to the stereo as it stops and I press play again straightaway. Oooh they're oh so good. Probably not everyone's cup of tea but I am hearting them lots so there you go. Went to see The Maccabees on Saturday night. They too were pretty damned fine. Bought a band tee. Haven't done that in years. It's red. With funky silver men drawn on it. Odd but funkay. We stayed afterwards for the dancing. The DJ must have been the same age as us as his first song was "Brimful of Asha" from way back when, oh how we boogied. Even Huw was in serious danger of moving his feet in a dance-like way...by the end there were only about 10 of us left but it did leave us plenty of dancefloor to strut our stuff a la 13 Going on 30 to "Thriller". And with that mental image I shall leave you

Ta-ta xx

BTW

2006-10-23T21:52:00.000+01:00

don't anybody follow that link in the comments bit of "drunk". I haven't followed it myself as have awful thoughts that it will either kill my computer dead/be some very dodgy porn/or just general nastiness will ensue. For your own sakes, ignore ignore. Methinks I've been spammed! And I'm not sophisticated enough to know how to stop it. Ho hum :o)

anyone want to join my campaign?

2006-10-23T21:41:00.000+01:00

okay first things first, I had to remove the Watch Woman post. It was making me nervous, it's all well and good telling it to a few people and laughing, but, well, there could be implications. Nuff said really. So it's gone. For those of you who enjoyed the story, yay, and for those of you who missed it, ho hum. Ask me next time you see me and I'll tell you it all!

Next up. I have a new campaign as of this evening. Make new jars single girl friendly. It took me 15 minutes, yes, 15 minutes to get the lid of my brand new jar of Branston Pickle tonight! I was jumping up and down in my kitchen out of sheer frustration and wondering just who out of my address book I could call to come round and get the fecking thing off. Anyhoo, after one final deep breath in, some steely determination, an exerting grunt and a very loud YESSSS I successfully unscrewed the lid...my neighbours are probably wondering what the hell was going on in my kitchen but I felt proud! I mean come on!! How evil is that? The manufacturers just don't consider that not everyone has a strong husband/boyf/body builder in their house to get lids off. They should make these things easy to get into. Pleased to report that my cheese and pickle sandwich is now ready for consumption for lunch tomorrow :o)

Oooh thanks to my friend MB, I have discovered Bebo and made a pretty page but I'm keeping it quiet for now, have invited a select few though to join me...There's a whiteboard for you to draw pictures on!! Me likey.

Off to bath/bed/book now then sleep. Until the next time...xx

drunk

2006-10-22T12:08:00.000+01:00

as in I think I still am. I know I'm a dizzy ditz at the best of times but when I almost fell out of bed this morning I still felt drunk! So much so that I had to go downstairs, make my own breakfast and bring it back up to bed until the world stopped spinning. To be honest, it's still going a bit. Sheesh. Really must stop drinking so much of a Saturday night. Think I'm turning into a lush...

Had the guys over to watch the last of Green Wing series 1. Now all I need me is the next series and the madness can continue. Episode 8 is particularly funny as it's the slave auction where they all want to buy Mac but he's dropped out for fear of Sue White, and Boyce buys Alan Statham for 30p, and Joanna buys Lindon for £500 and scares the be-jesus out of him...we were chuckling away until there was a reference to swallowing and the room just boomed with shrieks of laughter. That would have been funny before but after Watch Woman, well, even more hilarious. My neighbours must have wondered what the hell was going on!

So it's Sunday. I should be cleaning my minging house but instead I'm thinking that I'm just going to drink lots of tea and doss about until I sober up. Then I'll clean my house, do my ironing, sort out my paperwork, all those boring jobs that Sundays are made for. Enjoy your day too x

bad blogger

2006-10-19T18:13:00.000+01:00

Oh deary me, I am indeedy a bad blogger. I was so full of good intent. I was going to continue posting until the diss results were in and then I was going to stop and then somehow life got really busy and I've hardly been in the house, never mind in front of my pc. I know I know, it's all just excuses but there you go. A gazillion things have probably happened in the (almost) month since I last blogged so I'll just fill you in on the most important things.

First up, still no word on the diss. Yep, we were promised 6th October. Now it's looking more like first week in November, which will eventually stretch out into the second, then the third...well you get the picture. For a course that proudly displays Information Management in its title they're not exactly big on the passing on of the information. So I sit and wait. And repeat the same thing to everyone who asks me. Which is frequently. I promise you peeps, I'm not sitting on the results laughing at you all behind your back. If I knew I would be telling! So sometime soon hopefully. I have received 4 invites now to the graduation ceremony. I wouldn't mind this except that I have NO RESULTS! Well that and that I'm not going as well. Dull. Loooooong. Uncomfortable gown. Bad hat. Boring speakers. Cringe-worthy photos. I went to my first one, I ain't going to this one. No sireee Bawb. Thus ends that sermon.

The second thing is that I've had me my hair chopped. Yep we reckon that a good 8-10 inches have been taken away. And it's wonderful! My head feels so light. Those extra inches were heavy! Reactions have been very positive, except for one person who shall remain nameless who said I looked like a drumstick. I've yet to establish if he means of the chicken variety or the kind that drummers use to bang their drums with. Let's face it either way it is definitely not the correct phrase to say to a girlie who has just had her hair cut. So for all of you who don't see me everyday here is the new hair - TA DAH (just call me a Scissor Sister):

All comments gratefully received of course. Except if you're going to suggest resemblance to poultry.

We had the opening ceremony of the bar. Reactions were fair to middling. I have to say I was disappointed. All I wanted was for someone to come in and say WOW but most of our patrons are nearing their century in age so perhaps WOW isn't a statement they make much these days. Oh well. We did seem to sell more drinks. And we kept it mainly smoke free, always a bonus! And oh how smart we looked. Me and Wavey made a pact that we would dress smart so I put me a nice outfit on. The tights were fishnets. They caused a great stir. I was called "a strumpet". Hmmm. I no longer wear fishnets. But I didn't have them on with a teeny skirt! I wore my funky knee length city shorts. Not strumpet-like at all. Pah.

And finally, the only other thing to say is that it's getting really hard to get out of bed on a morning now that someone forgot to switch the daylight on. What's that all about then eh?

I promise I will post more. I apologise for my lack of posts. I am a bad blogger :o(

Excuses excuses

2006-09-30T17:26:00.000+01:00

Greetings! Long time no post. I do apologise but frankly, I've been playing out having too much fun. It has been on the back of my mind though that I really should make an attempt at a few words. Observations for this week then in no particular order:

1. Stay away from ginger. Went out for tea to the lovely Oodles of Noodles (yes it really is called that!) with the girlies to celebrate payday (wahey!). We all opted for the yellow thai curry apart from E. who went for the veggie option that was a ginger based sauce. Poor E. she ended up very poorly. I was always of the understanding that ginger settled your stomach but perhaps when accompanied with assorted veg and noodles it ain't good.

2. Took D. shopping to Matalan. She'd seen a jacket that she wanted. She didn't like the jacket. I went as the designated driver and ended up buying a jacket and yet another pair of shoes and she bought a bowl and a DVD. She wins. I bash my credit card yet again. Pah, this shopping has to stop!

3. Yet another glorious bus sighting on the way home yesterday. I really must try and surreptitiously take photos in future cos I'm sure none of you believe these things. They sadly are true. Yesterday's delight was a very large bottom housed in nasty baggy white jogging trousers with the words TASTY written across the backside, out of which was peeking a turquoise coloured thong that had the lovely detail of a cream coloured rosette attached to it with sequins sewn in the middle. I know this is a very detailed description, this is due to how much I saw because of how she was sat on the seat. I kept having to avert my eyes away from such horrors. Ugh. If you've got an arse that big you should not be wearing a thong. Ever. Get thee some big pants.

4. I've been so busy I still haven't watched the last two episodes of Lost!

5. I'm in a total Patricia Cornwell crime-fiction fest, so in the time that I'm not out playing, I'm working my way through all her books again. I'm up to The Body Farm...I'm not scaring myself much, no, not at all. Kay Scarpetta is quite possibly one of the finest crime fiction characters of all time. She can do everything! Literally. Need a helicopter pilot: Kay's yer woman. Need a lawyer: Kay's yer woman. How has she possibly found the time to do all these things? No wonder they've never made a film of her books, what actress could possibly step into such talented shoes??

6. Only got to corrupt a few Freshers. Most of them are far too good now that they actually pay for their education! Pah. One or two of them liked my suggestion that they go to the pub though, yeah!

7. And they weren't giving away half as much free stuff as they do normally in Freshers Week. Where's the free Haribo?

8. Sports Science students are very tasty :o) But they were born in 1988 EEEEK!

9. I need to learn some more lyrics to the new Scissor Sisters song..."I don't feel like dancing..."

10. I'm hugely excited about going to see Maximo Park on Monday night!!! Only been looking forward to this since we bought the tix way back in like May of this year when October 2nd was oh so far away, and now it's only 2 days to go, yippeee doo dah!

Bye-eeeee x

what we do at theatre

2006-09-30T17:06:00.000+01:00

Have spent all summer re-modelling the bar and foyer of the theatre and people always ask me about stuff so I thought I'd do a post with many photos of the kind of stuff we do. Today was a typical Saturday, except that I didn't get there till after lunch as was having my hair done this morning. The task for today was to reupholster a chair for our new bar.

So here's what the chairs look like before we start:

We're using canvasses that our fabulous set designer Stormin' had his students do for us to upholster the chairs:

This is the back view of that chair:

These are the three we've done so far inside our lovely new bar:

And here's where it all got a bit silly and we got camera-happy, strike a pose AGC:

Here I am with the lovely Fredly who gives the bestest hugs ever:

So. There you have it. Theatre fun!

ramblings

2006-09-24T16:29:00.000+01:00

My PC is doing a slow dance of death. Each time I switch it on it takes longer and longer to load up and when I try to get onto the internet it inevitably crashes the whole thing and I have to reboot. It's all a sign that I need to get me to PC World and hook myself up with a new laptop but I need payday to do that. Come on Tuesday!!

Today has been one of those slugglishly slow Sundays where you sleep late, mooch around, read a book, eat a late lunch, do some odd jobs, more reading...is great but is making me feel really sleepy. I think all my get up and go went in the envelope with the diss. I need to get it back! And sharpish.

My favourite work week is approaching: Freshers Week! Yep, all the baby freshers arrive over the weekend ready to begin their university life. And we get to go out to enrolment points, take their photos, tell them about the library, and so on. I usually tell them that they should go to the pub instead cos that's what I did when I was a fresher, I mean come on, why would you choose to go to the library for an induction sesh when you can be drinking with your new best friends in the pub? There's plenty of time to explore the library website and how to search for books, like the week before your first assignment is due in. As a fresher myself I pretty much spent the entire first year in the uni bar, enjoying £1 a pint nights. It's a vital part of the process. So am at three enrolment points. Plenty of Fresher-minds to corrupt, yay! (rubs hands together gleefully)

Went to see The Black Dahlia last night. Is hard to say how I felt about it. I think I enjoyed it. It was certainly great to look at, the fashion and 1940s LA, all very stylish. But it was a bit gruesome. I had to hide behind my cardie at one point. And the enjoyment of it was slightly marred by someone in the cinema doing some extremely smelly farts that were drifting my way, never good :o( The highlight (and I'm sure AGC will agree) was definitely Josh Hartnett's bum. And Fiona Shaw's mad mother as well. The thing is, it was slightly confusing to watch. I never really grasped exactly what was going on. Perhaps it will take a second viewing to fully understand it. On DVD maybe. So that I can freeze frame Josh's bum. Hmmm.

And finally, tonight sees the start of the BBC adaptation of Jane Eyre. You always know the seasons are changing when the BBC show their Sunday night dramas. AGC is coming round to watch. I idly wondered aloud as we were coming back from the cinema if there might be any naked bottoms in it, and AGC looked absolutely horrified as she replied "in Charlotte Bronte? I don't think so..." oh well, it was just a thought.

ATD!

2006-09-21T20:51:00.000+01:00

It's been exactly one week since the official hand in date. I am now in the official ATD zone! And it's goooood! This is the first night I've been in my house this week, all other nights have been out having lots of fun, yay.

It started on Monday with a visit to the Georgian Theatre to see The Storys. We had apprehension about this. It was a free gig, the place could hold a maximum of 160 people and a lot of interest had been shown apparently. So taking all this into account we three (me, Cat, Huw) arrange to meet at 7.15, gig to start at 8, even if there's a queue we should be okay getting in. We arrive and well, we needn't have worried. I think we counted 12 waiting outside. Hmmmm. Huge interest!! Anyhoo, long story short, we went, we saw, they were fabulous, we drank beer, we stayed behind and schmoozed with the band. And let me tell you they were lovely lads. Lovely. And very Welsh. Huw was in his element. He might as well have been back in the mystical valleys with some sheep, his accent got stronger and stronger and they LOVED him! Oh where you from, oh I know some people there (said in lilting Welsh accent). It was most delightful. However, due to schmoozing, missed the last bus home, had to borrow cab fare as spent my last tenner on a cd (as you do), got to bed around quarter to one in the a.m.

So Tuesday, boy was I tired. I got to work and muttered something about needing tea. Continued to consume many cups of tea and many many biscuits (somehow they made me feel less tired), made it through the day. Went to theatre as usual. Almost fell asleep behind the set. If Wavey hadn't needed me to move to continue building I might well have slept there all night. Went to pub. Used both Wavey and AGC as glorified cushions. I really needed my blankie. So AGC drove me home and straight to bed I went.

Yesterday I took my ma to see The Queen. Yes, we went all the way to Buckingham Palace...or should that be the palace known as Cineworld to see Helen Mirren playing Ma'am (as in ham, not ma'am as in harm in case you ever meet her, oh and you have to bow from the neck down and never ever show your back to her). Great little film. Have to wonder though, how did they get away with that? Did they need special permission? Do Ma'am and Prince Philip really share a bed? Does he really call her Cabbage? So many questions...that will never be answered!

Anyhoo, so tonight I'm indoors. Yes, I've revelled in my night in. I've cooked me a nice meal. I've eaten pudding with custard (yum!), I've tried to apply for my NUS Extra card 3 times and the whole thing is jammed up, and now I'm blogging. I apologise for my lack of posts, but hey, it's ATD, and a girl's gotta have her fun x

sightings

2006-09-16T16:19:00.000+01:00

Had another one of those strange bus experiences today. Well actually yesterday as well when I saw an old lady wearing 3 watches hauling one of those shopping trolleys onto the bus. But I think today's would win the prize hands down. I'm sat on the bus on my way to work this morning when we get to a stop in the main part of town where most people get off. What I saw next was just so good that I had to text 3 of my friends to tell them, and I'll now share with you too. It was an old man, and by old I mean at least 70, wearing...are you ready...black tights, a white leotard, and riding boots! And nothing else. I kid you not. As I said in my text message, who needs a tv when you can just ride around on the bus all day watching the people on them!!

The only other perturbing thing that happened was the cute guy who I've been admiring over the past couple of days came into work again (he really hearts the library) and I had to serve him. Did just that but was very disappointed to find that instead of smelling of some sexy macho aftershave he reeked of TCP. Ick! How wrong is that? I say pah x

Becoming a librarian

2006-09-13T18:18:00.000+01:00

It's starting to happen and it's beyond my control. I don't think I can stop it either. Oh dear.

To summarise what would be an incredibly long story, I'm at work, I start a job that basically involves tidying up and putting loose journals into boxes and making labels for them, and I suddenly realise after about half an hour that I'm actuallly enjoying myself! I think it was at that point that an "eeek" left my lips and I started to worry. I had to go back to my desk and have a cup of camomile tea to calm myself down. No no no. I have never been one to enjoy tidying up and organising things. What's happening to me? I'm being taken over by alien-librarians! Someone help me before it's too late...

In other news, I took my wall planner down. Further confirmation of the end of the diss. Yay!

And I'm cooking up a salmon fillet, a jacket potato, some broccoli and baby sweetcorn for my dins. Yumness.

Ta-ta x

my free time!

2006-09-12T17:56:00.000+01:00

I actually forgot to blog last night cos I was having so much fun enjoying all my free time! Yep, the diss went into the post bag yesterday. I felt a bit silly asking the man at the Post Office if he would mind if I took a photo, so instead we exchanged some witty banter about the diss being worth more than £500 (part of the postal thingy), I gulped at the price (£7.40!), and left the Post Office feeling elated, weird, and downright giddy!

So that's it. It's officially gone. My time is free. To spend how I wish. Is lovely! Last night I made an incredibly unhealthy dinner, ate a huge piece of carrot and walnut cake, drank tea, had visitors, watched Enigma which I kind of enjoyed, but Kate, Kate, those glasses...you really should have gone to SpecSavers! This evening I am partaking in my usual Tuesday night theatre antics, tomorrow I will really have to iron as I officially have no clothes left to wear, and Thursday and Friday are free free free! God how I love that word.

What I have to say next may well either be greeted with glee or sadness, depending on how much you heart the blog but I thought it best to ease you readers into the idea gently. Thing is, after I get the results, I'm closing the blog down. It's been tonnes of fun peeps but it will always, in my head, be associated with the diss, and now that I am diss-free, well, it's time to say goodbye. So you have me for another 3 or 4 weeks, depending on how long it takes to get the results. I shall of course oblige with a gushing goodbye post nearer the time. But for now, I shall try to continue to amuse you without the diss woes to aid me.

In usual style, I'm going now, to go and make my dins. Ta-ta x

Sunday sun

2006-09-10T17:24:00.000+01:00

well as you can see from the photos, it's printed, it's bound, it's ready for posting. I've been hauling it around in this white envelope for fear of it being stolen out of the parked car/my house. I was even going to take it to bed with me last night but decided that was really taking it too far!! And so it lived safely in the living room last night.

My first official day of freedom was celebrated by sleeping until noon. Then I finished my book whilst in pjs. No I didn't have to answer the door. Got dressed. Bought a shoe rack. Went to my ma and pa's for a cuppa and to pick up some nostalgia from their loft. Returned home. Built said shoe rack:

I only own 18 pairs of shoes. I don't think that's a lot compared to some. They do look lovely on the shoe rack though! Am very happy with my purchase.

Returning to activities, looked through nostalgia. Got letters from people I can't even remember! Went out for a walk in the gorgeous sunshine to stretch my legs. Driving all week has made me really lazy. I'll be glad to give the car back to my ma. I need my daily walking. And now I'm away up to the parents for some serious Sunday dinner, chicken and gravy, yum yum. And off out to the cinema with AGC for some larfs. Ain't this lazy life grand? x

look how relaxed...ahh bliss

2006-09-10T17:23:00.000+01:00

here it is...

2006-09-10T17:21:00.000+01:00

mental anguish!

2006-09-08T11:51:00.000+01:00

I removed the apostrophe from pyjamas, I did not wish to cause A. Grammar Checker such anguish. Blimey! But you know I'm crap, that's why I have said grammar/punctuation checker :o)

Sooooo, we've done it. We sorted out the contents page last night. Took a little longer than anticipated due to some pesky thing in the system that didn't like it, but it's now done. I've sent it to my email account and will save it onto a cd and then will hopefully go and print it and bind it later, depending on how long the shopping takes. Yes, shopping again. But this time I'm not allowed to buy anything, I'm taking D. along to the new H&M that opened yesterday, woohoo! No shoes I promise!

The only other exciting thing I've done today is start my new hair care regime. Do you know, curly hair products cost a fortune compared to straight hair stuff? Is not fair! We're being punished for having naturally bouncy hair, is not our fault. Started off with long hair shampoo (never used this before even though I've had long hair for years now), and I have serum, then I have mousse, and then I have a new curl creme. It's hard work being a curly girly, styling products are a must.

I found out today that should get the results from the diss within 3 weeks, so early October! Don't know about the actual pass or fail for the rest of the course, communication is not a big thing for them. I can't believe it's actually almost over. Wow x

things in pockets

2006-09-07T16:20:00.000+01:00

Throughout the time of knowing A. Grammar Checker, some very strange things have been revealed, not least of these are the odd life rules she has. One of the most amusing to me is the horror that accompanies the idea of anyone answering the door in their pyjamas; over the years I have answered various doors in a lot less. Her response: dirty. See? Odd.

Anyhoo, one of the other things she has is things in pockets. Without intending to, I've adopted this oddity myself and am now obsessed about what I will, and more importantly won't, put into my pockets. Like tissues for example. I used to merrily put them in my pockets and not be concerned about the visuals, but since I have discovered skinny jeans, a tissue in the pocket ain't good. So now I have nowhere to keep them. And they end up being found in the bottom of my bag, or on my sofa, or on the table. This is much worse surely than a tissue filled pocket? There is currently one sat in front of me on my PC desk. Ick. A. Grammar Checker - you have a lot to answer for!

But she's not the only one of my friends who has done this to me. C. from uni had this thing about old men's ears and how big they are. And I never noticed that before until he said it and even now, 8 years since finishing uni, I still can't help but eek at the size of some ears! They keep growing you know, that's why they're so big.

What am I talking about? Nonsense. I finished a few minutes ago and I'm already spouting nonsense. I think I should walk away from the computer. That's the best option. I'm going...will be back for more nonsense tomorrow :o)

um...

2006-09-07T16:09:00.000+01:00

...it's done. All laid out, all in the correct order, with page numbers (108 if you're interested), total word count comes in at 16,628 so not too many over the "approximately 16,000" that they assign you. A. Grammar Checker is coming round later to help me do the contents page (she knows some quick wizardy way that I don't so I'm taking advantage!) and then I just have to print it out and bind it. The first word that popped into my head after I'd done all this was "shit". I've obviously used up all the sensible words that would have been more appropriate on the diss.

So I took a photo of myself doing a celebratory "wahey". It's quite hard to take a photo of yourself but here it is anyway:

Please all join me in the WAHEY but don't use them all up at once, cos we need to save the really big ones for when it goes into the postman's bag and off to its destination. Then we do the very loud WAHEYs followed by CHEERS as we drink our champagne/beer/lager/wine/tequila etc etc xx

all over the shop

2006-09-06T19:22:00.000+01:00

Now is probably not the best time to be someone who I look to for friendship and reassurance cos I am on this horrible emotional rollercoaster. I'm either high as a kite and jumping around or I'm totally fed up and frustrated and whingeing and moaning and generally, I would imagine, doing everyone's head in. And all because I'm approaching the end of the diss. I've been waiting for the feedback which was making me very nervous. As a result, last night, I felt ill with it. I did. How sad is that? I felt sick, frustrated, generally out of sorts and desperately needed a hug. In normal circumstances I would head to my ma who would of course be very obliging, but the parents are on holiday, and I live alone...so I'm at my theatre group, mooching around, long face, basically waiting for someone to realise that I needed said hug. By the end of the night and no hug forthcoming (god this is a forlorn tale) I found myself next to one of my friends, snuck my way under his arm and just said "I need a hug" to which he replied "I know" and was very obliging and reassuring and generally all round lovely. I of course then had to (wo)manfully stop my bottom lip from quivering too much so that he didn't end up with a crying Claire all over him, so had some stern words to myself, pulled myself together, went to the pub and had lots of laughs, which combined with the hug made me feel much better.

Until today when I still hadn't had my feedback. So the moaning began again. I apologise now to both A. Grammar Checker and Wavey for being such a whingey bag and say thank you most kindly to them both for sending me such nice messages in response to my whining.

Anyhoo, to complete this story of moaning, I got my feedback today. And it is mainly good! A big phew must be said. I have to look at the analysis again cos I can't introduce anything new into this section (oooh, I didn't know that) but other than that, well, I'm almost there. Then I got this really lovely email from my supervisor telling me that I've been a pleasure to supervise, and that I should enjoy my celebratory drink. So I'm going to look at it again tomorrow but then hopefully it's sorted ready for printing. I need a contents page and last minute bits and then I can print it, bind it, and post it off. Wow. And then it will be over. Wow. No more moaning after that I promise!!

In other news, I did have a very nice late afternoon buying more shoes and clothes (this really has to stop!) and had lovely dins with R. and S. tonight, with coffee afterwards, so I'll be buzzing on the caffeine for hours now!

So you're all up to date with my going's on. Anyone got anything exciting to share in the comments?

slow start

2006-09-05T16:37:00.000+01:00

Not got off to quite the start I was expecting. My supervisor literally came back last week and was faced with a barrage of emails from me with this bit for her to read and that bit so I'm waiting on the feedback. I've got over the odd unwillingness to start putting it into one big document and just completed lots of copying and pasting. I'm only up to chapter 2 and it's 46 pages so far! I've got another 4 chapters, plus appendices and bibliographies to go yet, sheesh, it's going to cost me a fortune to post it!! It's hard to explain how all this feels. A wee bit strange is the nearest I get to it. I'm not generally one who is lost for words but on this, well, I have very little to say except a brief shrug of the shoulders and a kind of "nnehh" noise.

Am enjoying my holiday/dissertation completion week. Due to lack of feedback and an unwillingness on my part to start doing anything to it, I went out yesterday and played. First I food shopped due to being Old Mother Hubbard, then I had a huge lunch, then went and enrolled on my part-time web design course that I'm doing which starts in November...well since I was there thought I might as well go do some shopping so went to Matalan, saw nothing, went to my new favourite shop and bought some boyfriend-style jeans, an electric blue tee the same as the black one that I wore to the party on Friday, yet another pair of flatties that are pink with black lace over the top (very funkay) and the black boots that I've been coveting since I tried them on a couple of weeks ago. Hmmm. Might be time to put the credit card in the drawer again! I heart shopping!

Watched a hilarious episode of Kath and Kim earlier. River dancing will never be the same again. As well as a trip down memory lane with Adventures in Babysitting except it was called A Night on the Town this time, hmmm, must have been a different title when me and my sister rented it out of the video shop all those years ago. What with all this fun and the lovely sleeps-in of a morning I'm not going to want to go back to work!

SURPRISE!!

2006-09-03T11:37:00.000+01:00

Friday evening saw the much anticipated surprise party for my dad's 60th come to life. Wow. Don't know how we did it but he knew nothing! He really was surprised when all these people came out of my kitchen (how did they all fit in there? I will never know cos I had to be all I'm answering the door and pretending that we're just having dinner) It was fabulous. The look on his face was priceless as first his elder sister tootled out of my kitchen, family in tow, followed by many of his beloved buddies, some who haven't been around much over the past few years due to work/family commitments. He didn't even see one of them cos he was so overwhelmed by it all. When he spotted his work buddies who did sooooo well not to say anything, he just shook his head and pointed his fist at them saying "you bastards" (know where I get my foul mouth from now) Eeeh how we laughed, it was so much fun.

The evening proceeded in the usual way that our parties do. First came the booze, then the food (shiiiit what's that burning smell? The mini pizzas!!!), then some more booze, then came the dancing. There apparently exists some very dubious footage of me rocking with my adorable nephew and niece, the birthday boy and mad aunty to some ZZ...oh god please let that never be made public. We played veto that tune as the wee'uns picked the cds by the pictures on the front so the music veered wildly throughout all the eras. Veto! Bring on The Killers, Mr Brightside, spot me, my sister and wee'uns jumping up and down wildly to an audience we didn't know we had. Veto! Me and my dad strutting our stuff to some Stones to which we got a round of applause and accusations of being exhibitionists...moi? toi? Surely not!

As the guests began to leave, the wee'uns got very tired so we headed to the sofa. Wee niece plonked herself down next to me ready for Bambi before saying "wait wait" jumping off the sofa, tootling over to the table where the crisps were, picking up a bowl, handing it to me before plonking herself back down. We munched our way through red thai chili crisps (yum spicy!) as we cuddled in to hear all about Bambi's adventures. Wee nephew joined us for Jungle Book as sleepy niece crashed out, dummy half out of her mouth as leaving guests came to say goodbye and utterings of "oh isn't she gorgeous", well, der!

The final guests had gone, my dad gave me his last bone crushing hug of the night and said thank you for the millionth time, we had some tea, found the infamous biscuit cake in the fridge, remembered the champagne that we were supposed to make toasts with (oops), laughed all over again at how fabulous it had been, bundled up the wee'uns and closed the door on the night. Success.

Wee'uns have headed back to their home. My house has returned to normality. I've been up for hours considering it's a Sunday! And I await my diss feedback with mucho nervousness...

2006-09-03T11:17:00.000+01:00

How will you die?

First time I did this it told me I was going to die at aged 82 when my underwear got too tight! The second time it was aged 71 and hit by Roseanne Barr in the street...odd but a wee amusement to pass some time on Monday morning...

fiddle

2006-08-29T17:22:00.000+01:00

Today has been my very last study day. Yes, after the week off which starts on Monday to finish the diss, I will have to go to work every single day. Oh dear. I'm not sure how I will cope with a full five-day working week. Methinks I will not like it. It's almost worth doing another course...then again the thought of another diss...noooooooo!

It's quite fitting then that on this last study day I've spent most of it fiddling around with the fiddley extra bits that aren't really that big but take ages! Like bibliographies. Putting all those authors in the right order. Gawd, that was painful. I had to resort to laying them out in alphabetical piles on my bedroom floor, then putting each pile in order, then creating a huge stack...oh god, I've just read that back, I am such a librarian!! Help me before it's too late! Ahem. So my final bibliography, now known as the "huge bibliography" is 5 pages long!! And each page of references has been added to the relevant section. I've yet to put it into chapters as something odd in my head says it will jinx it if I do that before it's been approved by my s-s. Instead of that I've got a handwritten "chapters and subsections" ideas stuck up on my wall. Also typed up the disclaimer, tried to decide what to write for the copyright section cos there's no guide for that, created a title page, emailed my s-s all the stuff that I've done ready for her to approve when she gets back...quite a lot then really.

The weird empty feeling about the end is slowly disappearing to be replaced by very hesitant excitement. I'm unwilling to commit to true excitement until I see the post office person throw it haphazardly into one of the post bags. The thought of what next week might bring when I get the feedback fills me with dread, I know I'm going to be gutted if she says it's crap; there'll be tears for sure. Stand by with your hankies...

Having said all that, no point worrying about it until I know more so until then I shall attempt to remain calm and positive. Will keep you posted x

reward

2006-08-23T18:59:00.000+01:00

Like I really need an excuse but went shoe shopping after work tonight. I had in mind the perfect pair of red shoes to go with this fabulous red, white and blue skirt that I intend to wear for a party I'm hosting next week. Can't say too much about that at the moment as it's a surprise party, so sssshhhhh.

Anyhoo, trotted around my fave shops and found the perfect pair in the shop of the moment whose name I can't mention in case everyone starts going there. Oh they're lush. Red. Suede. 3 inch heel making me sooper-tall. Oh so fabulous. I've got them on right now. Wearing them in don't you know. I tried to take a photo of them on my groovy camera phone but they ended up looking more orange than red so you'll just have to see 'em next time you're round. Me likey. A lot.

So they're my reward to myself for achieving my word count. Who knows what my reward will be when I actually finish the diss. Oooh treats aplenty.

Was told that I look "bohemian" today. All I did was tie a scarf in my hair and they tell me I'd fit right in with the boho funkies in Greenwich Village, NYC (baby). What can I say? I've been watching Sex and the City and felt inspired by my style icon, Carrie Bradshaw.

Sun shone for about five minutes today. In case we get too used to it, it's just poured down. I say PAH to August. Bring on the late September summer :o)

pppfffffttttt...

2006-08-22T16:37:00.000+01:00

well lookey at that, what do we have here, a post-it with the numbers 16,147 on it. Now what can that mean? Oh my gawd, give the girl a medal, she's only gone and done it! Yep. I've done it. I've reached (and gone over!) the 16,000 mark. I think I might be...dare I say it...finished. Well I say finished, I mean I haven't even started on the bibliographies and layout and page numbering and all the nitty gritty but actual word count and content...fini!

And how do I feel? Kind of flat actually. Yep, I feel like a slowly deflating beachball. I should be rushing around the room but instead I'm sat here blogging about feelings. I really need to get a life. Thing is, cos I know it's not been approved by my super-supervisor it's all kinda up in the air so I don't really know if I've finished or if that's just me being incredibly presumptuous and thinking that it's fab and will need no changing. I know that reality will be very different. There'll be changes to be made and stressing a-plenty. But none of that can happen until my s-s gets back from her hols. Come on, get back already! I need you now!! And for those who know me, it's a rare time when I'm needy.

This flatness, I think it's cos I'm alone. It will probably be a very different story tonight when I go out and see people and tell them that I've done it, then there'll be buzzing aplenty. But for now this eerie calm will have to suffice. It does feel so weird. I'm not really explaining myself very well. This huge thing and it's almost done. It's a million things rolled into one but mainly (said in little voice) it's just scary.

1239

2006-08-20T17:11:00.000+01:00

As in that's the number of words I need to finish!! Oh wow. I never thought I would reach this stage. And I can't believe I haven't had some kind of meltdown getting here. I was just talking to A. Grammar Checker and I'm becoming convinced that my body has been taken over by some organisational alien who is keeping me on the straight and narrow. I am never this organised normally. Very pleased as I am, I keep on wondering when I'm going to hit the meltdown phase...In real terms, I only have the reflections left to do and then that's it for the content. Wow. Again. Not really a very good word to describe how I feel but the only one that's coming to mind at the moment.

I'm having problems with words. I've put A.GC to this test but if I put out a general need for assistance then somewhere, someone will come up with just the right word. What I've decided to do is write the recommendations and conclusions and then do a kind of postscript to the whole thing about how they're going to start a blog for the student workers after my suggestion in the focus group. So I need a word for this chapter. I've put afterword but that sounds like it belongs in a novel, and the diss definitely ain't a novel! So any ideas peeps? Like afterword/postscript but suitable for the dreaded academic speak. All suggestions gratefully received.

Had a great day shopping yesterday with A.GC. Unfortunately I didn't buy the much coveted Dorothy shoes because on closer inspection, the sparkly sequins were already falling off just from people trying them on and the ribbon was all creased, and for 40 quid you want a quality shoe. Am I wrong? But it was just like being a teenager. We tried loads of stuff on and then gave it back to the poor assistant without spending a penny. Joyful. Oh and we had cake. Carrot cake. Yummy. Then we had biscuits. Then we watched Kill Bill, both volumes, and ate more biccies. Fun day!

Hope y'all had a grand weekend too :o)

Am closing down now to go and make lasagne for tea, yay!

hysteria, boobs and bras

2006-08-18T18:30:00.000+01:00

Turns out that getting 8 hours sleep every night not only turns me hyper but also turns me slightly hysterical. And by that I mean that everything is funny. Everything. Today was such an example. Talk about Friday Fever. Me and my new(ish) desk neighbour have done nothing but laugh and talk all day long. Don't get me wrong, we did get work done as well, but literally all day chatter chatter laughter laughter. This might have calmed down a bit by this afternoon if we hadn't decided that we wanted a latte and some cake...hmmm hysteria+caffeine+caramel slice=bonkers!

I'll give you an example. I trotted upstairs with my trolley to be met by one of the qualified people from upstairs on the info desk saying "you're just the person I wanted to see". He proceeded to talk to me about this dull journals query. Not funny at all I know, but as he was talking he kept looking at my boobs, then looking away really hurriedly, then looking again, and so on. I couldn't help but notice this and could feel all this hysterical laughter building up inside me. I'm desperately trying to control myself but it's just not working. So I manage to end the conversation and hurry towards the lift trying not to let my shouders shake cos I'm visible, finally the lift arrives, I get in and just burst out laughing! With only the trolley for company. Sheesh. Of course I had to tell my desk neighbour which just set us off again. We decided that he is maybe a Blondie fan and was trying to get a closer look at my new tee...

I finished work early and headed into town on a mission to buy some new bras. Not my favourite kind of shopping but off I trot. I go to my planned shop, pick out a couple and head towards the checkout. There's only a couple of people serving, one is a bored looking female teenager, and the other is an even more bored male teenager; he's so bored that he's picking his spots whilst waiting for a customer. I stand there praying please not him please not him, but of course he calls me over. And with the very same fingers that he's been picking his spots with he picks up my lovely new bras, goes bright red (not a good look with the spots) and then can't look at me for the whole transaction. See why I hate bra shopping?

The good news is that it's the weekend. Yay! The bad news is I have to continue work on the diss. I need me another 3000 words people. So my mission, should I choose to accept it, is to get as much done as possible this weekend to complete the content so that I can start on the layout and bibliographies and all the dull stuff that takes hours and hours. I shall of course keep you posted.

Time for tea now, ta-ta x

hyper

2006-08-16T21:24:00.000+01:00

Sometimes when I'm tired I'm very hyper. Today was one of those days. After yesterday's writers block (which shook me up more than I care to admit) I just went bonkers today. I was up and down like a yo-yo at work, back and forth to the printer, out the back to get a huge box full of journals, unpacked, checked in, and shelved all before lunch. Plus putting the newspapers out. And checking in the daily post. Sheesh.

Didn't stop when I came home either. Was totally starving so set to making my dinner. As well as making my lunch for tomorrow, all busy busy and organised. Has also meant a productive hour in front of the pc where I've kicked the word count of the conclusions up to 900-ish and knocked out 4 paragraphs. I know it doesn't sound like a lot but considering in my head I was all omg how am I going to finish this yesterday, it was a huge relief to be able to sit down and actually make words appear. Yes, at hyper speed. My fingers couldn't keep up with my brain.

Are you sick yet? I'm so fed up of hearing myself talking about the diss. It seems to be all that I'm about at the moment. And I try so hard not to whinge and moan too much cos I hear myself and just want to say god will you please shut up. But I can't help it. And then I come on here and blog about it as well. When I'm done I'm just going to be this big empty hole with nothing to say...yeah right of course you are Claire cos you're so well known for your quiet nature...sorry, what was that you said big mouth? But I beg of you, if I am irritating you, just tell me to shut the feck up. I might sulk a while but I'll do it.

It's photo time again! Yep, I do love my new camera phone. Soooo. This time it's my cutie new shoes that I got at the weekend. They're for work mainly but I do heart them so they'll end up being for play too. And do you know what? They cost a fiver. Yep you read that right. Five whole pounds. What a bargain. Oh I love shoes so much. How dull life would be without them...

struggling and gushing

2006-08-15T16:36:00.000+01:00

Yep if I had to pick one word to describe today it would be struggle. I was doing fine with the recommendations, coming up with all these great ideas to get around this issue and that concern. But then I went backwards and started in on the conclusions. And I've done a lot of staring at an empty Word page. And then when I have written something I've read it over and over again. This is a bad time to get writers block :o(

In an attempt to overcome it I decided to do something nice, my acknowledgements page. And that's when I discovered something about myself that I've never thought of before. I have a tendency to gush. I've observed that very same thing whilst writing this blog as well. I don't know what it is about me (I've no doubt someone will oblige and psychoanalyse me) but whenever people are nice or say nice things to me I want to gush in return. Is most odd. And also rather embarrassing. I often cringe at myself so god knows what other people must think. Luckily, it's unlikely that I'll ever win an Oscar or I'd give Gwyneth and her huge candyfloss pink frock a run for her money, oh there'd be tears for sure. Floods in fact. It's possible there might even be such antics at the end of this. If there are, do me a favour, don't just humour me, give me a good slap round the face and tell me to get a grip.

Anyhoo, criticism of personality trait over with I shall return to the conclusions. I'm 500 words in, good in itself. Except I need like another 2000. Hmmm. Don't think they're going to just appear out of thin air. I think a break away from the computer (seeing as I have sat in front of the fecking thing all day), a re-read of the analysis and see what I can come up with for tomorrow night. Yay a plan.

Further news on the early to bed attempts, pleased to report it continued last night. Equally pleased to report that it will not continue tonight as I have a previously arranged appointment with my theatre boys followed by a much deserved drink in the pub. Amen to that x

words words words

2006-08-15T12:39:00.000+01:00

12,804!

lazy

2006-08-14T20:11:00.000+01:00

I almost had myself convinced that I was going to come home from work tonight and do my exercise DVD, until I walked in the door, felt my stomach rumble and thought, nah I'll just make tea instead. I am so lazy! If it's a choice between exercise and food I'll go for the food everytime. I am so full of admiration for these people who willingly go to the gym, and most importantly, actually enjoy it when they're there. For me, it's under sufferance that I'm even there, and only happens when I'm having to fit into dresses/going on holiday/trying to feel less lardy. I just have to be honest I suppose, I'm not a fan of exercise. I am a lazy girl at heart. Still at least I'm honest!

Am pleased to report that I was in bed for 10pm last night, lights out at 10.30pm and fast asleep minutes later. Aaaah bliss. A good 8 hours sleep. Still feel tired though. So it's early to bed again for me tonight. Thought it might make it easier to get up in the morning but that didn't work at all. R recommended that I get a tv for my bedroom and then go up to bed to watch tv at 7.30pm and then I'd be in bed nice and early. I foresee a problem in that though: I would never leave my bed. So I think it's best to leave the tv downstairs.

Had an amusing incident in the ladies loo today at work. There was what appeared to be a small child in there being all good and trying to wash her hands after using the loo but she couldn't reach so I offered to pick her up so she could reach the soap. All good until I tried to lift her and literally couldn't get her off her feet. Sheesh she was heavy! So I approached from a different angle, all bending from the knees, and hefted her up to the soap dispenser. Then she couldn't press the thing properly, I had no free hands and was frankly beginning to get knee buckle under her weight. Thankfully R was there at the same time so she pressed the soap, I returned my bundle to the floor and our good deed was done. She was so sweet though, she giggled to me "I'm heavy aren't I?" I didn't want to lie so giggled back and said "a little bit" and then she gave me a really sweet smile. Bless. Ladies toilets. Odd things always happen in there. Quite often find sandwich wrappers and things in there...what the? Most odd.

Am no longer worrying about the diss. Well until tomorrow when I start in on it again. But tonight is my night off so in all the joy of that I'm going to do...my ironing. God my life is exciting x

who switched the sun off?

2006-08-13T18:04:00.000+01:00

What has happened? In July I'm cooking in my bikini, in August I'm asking myself if I can really justify putting the heating on in the middle of summer. I don't know whose done it, but I wish whoever it is would stop it and put the sun back on. Me no likey :o( Take today for example: it's rained all day long, it's grey, it's windy, it is like November. Frankly it's pants.

Am v.tired today. Thoughts of the diss now fill my sleeping hours as well as my waking hours, so I've got bags the size of hold-alls. I slept in today till 11am but as it was 2am before I got to bed I still feel tired. By the way, how did that happen Wavey? Really, I don't know where the time went, it was 9pm, then omg, it's 2am! And I hadn't been feeling tired but then as soon as I knew it was that time I was soooooo sleepy. Weird. Anyhoo, so my plan for this week is to be in bed by 10.30 every night. It'll never happen but it's good to start off the week feeling like you can be that organized. I'll keep you posted on how well I do.

Have still been a good girl though, despite just wanting to curl up and sleep, I have worked on the diss. Started in on the recommendations first cos I'm not entirely sure what I want to say about how successful I was at sticking to the original aims and objectives. I'm 780 words in and only on the second one out of about five so that's looking good word count wise. It's at this late stage that I'm being plagued with self-doubt, what if it's shite? What if it's all wrong and I have to start again? What if...what if...

Enough! Let me pull this out of the gloomy depths and say that perhaps tomorrow will be like an Annie song:
"The sun will come out tomorrow
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow..." etc etc.
PS. If those song lyrics are wrong (which is entirely possible) I'm not a big fan of the musicals so little attention is paid to actual words.

Food. That's what I need. Food always cheers me up. Chicken fajitas tonight. Yumalicious. Insert big smile here :o)

ATD

2006-08-08T16:32:00.000+01:00

In my ever continuing quest to be the geeky librarian that I should be, I've got a new three letter acronym: ATD or After the Diss.

Every conversation I have these days seems to be peppered with those three little words. After the diss I can do this, after the diss I can do that. So after the diss I will be:
1. Getting drunkity-drunk-drunk and going dancing
2. Did I say getting very drunk?
3. Expecting people to be doing the getting very drunk with me
4. Spending lots of weekends in bed, just in bed, doing nothing but being lazy (I don't expect people to join me in this but I do like cups of tea, pain au chocolat, and Sunday papers if anyone wants to treat me)
5. Feeling bored probably due to the amount of time that is currently being spent on the diss. What will I do with all that spare time? Expecting people to entertain me that's what
6. A bit mental. For a few weeks anyway. Until all the nervous energy gets out of my system
7. Going out to play at any opportunity I get
8. Cleaning my house since it's not going to get done for the next few weeks
9. Awaiting the results with trepidation...please let me pass
10. Then finally to come full circle, getting drunk again when I find out the results. But this time I want champagne...

ATD...can't wait!

down with the SWOT

2006-08-08T16:23:00.000+01:00

And in with me being a SWOT maybe? Like in the old fashioned sense, the ultimate insult you could throw at someone at school when you're trying to be all cool and don't give a damn, "you swot". But right now I'd prefer to be a swot than not (ha!) because it means that progress is being made. Yes people, I have done it, I'm over the 10,000 mark.

11, 148 to be precise!! I now only have 4852 words to find and then I'm done! I know the end is nigh and all that, and this is a good thing, but way back when I was doing the proposal I was seriously papping myself at finding 16,000 words. Having said all this...I don't know if what I've done is right until my supervisor returns from her jollies, so all excitement should really be held off until then. Calm it calm it.

I'm quite sad that my Krueger "long table" has to come down. But in the spirit of it, am going to do a similar thing for my conclusions and recommendations. It's good to have stuff visible, it really does help. Top tip Cat for when you do your's in two years time...eek!

music

2006-08-06T19:27:00.000+01:00

I realised I had been remiss in telling you that although it's not quite up there with Parallel Lines, the Snow Patrol cd Eyes Open is indeed mighty fine, and has been on the stereo (in between the ongoing Blondie obsession) many many times. Now I know all you music snobs out there will probably mock my taste but little do I care. There is one song on there that is particularly beautiful called Chasing Cars.

Before I do the next bit though I have to tell you a little about my relationship with music. Anyone who comes round to my house on a regular basis knows that the stereo is never silent and that I very carefully select what I will play depending on the company. I am quite often to be found sitting on my furry beanbag in front of my cd collection picking and choosing random songs to play depending on my mood. And that's all I do. For hours on end. I find it very relaxing, I know some of my friends find this highly bizarre and can't understand such behaviour, I also know that there are some who understand this and do the same thing themselves. So I guess you could say that I love my music. A lot.

And because of this I also love song lyrics...but you know what freaks me out? Where do they live? In your head I mean? Cos I know so many songs and I don't think my brain's big enough to store them all! Ahem. Anyway. If they're not in the fold out thingy that you get on the cd then I usually pick them up pretty fast and will sing along as well. So back to the very lovely Chasing Cars and its lyrics:

I don't quite know how to say how I feel
Those three words are said too much
They're not enough
If I lay here, if I just lay here
Would you lie with me
And just forget the world

It's obviously much better with the music as well. So ask me to play it for you next time you're round and enjoy its lovely melancholy tones. Sometimes a girl needs a bit of melancholy x

you guys

2006-08-06T17:23:00.000+01:00

You're all being so lovely and supportive with your words of encouragement and suggestions of visualisation. The only thing that worries me now is how I'm going to fit everyone on my acknowledgements page! I'll try not to blub though, I promise.

9464 words!

Have taken on board one of the suggestions to break it down and have goals for each day. So today's goal was to type up the bit about why I'm using a SWOT analysis in order to prove the effectiveness of the weblog as a promotional tool. And then I had to start in on the first letter of that acronym and type up the strengths. And I've just finished that. Taking my total words up to the new one above. I'll be even happier once I've crossed over into that 10,000+ mark. That'll happen on Tuesday when I start on the weaknesses, cos that list is long :o(

So tonight I get to have some fun due to hard work today. So our new Sunday night cinema club continues with the viewing of My Super Ex-Girlfriend. A review will follow if so requested.

In other news, did you know that Archers peach schnapps doesn't taste too bad when mixed with water instead of lemonade. But probably makes you get pissed easier cos consumption will be faster. This was discovered last night drinking with D. We also decided in our ever-so-slightly-tipsy state that our 2008 holiday will consist of a one month sojourn to an Italian villa in Tuscany where we will eat and drink our way to merriment and joy. And then after we've found some new bohemian artist peeps and befriended the locals, we'll buy that vineyard and go and live out the rest of our days tramping on grapes and making red clay sculptures. Who needs libarianship when you can have such dreams...?

halfway!

2006-08-04T22:07:00.000+01:00

8588 words!

woah there!

2006-08-02T18:29:00.000+01:00

In other exciting news, one of my focus group members spotted me today whilst I was busily shelving my journals and informs me she needs to pick my brains. Oh oh thinks I, but no, this is good stuff. After my focus group, one of the participants decided that my suggestion a blog be used as an internal knowledge management tool has been picked up, taken away, and carried off to the higher beings who have approved it and so a blog is going to be created for a selection of staff: the student workers. They being natives and all. Natives apparently means that you've grown up with something, as opposed to immigrants where you come to something. (If you were reading my diss as I was writing it this would all be clear rather than that slightly muddy explanation). So I can put that in my diss. Maybe they'll give me more marks for that? I was even name-checked apparently in the discussion that was overheard by an anonymous mole! Wow. My little (big really) diss idea is a-changing things.

Woohoo and all that! I told them I would wait for the cheque to arrive in the post...

a wise woman once said...

2006-08-02T18:23:00.000+01:00

...don't wear fabric shoes in the torrential rain or you get very dirty feet like this:

And said fabric shoes are now dead so have to go the journey:

Fare ye well beloved black shoes. You were just fabulous for £10. May it be dry in shoe heaven.

Just pur-chased a Blondie teeshirt. The obsession continues...

move over Bazza

2006-08-01T17:40:00.000+01:00

Mind you, Barry Norman hasn't done Film whatever for like a hundred years now, it should be move over Jonathan Ross. Anyhoo, moving swiftly on. Librarian Girl wanted a film review of The Break-Up and what she wants... (hey come on, she's an international reader peeps, this is hugely exciting).

My main feeling about the whole film was that I couldn't escape feeling like I was in someone's house when they are in the middle of a very large very ugly argument. And you can't escape cos you're there for dinner or something. And it's really awkward and everyone there is doing that sitting on your hands looking all around the room in an attempt to find something, anything, to distract you from what is going on in the next room. Let's face it, this gives much kudos to the actors as they were so good at this fighting that I felt it to be real. Vince Vaughn particularly, I suspect he's had much practice at the "why would I want, to want to wash up" line. So the whole thing is like that. And I thought it was a romantic comedy. I think I only laughed once, and that might have been more because I felt I should at least make an effort rather than what was being said actually being funny. They showed all the funny bits in the trailer so just watch that instead. End of review. Well more like a comment really than an actual review.

In other news, today two rather quirky things happened.
1. I popped out for some milk and my new edition of heat magazine when an elderly man passed me by in the street and remarked out of the corner of his mouth, rather like he was going to pass comment on the weather: "nice legs love" before he hurriedly shuffled off past leaving me with an astonished face.

2. I was walking back up my street with said milk when my packing up and moving neighbour called out, "I could have given you milk" to which my rather puzzled reply was "you'll still need milk in your new house". What? Are they moving to where they have their own cow? Do they have a goat tethered up at the back that will give them their personal supply? I do not understand. Is it not everyone's thing when they move into a new house to unpack the kettle and have a cuppa for which you would need the milk, whilst unpacking the stereo (2nd most important thing to find in new house). Confusion dear readers, confusion.

paper, pen and blu-tack

2006-08-01T17:25:00.000+01:00

Started the analysis today. I was still busily reading through the textbooks on how to do it this morning to find out which was the best method. It says in the brief that we're marked on choice of method. Shame they don't have the DIY method where you make it up as you go along cos I'd go with that one! I did instead stick a couple of post-it notes in a book with pretty diagrams in thinking yeah I can do that, but then I read Krueger. And I like him. He makes things simple. His books are not lengthy, he doesn't adopt big words, he says it like it is. So his method is to use what he calls a "long table". And when he uses this method he writes everything down using a flipchart pad then gets his glue and scissors and cuts quotes up and puts them into the categories that he's assigned. The long table bit comes into it when you're writing on the flipchart.

In adopting this method I realised I lacked one very important thing: a long table. So I had to adapt by using the not previously known until now "Claire's kitchen floor" method.

And so I begin. Kneeling down on the kitchen floor I get my A4 plain paper (who has a flipchart pad at home?!) and start writing in big black marker pen. Lacking aforementioned table I thought aha I do have a long living room wall so that's now my table and I have lots of things blu-tacked up there. And it was really bloody good. I sat down on the sofa opposite and just absorbed for a while then my brain started thinking things through, I headed upstairs and I'm 495 words into the analysis. Admittedly I haven't got further than talking about what the participants feel about blogs but it's a start. And I have to walk past it all the time so each time I go I get my brain ticking over. What a plan stan. Krueger you are the man.

Analysis has officially begun. Come on girl, you can do it. It's the final straight, last leg, etc. I need inspirational talk. It motivates me. It doesn't matter whose doing the talking, but feel free to offer support.

the good girl

2006-07-30T17:03:00.000+01:00

Just finished transcribing the focus group, despite the fact that the sun is shining gloriously outside, despite the fact that most sensible people are outside playing in said glorious sunshine, I have been a good girl and done my work. I'm not asking for praise. No, it's just good to know that part is over. If I ever have to transcribe again it will be too soon. Make sure I don't get a job that requires that...ever. In return, A. Grammar Checker has said that if I got it done we could go to the cinema tonight. So that's what we're going to do. We're off to see The Break-Up. I've been warned that it's not that great but it's one of those ones that I want to see for myself. It's so good having someone in my life who sets me rules like that. I'm such a lazy arse at the weekend that I would just sit back and do nothing, but someone bribing me like that, well I'm like a 4 year old child I just take it all in and say okay then. So yay. Work followed by play. All good.

Just ordered the new-ish Snow Patrol cd. I'm looking forward to it but don't know if it will truly replace the Blondie one that has lived in the stereo since arrival last week. My neighbours must be really sick of listening to it by now. Having said that I'm getting new neighbours soon so that's a whole new crowd to play to, yay!

Went food shopping today. No more Old Mother Hubbard. Instead lots of lovely treats. So tonight I'm cooking up a chicken fillet to be accompanied with cous cous with cherry tomatoes, canellini beans, feta cheese and all mixed up with some 'erbs and olive oil, yumness. And double the yumness cos can have the cous cous for lunch tomorrow as well. Being all organised for the start of the school week is all good.

Off to do some reading now. Am currently engrossed in Middlesex at the moment. Ignore the first couple of reviews. It has surprised me I have to say. It's by the same author as The Virgin Suicides which was adapted into a great film considering its subject matter. This one is very similar in that it is written by Cal who is a hermaphrodite. Doesn't sound like it will appeal to everyone but it's more a life story than anything else and Cal is a wonderful narrator. I'll pass on to any interested parties.

Happy Sunday evening x

unhappy face

2006-07-27T20:51:00.000+01:00

Things that make me unhappy:
1. Transcribing
2. Transcribing a focus group when five people start talking at the same time and you can't understand a fecking word any of them say
3. Pressing the rewind button on the minidisc player every five seconds to be able to hear what was just said
4. My computer being upstairs where there is no air
5. Did I mention transcribing...?

Aaaaarrrrrrrgggghhhh...is it done yet :o(

Lost/Blondie

2006-07-26T21:44:00.000+01:00

Just watched another nail biting episode of Lost. Ooh those cliffhangers! Every week they leave you dangling there screaming "nooooooooo" at the tv. What are the mysterious symbols? When will we find out what all this means? Will we ever?

One of the things I love the most about it is how exceptionally easy on the eye the majority of the cast are. It's always a bonus when Sawyer or Jack have to take their tops off to do something manly and all grrr masculine, but I have to admit I'm beginning to tire a bit of Jack and his God-complex. What's that all about? Eh? Eh? I have to admit that the thing I started having for Sayid has carried on into this series. He has eyes you can drown in. Even when he's being a scary mean torturer, he's still got that something something...so let's have a picture, for no reason other than he's lovely:

My stereo is currently being graced with Parallel Lines. Yep it arrived today. Woohoo. Think I'm on about the fifth listen of the evening so far. Yay to new cds.

green fingers

2006-07-26T21:37:00.000+01:00

This is a lily that has just blossomed in my garden. Oooh ain't it pretty?

so can we see your blog then?

2006-07-25T17:23:00.000+01:00

This was one of the questions posed to me at the end of my focus group today. I think my slightly shrill nooooo way was probably answer enough. I know starting one of these things you're putting yourself out there to be read but these people are like deputy team managers and higher beings at work, I can't have them looking at the nonsense that I regularly spout on these fair spotty pages. Friends one thing, but management peeps? No no no no you don't need to see that. It will not make you think any better of me. Move along quickly, nothing to see.

Seemed to go okay, the focus group that is. I felt good listening back that I've got a lot of stuff to discuss and lots of issues and concerns to be raised, as well as some positive stuff too. So now I have this data. What's next? Shrugs shoulders in response and replies in Scooby Doo way "I dunno" . I'm now into the "fly by the seat of my pants" aspect of the diss, all this being new and yes, a wee bit scary. I think it deserves an eeek for good measure.

Rest of today was spent reading about analysis and making more notes. By the time I'm done I may have destroyed a small sapling the amount of paper that has been used for note making. Still will make good fuel for the bonfire that I intend to have when I perform the much maligned burning of the notes ritual.

And that my fair readers is that. Data collection phase over. Data analysis phase begins. Wish me luck...

yes, but would Delia do it?

2006-07-24T20:20:00.000+01:00

All this beautiful sunshiney hot weather we are enjoying is fabulous for many things but not so good for others, such as cooking. And let's face it there is only so much salad one girl can eat. So tonight I'd already decided I was going to make a chilli, one of my favourites, but I'm thinking hot weather, hot chilli, hot kitchen, what can I do? Then suddenly I was struck by a great idea on the bus on the way home. Why not just wear less for cooking? Like der! So I came home, changed into shorts and a bikini top and set to my cooking. Very effective for keeping you cool should you want to copy my grand idea. Also good for splashback, hits your flesh, utter a small cry when it stings a bit, then wipe it away using your finger and lick said finger to test the taste, excellent plan. Chilli was very nice by the way. And I was oh so cool eating it in my new cooking wardrobe. Will be even better when I have it again tomorrow. Chilli is one of those dishes that tastes better the second day. One of life's mysteries.

Focus group day tomorrow. Am slightly worried in that most of my focus group don't seem to know what a blog is and when I spoke to one of them she said she was researching wikis for tomorrow. I thought, right, erm my thing is about weblogs, but whatever, she must have been confident she was going in the right direction. I guess I'll find out tomorrow how helpful it will be.

Got my email about my order for Parallel Lines and it's on its way, yipppee. Bring on the Blondie. One way or another, I'm gonna getcha, I'm gonna getcha getcha getcha getcha...everybody sing along now. No email about the Nano though, so still waiting on arrival of that. Come on peeps I need my new toys.

Right! Off to do ironing now. Is really too hot for it but perhaps my new cooking wardrobe will double as the ironing one as well. Hmmm...

the sad tale of the aged PC

2006-07-23T22:03:00.000+01:00

Got all excited yesterday as I launched my all new and shiny Livebox for my broadband connection only for it all to go ever so slightly wrong when I tried to get onto the internet and it kept telling me I'm disconnected. I'm like, hello, all the right lights are flashing and you worked before, what's up with that? Try to figure it out myself by pressing a few buttons and looking at a few things but let's face it, I lack the techy know-how. Thinking of who you gonna call...ghostbusters...I thought who am I going to call? Answer: Huw-busters. Unfortuntely despite his techy know how (and he knows a lot, he made screens appear that I didn't know existed), the sad news is that my PC is simply too old to cope with all the shiny new stuff. So sad as it is, I've returned to my little silver modem in order to be all connected. Something to do with the LAN not being enabled and despite Huw's valiant attempts to install something, it was not to be. So peeps what I need is a shiny new computer to go with my shiny new Livebox. I'm not doing anything until after the diss as it might break the "doing okay so far" chain of work, but after that, you can't hold me back, I'm off to PC World.

Seem to be going through a phase of documentary watching at the moment, not my usual choice but the ones I've caught have been pretty damned interesting. Watched a really good one on Friday about Blondie and have since had their Greatest Hits cd on constant playback on my stereo. Surfing around today on the lookout for one of their finest cds Parallel Lines I came across it for the bargainous price of £3.49 so of course had to purchase it. Got to love that HMV sale. Can't wait for it to arrive. One Way or Another is possibly one of the finest songs ever.

Went to see Stormbreaker tonight. Pretty silly but totally entertaining! Stephen Fry was ace. The only downside was that Ewan McGregor was only in it for about the first five minutes and he sadly didn't have any time to get his kit off, it being a PG certificate and all. Oh well she sighs. Just have to watch The Pillow Book again...

Anyhoo, it's bedtime soon, so na nite everyone, sleep tight, watch the bed bugs don't bite x

bad bad bad

2006-07-20T21:55:00.000+01:00

There are many reasons why this blogger shouldn't go online, today was yet another example. Surfing around whilst on the desk at work (I'm allowed, I filed one of those bloomin' hanging files into alphabetical order first and it was the MAs, took fecking ages!) and found an absolute bargain. Which it turns out I could not resist. As have come home and ordered an IPOD NANO!! In white. Oh so gorgeous. Oh so lush. Oh so I want it right now. Oh so ouch my credit card. But oh so what the hell? Oooh am sooooo excited about this. Can't wait for it to arrive. It will be like Christmas and Birthdays all rolled into one. 1000 songs! Yep, you can fit 1000 songs on it. In comparison to my current (extremely beloved) Shuffle that fits 120 songs on it, I will be in music paradise.

It's official. I need me a man who can make me a "kept woman". Who needs all this women's lib crap, find me a man who can buy me all the things I want, take me on expensive exotic holidays and be rich enough to have a house with a swimming pool. This way I will be able to have all the things that I so desire. I am so shallow. I just love stuff: clothes, shoes, gadgets, cds, dvds...the list goes on...yet my bank account does not...so if anyone knows of such a man, please, send him my way.

What do you mean no such man exists? Pah. A girl's got to be optimistic you know :o)

new phone

2006-07-19T20:30:00.000+01:00

teeny
oh so cute
me v. happy :o))

h'interview

2006-07-19T20:24:00.000+01:00

Today was the day of the interview with the big boss for the even bigger diss. All went well. I was Nervous Nancy to start off with and was probably (okay okay I admit it, I was definitely) a bit too giggly so had to calm myself down. I can't help it, I get nervous, I giggle, it's a reflex action, can't do nothing about it, amen.

So yes, got lots of good data, I think! He certainly came up with some interesting points. Even threw a question at me to consider so now I'm all like, ooh must answer that in my diss. Good one. But he really don't like blogs :o( Not very much at all. He thinks them "vanity forums" but he did admit to them being a social phenomenon. Sceptical would be the word I would assign to him. And also bemused. He doesn't get the need to blog. C'est la vie, he don't have to like 'em, he just has to have an opinion on them for my diss, which he did, so all sorted. Began transcribing upon return. Sheesh that's dull. Had to stop after 11 minutes and I was about 5 pages in, and that didn't include it all. I can't type and listen at the same time cos the recording is only in mono, so one ear is listening and the other is being met with the tap tap tap of the keys and the two just don't go together. So I'm pausing, typing, pausing, typing, missing a bit, rewinding, typing...well you get the picture. But all good. Let's have a yay, what the hell.

penny...drops...

2006-07-19T20:20:00.000+01:00

Had one of those weird moments yesterday where you're talking to someone, they tell you something which your brain doesn't really register at the time but a few minutes later the penny drops and you're like, what the hell? So I had to do a whole, wait a minute, rewind, what did you say before? thing. And the result of the penny dropping? We were informed that our good friend Wavey is leaving us! Leaving our theatre group. Leaving the area. Leaving. Boo hoo hoo time. This is not good. I'm just blogging about all my friends being far away and yet another one decides to up and leave. This is too too tragic. Is it something we said?

Since I'm in the mood for telling you about my friends it's time to tell you about Wavey. The thing to understand about him is that he is adored. Now he either chooses to be all cool and blase about this fact or (which is probably more likely being as he's a blokey) he doesn't have a clue and just blunders on oblivious. I kid you not. All the women in my theatre group heart him so. To the point where they have been known to be evil to me and A. Grammar Checker as we are his friends and we go out and play together. Of course we care not a jot about this and continue to play out cos it's fun and we have such giggles. Which basically brings me round to my next point which is: this is too sad. We are going to begin a campaign to try and make him stay. So far we've got as far as tempting him with our cooking...probably not going to do much good, but hey, at least we'll eat nice food :o) So Wavey, if you're reading this, PLEASE STAY!! After all, who will do our ironing for us now...

peeps

2006-07-17T20:09:00.000+01:00

One of the saddest things about having friends all over the place is that you just don't get to see peeps as much as you'd like. So I really love it when I do get to see my favourite peeps. This weekend was no exception as T. arrived home. And instantly did what she's always done: plonked herself on my sofa and pretty much stayed there for the entire weekend whilst we drank gallons of tea, ate loads of biccies and chatted constantly about anything and everything (but mainly about the San Fran hol!).

Now I know that all my friends are aware of how highly I think of them but I'm going to gush anyway, cos it's my prerogative, seeing as it is my blog and all. T. and I bonded during a play called Hard Candy . Well kind of. She was in it, I was in the theatre group, she turned up in my library one day, we did that thing where you point at each other going I know who you are, and the friendship was somehow sealed. She really is the fabbest of the fab. We have such a giggle when we're together and I miss her loads when she's not here. So even though it's only been one evening since she's not been on my sofa, I'm already missing her :o( And I hope she hurries back soon. And roll on next year for our San Fran hol, yay!

In other news: sheesh it's hot! I got on the bus today and literally cooked. Yes, it was like being inside an oven. I know I haven't actually been in an oven so can't say that as fact, but I did feel like I was being roasted. There were many limp passengers. I went home via the supermarket, walked in the door, this huge gust of cold air blasted me from the air con and I actually said out loud, "oh god" in a kind of blissful tone. God, how embarrassing. But I think I might have to live in that doorway.

Skin nearly cleared up! Lots of yays.

Have total crush on David Tennant. How can I think that someone looks sexy in those rather foolish 3d glasses? I don't know, but I do. So there you go.

Am off-ski now. To go and enjoy my cool living room (Insert yet another blissful sigh here)

kama sutra jelly babies

2006-07-17T20:08:00.000+01:00

Thanks be to Cat for the photography :o)

Picasso strikes again

2006-07-17T20:07:00.000+01:00

holida-aaaaay

2006-07-13T18:13:00.000+01:00

am sat here playing on my computer planning a holiday without my holiday companion, this is wrong, I really should wait. I've got it in my head though now, we're going to fly into San Fran, we're going to hire us a car and then we're going to do a Thelma and Louise (minus the driving over the edge into the Grand Canyon ending) and drive all down the west coast of America in a convertible car in 2 weeks. Yeah right. But I've just been looking on Virgin and you can do it! It doesn't say though if you have to drive all those miles in one day. That could be a pretty long day. Excited though!! I love planning holidays. Especially big mutha's of ones that are going to be oh so marvellous. Woohooo. Come on T. Get round here now so that we can start planning!!

Skin update: magic ointment seems to be working. Although still have very red neck. Not such a good look at all. Will keep at it though.

Diss update: my super-supervisor loves my writing style (yay), she's happy with what I've done with the methodology (yay yay), just need to add logistics to it and then I've done that bit too (YAY!), but...there's always a but...she goes away now and doesn't come back till September. So I'll probably be a big flaky mess by then, both in terms of skin and brain. STRESSHEAD!!! It's inevitable. I rely on all my buddies to keep me sane.

I go now, to make dins and chill out. The new job is tiring me out. I'm not used to having to work hard all day... :o)

A. Grammar Checker/Picasso - you decide

2006-07-13T18:11:00.000+01:00

This is a new cartoon as designed by my so-called friend which she has named Clairawibbles. Those spots are not like mine at all. And my hair is never as flat as that! Triangular dress? Green face? What is this madness?

the sound of silence...

2006-07-11T16:40:00.000+01:00

...was very rudely disturbed earlier as I was merrily sat typing my methodology to be replaced with the (turn away now Cat) sound of phlegm. Bob Fleming (you know who you are) has nothing on my neighbour. I'm telling you, the sounds that come through the wall are enough to make a lay-dee barf. That just ain't natural. And do you mind not doing it please. It's gross.

Phlegm aside, I have now almost reached 7000 words. This is marvellous. I'm almost halfway there. I've added some quotes as per my super-supervisor's suggestion and I've beefed it up a bit with some additional information. Apart from wishing it was all just done with, it all seems to be going okay. I'm hesitant to say anything else as I might jinx it. Superstitious? Moi? Shirley not (and don't call me Shirley).

Have also decided to say goodbye to All Consuming. Frankly it's a pain in my ample arse due to the speed that I go through books and I don't feel that it's adding anything too exciting to the blog. I usually chat about what I'm reading or listening to if it's sooper-dooper anyway so farewell, ta-ta, so long.

The sun is shining...again! Isn't summer faberoony?

slick

2006-07-11T16:34:00.000+01:00

seeing as you've all been party to my ongoing itchies and scratchies I will provide further update. If you don't require it please turn away now...

...for those of you still here, hi! Finally got to visit my own doc today, he's a hard man to come by. I believe it's cos he's so unbelievably lovely that everyone wants to see him. Anyhoo enough of the doctor crush. He tells me that what I'm left with is psoriasis (spelling? correct? hmmm) so he's given me some magic ointment to make it go away. Which hopefully will happen soon before I turn into the Singing Detective. Ick. Anyone remember that? Ugh that was bad, let's hope it doesn't get that bad. I'm officially going into hibernation if it does. So there you have it. If you see me hiding out it's because I'm not a happy bunny with how my skin looks. But at the same time if I'm braving it and wearing something that is low cut, please be nice and pretend that you can't see the red and dry nastiness. Thanks peeps.

Oh the slick refers to my attempts over the past couple of nights to restore my skin to its former glory. Let's just say there was copious amounts of baby oil with softly softly aloe vera and vitamin E in it, slathered liberally, talk about slick, I'm telling you it was deee-lightful. Yet again, it's a good job that I sleep alone cos hey, slick, oh so sexy...

occupational hazard

2006-07-05T22:53:00.000+01:00

Being off for the past week and being bored started me off on a total reading frenzy and I just can't stop. It doesn't help that the books I'm really into are crime fiction so they're real page turners, and I can't just stop at the end of the chapter, I have to go on and on until I can hardly keep my eyes open any longer. So the guy who is holding me ransom at the moment is John Connolly. I'm on the third in his series of Charlie 'Bird' Parker stories and they are so good. They're scary and gruesome and have fantastic characters in them and I think I might fancy Bird just a little bit. Just looked on his website and I've got a few more to go before I've caught up with him so this reading fest looks set to continue.

Not that I have a problem with that as it's basically distracting me from what I should be doing which is working on the diss. But you need some free time as well Claire, I hear you cry. You're right, I should stick with Bird and Angel and Louis.

Still spotty.
Still itchy.
Still bored with it. When will it end?

independence day

2006-07-04T16:04:00.000+01:00

Happy 4th July America, hope you have a good one!

It's a double celebration as I am free! I've been given the all clear by the docs. I'm not contagious. I don't have anything horrible. I will not be struck down (not yet at least). This means two important things:
1. I can go back to work!
2. I can go out to play!
Now I'd usually be the kind of girl that would put two in front of one, but since I only had one official day in my new job and managed to check in a total of 2 journals, I am looking forward to getting back and starting my new job proper. This does worry me slightly as I am not a one for loving the work ordinarily, but in this case, I miss my work buddies and my friends in there as well. And I've been off for a week. And I've ruined my near-perfect sick record with these stupid spots. So back I go tomorrow. I'm sure by this time tomorrow I'll be ready to come home and cursing the day I ever got excited about work but until then...

So tonight I go out to play. I managed to miss all the fun of the play week and that is lots of fun, including the aftershow party (mind you, who wouldn't choose a moonlight serenade over attending a fun party...hmmm...) so off I go to have fun with my lovely theatre peeps. I feel like I've been released! This is ridiculous. I was only off for a week. But that's a week of my life lost to spots! I should be excited. Yay!

Have formulated questions today for the diss interview. Sounds like not much at all but it's hard work coming up with questions that are going to help me answer my research question and establish "rich data". Don't even know if they're any good really. Perhaps "flying by the seat of my pants" will be the method that I'll use, rather than the more established "tree and branch" that more experienced researchers might choose.

Anyhoo, back I go. To the questions. To all, have a pleasant evening. I know I will x

and so it continues

2006-07-03T17:16:00.000+01:00

starting to get bored of myself now. Still spotty. Still itchy. Still don't know what it is. Am expecting a phone call from the docs tomorrow to tell me something about one of my blood tests but they don't tell you anything over the phone...it's all just boring. So I've gone from merely fed up to proper fed up now. When will it be over? I might have to start seriously moaning soon.

In other news, got my feedback about my methodology and know that I'm heading in the right direction with this, so that's excellent news as had been mildly worried about what the hell I was supposed to write. This academic speak is getting easier as well, it's simple really, think of how you want to say something, make it sound posh using bigger words and thus you have academic speak. Ta-da! All good.

What isn't good is the constant cancellation of interviews with the big boss. He's my main interviewee for the diss, and because of the (yawn yawn) spotty madness I've had to cancel two interviews. Yep two. I'm conscious of how bad this looks but also know that I don't have a reputation as a skiver so am hoping this is saving my face.

Oh blah. Boring boring. When will this spotty madness be over and done with? I want my life back again! Even eating ice lollies has lost its joy now. I say PAH.

moonlight serenade

2006-07-02T11:21:00.000+01:00

so last night was fun, I had actual visitors other than my ma and A. Grammar Checker. People from my theatre group came to see me on the way to the aftershow party. They tried to persuade me to go with them but these spots make me feel oh-so-self-conscious so I decided to stay at home. Get to bed early, catch up on sleep...

...until it came to 2am when I was stirred out of my peaceful slumber to the sounds of the drunken revellers from down the road serenading me through my open window with "grow grow grow little mushroom grow grow grow". Do you have any idea how extremely bizarre it is to be woken up by something like that? To explain, it's one of the songs out of the play, it's not just some weird chanting ritual we have. After they'd finished, they made sure they shouted "goodnight Claire", "night spotty", "night Claire-a-belle", just in case my neighbours were in any doubt as to who they were trying to rouse. Tut tut.

Last night I have to admit it was so weird and surreal that I had no thoughts on it other than a kind of muffled, 'whashgoanon' type sound into my pillow. But this morning, after I've sent them early morning texts to wake them up (tee hee hee), it's kind of sweet that they were thinking of me.

But never fear, I shall await a suitable opportunity to get you all back. Revenge is oh so sweet...

RIP...

2006-07-01T15:37:00.000+01:00

...Eddie

who needs tv?

2006-07-01T15:33:00.000+01:00

it's much more fun waking up everyday and seeing what has happened with the itchies. Today they've changed yet again from a rash to spots, whatever this is, it's most odd indeedy. And I can't wait for it to be over. I'm fed up of looking like a leper. I'm fed up of having to stay in when everyone else is out having fun. Daytime tv sucks. The itching is annoying. Trying not to scratch is an ever present challenge. One good thing is that I've discovered that Orange Maid lollies work wonders on hot itching skin by cooling internal temperature right down, wahey, lollies all round please. But frankly that one benefit is very little in compensation compared to all the other stuff. And tonight will be ten times worse, knowing that just a few doors down from me there will be a really good party that I should be attending but I can't cos I'll scare everyone off and might infect them.

My dad just saw me for the first time and started scratching at himself straight away, charming. I'll have to get one of those yellow crosses on my door and a biohazard tunnel to get to the shops soon. When will it be over? Anyone? Please?

Boo hoo hoo. Going now to feel sorry for myself. Where's my hobnobs anyway people? I get the impression that no-one wants to come to my door just in case I infect them. Being a leper is no fun at all :o(

itchy and scratchy part 2

2006-06-29T17:10:00.000+01:00

oh people we have a situation here. The itchies/scratchies/spotties are getting v.bad. The skin is now flaming red and very hot, I had to go for blood tests today to see what it is that I've got. It's not reassuring when my ma comes round and spends the whole time looking at my neck with a very worried look on her face. This is the same woman who rings me at 8.20 in the a.m. to check that I'm still alive as am refusing to return to the homestead to be "looked after" when the only thing wrong with me is the ugly nasty rash and the swollen lymph nodes in the back of the neck. It's all joyous here.

So thank god for A. Grammar Checker. Her treading the boards means she's off this week and as I've been doing her hair every night, if she's going to get it, she's already got it, so she's keeping me company in my itchy misery. Hence the bootiful self portrait below, the rash is very accurate there by the way. For some bizarre reason (and at this point we thank the rashy gods) it's not on my face at all, it's all over my body and on both ears but not my face, most odd indeedy. Hope you all like the portrait.

Feel free to send sympathies and hob nobs this way...

accurate self portrait

2006-06-29T17:00:00.000+01:00

itchy and scratchy

2006-06-27T16:45:00.000+01:00

v.odd happenings. Woke up this morning to rash all over my body, bumpy and lumpy, red and patchy and generally rather unattractive and EXTREMELY ITCHY! Oh thinks I, this is not normal, what's going on here then? I'm supposed to be interviewing big boss where I work for my diss, and thinking, hmm, is it wise to take potentially contagious and unexplained rash into work and said boss's office? I thought not. So had to ring and cancel, soooo embarrassed at having to say the reason why, and promptly made doc's appointment. Allergy they tell me. No idea why. Take some anti-histamine and all will be well. So not contagious after all. Yippee doo dah. Just bumpy and red. Joy of all joys.

So instead spent today working on methodology. I'm supposed to have first draft in before 17th July, never going to happen but doing my best. Had great plans to borrow laptop from A. Grammar Checker and work on it whilst at show this week but can only get it to save as read only, no good. I lack the know-how to make this any different. Waaaaaahhhhhh. How do I do this please? Someone help me. I know nothing of laptops. Pants. Will have to resort to good old pen and paper methinks. I mean what's wrong with that eh? Who needs technology? Pah.

Still itchy...

Anyhoo, gotta go be organised. Am hairdresser to the stars this week as A. Grammar Checker treads the boards and requires me to do 'er 'ur (read phonetically as one word, it'll all make sense, promise, well, maybe).

Off I go then to create dins. Bye-ee

setting the (Robbie Williams) record straight

2006-06-27T16:39:00.000+01:00

ooh you lot are nosy beggars. You've built it up into this huge drama and you're going to be so disappointed cos nothing happened. You're worse than my ma, wanting me partner-ed off! When I was talking about a last smoochy dance I was referring to all the loved up couples and the bridey and groom, not me, and I don't believe that I ever actually said it was me who was doing the smooching. I did dance, with my travelling buddy, but there was no smooching. Of any kind. Whatsoever. Happy now?

pathetic

2006-06-21T18:17:00.000+01:00

am having one of those days that if I was a character in a Jane Austen novel I would be described as having a "delicate constitution". In other words: pathetic. Had to wimp out on dinner plans due to being in said state. This is how it works: if someone says something really horrible to me, it'll make me cry; if someone is really nice to me, it'll make me cry. In other words, no-one stands a chance. So I thought it best all round to just come home and be pathetic on my own. This way I save myself from the shame of crying on someone. I am not normally like this my lovelies. I blame all these weddings. This emotional madness is not good for me. So in an attempt to laugh at how ridiculous I am being today, I am blogging about it so that it's on there for everyone to laugh at me as well. Go on, feel free, tell me I am a wimp. I dare you...but it might make me cry if you do it today.

But it's not all wimpy and pathetic. I came across this oddity yesterday when I was reading one of my librarian blogs and feel that I have to share. Yes it's true. Yet again librarians are proving that sometimes those stereotypes are so true: geek alert! Oh deary me. But I have to say it also made me chuckle. And in honour of it, I propose a competition, open to any of you blog readers who may feel so inclined. The competition is to design a Librarian Card for me. Yep, I want to see how you see me (god what am I letting myself in for?) So go on, artistic licence a necessity, I expect creative, colourful, amusingly crafted entries. The winner will be posted on the blog and a small prize will be thought of that will fit the winner to a tee. Have fun. Go wild in the aisles.

Finally, would just like to say that carrot cake works wonders on those with a "delicate constitution" so please feel free to bring me a piece. I'll try not to cry, I promise.

mash

2006-06-20T18:18:00.000+01:00

that would be my head, not an order for pie, peas and mash although that would be pretty nice right about now. Have just finished. Literature review now at 4417 words, followed by 4 pages of references, yep 4, and some lovely screen dumps. Just sent them all off to my supervisor to see what she says. Fingers crossed eh?

I can't write anything else. My brain is no longer fit to deal with thoughts.

"eric" journeys and tears

2006-06-19T16:34:00.000+01:00

got to love that predictive text!

So I'm back from wedding number two. Sheesh, what an emotional weekend. Amazing, fantastic, wonderful, fabulous, so many words to apply to one event. But I shall start at the beginning...

...which was at 10.15am on Friday morning. I set off on the first of my "eric" journeys. The plan was to get a train from Darlington to Birmingham then a train from there that took me straight into Wales. Excellent plan. Let's do that. Until trains to Wales are cancelled and I end up stuck at Wolverhampton. No offence to Wolverhampton but not a place to be stuck for too long. Along the way by sheer coincidence I had met up with T. from uni days who was going to the same wedding and we ended up travelling buddies. Thank goodness really cos I would have been so worried otherwise. So we're at Wolverhampton. All we need is to get to Shrewsbury. But train after train was cancelled. When one did turn up we literally couldn't squeeze on it, it was so full. We eventually managed to cram our way onto the next one, and immediately jump on the first train that looked like it was heading to Wales. We got as far as Machynlleth (apologise in advance for spellings if they are wrong) before we had to minibus it the rest of the way. Again this would have been fine if it hadn't been for the small child behind me who round the first bend decided that whatever she'd eaten that day had to come out of her mouth into a waiting carrier bag, joy, travel sick children, Wales roads, twisty turny barf spew. Joy. Finally arrive at Portmeirion at 8pm, just in time for dinner!

Day of the wedding dawns. Woken up by the bird who lived on the door at 4am, eh? Not time to get up yet. Back to sleep. 6am, bridey's phone goes, wakes us up again. Finally decide to drag our arses out of bed at 8am. Many events including hairdresser, make up, dress on, dress starts to slide down, shiiiiiit, where's those straps, thank god for the sewing kit, first official photo of the day: me with arms stuck out to the side, dress half off, bridey sewing in straps, not my best side. Cut to the ceremony, heart pounding as I walk down the aisle, god knows how bridey felt at this time, get to the vows, bridey loses it, followed by groom, followed by me, glance over at best man and master of ceremonies who have both lost it, whole congregation in tears, sniffle sniffle, cue enormous smiles as we all walk out to the drinks reception on the lawn. Champagne, sunshine, beautiful scenery, so lovely. Meal lovely, speeches funny, present gorgeous (Jo Malone goodies, lucky me), more champagne. Short break. Back to the party. More drinking, DJ starts the dancing, 60s, 70s, all good. Conga our way out to the fireworks, bang bang, oooh ahh, back for more dancing. DJ starts in with the uni music, cue bridal party from uni days going mental, literally, jumping up and down indie style in heels and bridesmaid frock. Smells Like Teen Spirit: groom's sister goes mental and starts crashing into people; Disco 2000: could we jump any higher? At this point all guests not from uni days wondering what they hell they've entered into. EMF: boys start sliding across the floor a la Peter Kay, groom manages to create hole in rented trousers, oops; I Predict a Riot: young bridesmaids enter into the fray but easily out-danced by moi and G. who truly enter into the spirit of the Kaiser Chiefs; final smooch to Robbie Williams, end of dancing. On with the drinking. Finally hit bed at half one, truly giddy and thoroughly knackered. What a day.

"Eric" journey number two starts at Porthmadog at 11am. Back with T. now the official buddy for all lengthy train journeys. All going swimmingly well, something has to go wrong somewhere. And wrong it does. Get to Birmingham and the train is delayed by 10 mins, then 20 mins, then it's half an hour...it finally arrives almost 45 minutes late. We get on, it moves, all joy joy until Leeds when it breaks down literally minutes out of the station. Another 25 min wait while they try and sort out the problem. Finally pull into Leeds, lose 4 of the carriages and on my way once again. Finally get back to Darlington at half ten, home by nearly 11, so another 12 hour journey. I was so tired I could hardly see straight and my poor dad was just met with this loopy, emotional wreck who chattered nonsense all the way home. It then went food, bed, sleep.

And woke up feeling refreshed today. Still a bit emotional I have to say. I'm sure it'll be over soon...hopefully! Happy couple off on honeymoon to Iceland this evening, have a lovely time :o)

Professional bridesmaid duties almost over. Evening do for R. and M. on Friday and then that's it. The end of my wedding season. No more pretty frocks. Will leave me feeling a bit sad actually. But it means I can get on with my diss which is a good thing. Kind of.

Anyhoo, off I go. I have revealed myself to be a big softy after all. Damn, I was so good at keeping that quiet as well... x

phew-ee

2006-06-15T19:49:00.000+01:00

no cause to panic, we are no longer doomed, the dress fits. Thank god for that. Well actually, more like thank the amazing lady in Stitches who sorted it out. She is genius.

Just sorting out stuff to take now. I nearly always forget something vital when I'm packing. Will have to avoid that. My main concern is that my bag is basically going to be filled with hair styling products and make-up! This is excessive for me but I think it best to cover all bases. That way, the impending hair crisis (oh come on, we all know there'll be one) will be averted. I don't know why but whenever my hair is supposed to do something it always goes awkward. And I know a lot of people aren't going to understand this but my hair does have a life of its own, and it has a tendency to be mischievous (hmmm rather like its owner then) when good performance is required. I am never salon fresh at such functions. I'm more of a "omg my hair is huge" kind of girl.

May I say one final thing? To everyone attending Middlesbrough Music Live: have lots of fun and think of me won't you, when I'm on my epic train journey home. Gits. I'm so not happy that I'm missing it :o(

word count/stuff

2006-06-13T17:14:00.000+01:00

3469 and counting. This is much of an improvement on last count. And my literature review now includes many screen dumps, well its appendix does cos apparently they're not allowed in the main text. I've gone screen dump mad and got loads of blog images on there, as well as postings and reports. It's all clearly demonstrating that I've done my research. Come on, give me those big marks. So today I've covered blog evolution, as well as business blog marketing potential and how librarians are using their personal blogs. This leaves me with about another 1500 words on how library and information services could be using a blog and then I'm closing the book (no pun intended) on the literature review. Feeling positive. All good.

In other news, went on my second bike ride, bit further this time, buns of steel is the aim.

Have been watching NY-LON that I borrowed from D. This was on Channel 4 and happened to be on just before we went to NYC (baby) in 2004. As you can imagine it generated much excitement at the time of what we were going to see. Now it's generating odd squeaking noises everytime I see something/where that I've seen, done, been to. Especially since we did a wee pilgrimage when we were there and found the bar that they filmed in etc. Look, there's the coffee house where we had the giant muffin and sat in the window and watched Greenwich Village go by...ah happy days. And of course now I want to go back. Like right now. Please. Can I? Oh how I loved that city. I've never had a holiday do that to me before, don't know what it is about the place but it really got under my skin and I can't forget it. Perhaps I might have to bypass Vancouver (sorry guys) and go to NYC (baby) instead...

sleaze/smells

2006-06-12T18:22:00.000+01:00

What is it with this week? As if my dumpling "hunk" wasn't enough, today I had to contend with one of those sleazy salesmen peeps who stop you in the street. First of all he wants to tell me how he's really really not selling something to me. Then he feels compelled to tell me that I have a beautiful smile (by this point I'm cringing at what he thinks is a good sales pitch but I'm just reading sleazy, guy is old enough to be my dad, and he has personal space issues, ie. he's invading mine, ick). Then he asks me if I've had any accidents recently. I think these people are called ambulance chasers in America, they seek out people who want to make claims about accidents at work, tell them they'll win them millions, then clean 'em out after they've won. All very odd. Stay out of my pathway.

Followed by more adventures in bus travel. This time of year, when the sun comes out to play, is always a joyous one on public transport because my friends, you have the smelly people on board. Yes, they seem to forget that soap and deodorant are oh so cheap these days and proceed to fill the bus with their fragrance: eau de pong. This guy sits down in front of me and his stench can only be described as pungent. When he lifted his arm to take a swig from his drink I was nearly knocked out. I therefore had to spend the rest of the journey concentrating on breathing through my mouth and avoiding any lengthy inhalations. He was wearing his David Beckham number 7 England shirt. Now I'm very sure that David does not smell. So in his honour, please, Mr Bus Man, have a wash.

And on a final note, gym membership is officially over. But, as it is officially summer now, the summer exercise plan kicks in. This means going out on my bike for an evening ride. Said bike is out of the shed and will now reside in the hallway until the end of summer, primarily so that guests will fall over it, but mainly cos it's easier to leave it there than it is to drag it out of the fecking shed, through the house and out the front door. Oh for yard gates that lock...

men are definitely from mars

2006-06-10T17:21:00.000+01:00

and that would mean the land of mars bars in this particular instance. Now I've always known that there are many many differences between men and women, but today, getting off the bus, I was greeted with yet another fine example. It's the first of the England matches today, joyously this meant that everywhere was deserted for shopping (yay!) but the drunken men who had been watching the match, not so joyous. I head towards this crowd with a feeling of dread, but I'm trapped, I have to cross the road and it's safest to do it at the crossing. There's a guy going topless showing off his "manly physique" to all and sundry, well, his huge wobbling beer belly and his moobs that surely must require a bra for support, being about three times bigger than my boobs, and he shakes this delightful vision at me and enquires "how would you like to go out with a 25 stone hunk?" My withering look said it all. And you wonder why I'm a merry singleton...

sleeping

2006-06-10T17:14:00.000+01:00

sometimes I reckon it's a good job I'm a merry singleton. This has been highlighted by my new sleeping pattern. For the past few days every morning I've woken up I've been stretched out across the entire bed in a pose resembling the actions necessary for star jumps. I'm not sure if this is the heat or if I've just gone insane and since I'm not exercising in my waking life, I'm doing it in my sleep instead. Either way, this would not make me an ideal sleeping companion.

things I'm loving

2006-06-09T17:22:00.000+01:00

in no particular order at all:
1. sunshine
2. my new denim shorts (well, knee length shorts)
3. my even tighter denim shorts for parties (just need a party now)
4. my vest top with tennis bats on it (funkay)
5. my fridge, currently full of beer, chilling nicely

dress emergency...

2006-06-09T17:16:00.000+01:00

...2 words I thought I'd never use, until Wednesday evening when I tried on bridesmaid dress number 2 and realised that it wouldn't fasten. I think I might have eeeek-ed. I'm almost positive that I said shit. And I know for sure that the f word escaped as well. God. Even a week of salad and some serious clingfilm sweating was not going to make that sucker fit. It was too small by about 2 inches, but it was around the rib cage area, where it's a bit hard to lose weight. Some kind peeps at work suggested that I have a couple of ribs removed...hmmm...or maybe not, eh?

Phoned bridey. She laughed. I asked if it was hysterical laughter, but no, she was totally calm. I think her dormant panic passed over on to me cos I was really worried :o(

Anyhoo, small crisis averted. Have left it with a lady who will "sort it all out for you flower, don't you worry". Don't get to pick it up till Thursday though, getting train on Friday. More eeeek-ing! But what can I do? Besides, if it doesn't fit, as I said she has two options: a) she can find another bridesmaid who fits the dress as it is, or b)I can wear the perfectly lovely green one that I wore for the other one which fits like a glove. Or I could just wear my jeans...

two things...

2006-06-06T17:12:00.000+01:00

1. Today is 6/6/6, no devil spawn has appeared as yet but the day is still young. I'll keep you posted.

2. Hugh Jackman in X-Men 3 , wow. If only all of those leather trousers had come off at the end...the big teasers.

study day ramblings

2006-06-06T17:08:00.000+01:00

I know today was all about the interview, but it was also official study day. Since the shock of being told I need another 3000 words in my literature review, I hit the books today to find some. Did pretty well, considering. Didn't do any actual writing though which felt odd as have been much more proactive over the past few weeks, hitting the keyboard with my usual typing frenzy, and no, I don't do that face, you know who you are...So it did feel odd to be back in the books. But many notes were made. Managed to kill yet another pen. Might actually have to buy some more. But fear not, I will scavenge through all the freebie ones first.

Also started reading The Cluetrain Manifesto . This is a pretty famous book in the world of internet business. It was the bargainous price of about £2.50 from Amazon marketplace and haven't really got around to it until now. Not your usual academic book at all. One of the authors uses the term "ya" instead of you. I must keep it away from A. Grammar Checker: the look of horror on her face would be too much. Will be hitting the keyboard again at the weekend to create some more words. I really need to get down to it now. The time is a-ticking by and I say eeeeek.

sorry, wrong number

2006-06-06T16:59:00.000+01:00

Today was a bad day to get a wrong number phone call. I had the interview this morning for the wee promotion at work and came home to study and await the phone call. Now this phone call is awful. On the one hand, if you get it, it's a great phone call, but if you don't get it you have to act like you're not bothered and yeah yeah whatever kind of attitude. And they always sound so god-damned serious, even when you've got it! Which I did by the way. Get it. The job that is. Woohoo! But more of that later.

So I'm studying, reading about blogging by Biz Stone , self proclaimed blogging genius when the phone rings for the first time. I leap out of kitchen chair, run into the living room, breathlessly pick up the phone and the woman on the other end of the line says "is that social services?" I resist the urge to scream down the phone at her, and instead politely tell her wrong number. Aaarrrrggggghhhh! Return to my seat.

Phone rings again about half an hour later. Try to be cool, but am still performing the same leaping/running/breathless answering and this time it's the phone call. The very serious person on the other end of the phone does the spiel, she's ringing me regarding the interview from this morning for the post of blah blah blah. My heart is pounding, just tell me already! We'd like to offer you the post. Immediate grin breaks out on face and can't disguise it in voice, resist the urge to woohoo down the phone, not very professional. So get me. Senior Information Assistant, no less. Am very happy. Nuff said really.

Is that social services? I mean, come on!

post-holiday

2006-06-03T18:20:00.000+01:00

The thing I hate the most about coming back from hols is all the washing and then of course, the ironing. I'm sure more than half my wardrobe is currently lying in the to-do pile. Grrrr. It would be nice if I could wave a magic wand and magically it would all be ironed, folded and put away. I shall continue to wish cos that will never happen :o(

I have been thrown back into normal life rather alarmingly. I was in contact with my supervisor and she alerts me to the fact that my literature review is short by oh, only 3000 words! If I could have said "shit" in an email to her I would have. Instead I said the f-word many times in my head, and possibly once out loud, knowing me. But I've been chatting to A. Grammar Checker today and we've come up with many ideas of things that need to go in there, so I'm not worrying too much. I always knew that at some point some serious work on the diss would have to happen. So my plan is to get all the weddings out of the way, then, post-weddings, I can basically get my ass down to some serious work. Too bad I don't have a laptop or I could sit outside and enjoy the sunshine whilst seating said ass on a deckchair in the yard. I don't think my pc would stand being moved so far. Shame.

I did bring the sunshine back with me. My plan was to leave the suitcase out in the Greek sunshine for a while in the hope that when it got shut, the heatwave would come back with us. And lo and behold, sunshine today! Yay! The plan worked. It was like being back in holiday mode, although I have to say that I didn't choose to wander around town in my bikini top and shorts, rather my denim mini and my funky new sandals (seriously could I love them anymore? I can't stop admiring them when I'm sitting down so if I spend a lot of time looking at my feet when I'm talking to you I'm not being rude, honest, it's just complete adoration of my new shoes).

D. is round this evening for some light entertainment. I am cooking up a Mexican extravaganza of mexican rice, some other mexican thingy in a fajita, all washed down with Corona beer, yay! Holiday mode continuing nicely.

So off I trot to play with my recipe book. Ta-ta x

how cold?

2006-06-01T15:36:00.000+01:00

Greetings! I have returned. The plane managed to make it all the way there and all the way back without any incident so I survived wedding number one. There really is way too much to write so will be brief and to the point:
1. It was very hot in Rhodes. Maybe an obvious point to make but we actually arrived in the middle of a heatwave, temperatures soaring into the 30's, lovely jubbly. Have spent a week walking round in shorts, bikini top and flip flops.
2. Everyone else is much browner than I am. And when I say much I'm not exaggerating. Heatwave meant that I had to hide in shade otherwise burning would have taken place, not a good look with a green dress, so armed with Factor 20, I stayed with the "pale and interesting" look that was assigned to me, well, pale and interesting with many freckles. It certainly amused everyone anyway to compare "tans" with me. Yeah yeah you're all so funny :o)
3. Satin is not the best material in the world to be wearing in such temperatures. And all that bollocks about women merely glowing...um, no, satin=sweaty. Lovely. Oh and shoes after flip flops? Not nice. Hot feet, and we all know how much I hate having hot feet.
4. Wedding was lovely. Bridey was beautiful. Groom looked like he was going to puke. Apparently we bridesmaids shimmered so delightfully that mother of bridey was nearly in tears, all together now, ah bless. It's all official now, they really are married. Now we've got a book going on how long it will be before baby number one arrives. I'm going with about a year, give or take a couple of months...scaring you yet R.?
5. My hair went mad. Literally. It don't like the sunshine. Or is it weddings that it doesn't like? Would it buggery do what I wanted it to do! I was ready to shave it all off, grrrr. Will attach a photo at some point when I have one, I did manage to make it look okay but it took a lot of hard work, some serious upside down hair drying and lots of hairspray. And as soon as we got on the boat, the straightened fringe went PING and curled back up again, leading me nicely to my next point...
6...I don't like boats. I am not a boat person. And glass bottomed boats coupled with dizzy ears, oh oh, so not good. No champagne cruise for me. ..Taxi!
7. The food is very very nice in Rhodes. Especially the baklava from the bakery that was conveniently located opposite our apartment. Good job that we couldn't just bolt over the fence and had to walk up a hill to get to it or it would have been serious fat pastry knacker time.
8. The measures, or rather lack of, in Rhodes are also very nice. Many many Archers were drunk, hic hic.
9. The hat...very popular. Talking point. Which ranch are you from cowboy?
10. How much am I loving my new flip flops? Gold. With an ankle strap. Oh so now, oh so lovely. Oh so no-one can copy off them unless they're going to the un-named town that I bought them from. Tee hee hee :o)
11. I bet you didn't know that you could get a smoker's cough from just one week in the same apartment as a smoker. Pass that Buttercup Syrup, I'm in serious need.

So one down one to go. Well, one plus an evening do. Plus a dissertation...eeeeek!

fly me away...in an aeroplane...

2006-05-23T17:18:00.000+01:00

OMG, how can it be that I go away on holiday tomorrow? The time has flown by, mind you, that seems to be the case when peeps are counting down to something, in this case, the first wedding. So I'm all packed, including the flowers that are currently residing inside my hat inside the suitcase. I fear for them both :o( I think that by the time they have been liberally thrown around by the luggage peeps both will be very crushed. Still, not much I can do about that. I have been assured that the flowers will pouff back up again and I can wear a crushed hat with just the same amount of style...maybe :o/

Study day today. Conducted an interview! Well via email so I'm really not sure if it counts. But I asked questions. And data will be produced, wahey! So I'd like to say a most polite thank you to Josh from UCD who was officially my first interviewee. Wooo-eee. I'd also like to report that more reading was done, as well as the sending off of the lit review for approval by my super-supervisor. Not too shabby considering that I do go on holiday tomorrow.

So back to the fun stuff. The relationship with the gravy browning is officially over. Let's face it my lovelies, I am a pale person. I am always going to be pale. Well, okay with a hint of freckly joy but other than that my pale skin is not meant for golden brown colour. I've tried it and I've tired of looking orange. No-one else has noticed, but I know that it's not right and that's enough for me to say a not so fond farewell and chuck it at the bin. I am under no illusions. I will officially be the palest person at the wedding but care I a jot? Nope, not at all. Rather that than .

Oh, by the by, if the plane should happen to crash, let's hope that it does a bit of a Lost and that there is a tasty Matthew Fox lookalikey there and that we plummet towards .

Bon voyage my lovelies. I shall blog upon return.
Up up and away... xx

watching the crowd

2006-05-18T23:36:00.000+01:00

Just got back from watching Dirty Pretty Things. They absolutely FUCKING ROCKED! There is nothing better than a proper indie gig: sweaty, dirty, sexy guitar arms, pounding floor, the band drinking beer and keeping their smoking tabs in their geeeetar strings... It's all just a piece of heaven for a music loving gal such as myself. Carl Barat is my new indie boy crush :o)

So I was on my own. A first for me, but I did grand, had a pint of beer, actually saw a support band, probably the first in a good few years, soaked up the atmosphere and watched the crowd. And what I observed were some very interesting outfits. So I'm going all fashion police on you now and providing you with some basic types, should you ever find yourself at such a gig, you'll know what to look out for.

First up there's your basic "whatever" wardrobe. This is primarily found on the band members and the majority of the crowd who always dress like this and are aware of the fundamental premise of a gig: to watch the band. We're talking jeans, tee shirt, trainers. Indie wardrobe for beginners.

Next up there's your "on the lookout" wardrobe. This is for people who've put that little bit more effort in. It's still cool but it does reek a bit of too much. There was quite a lot of that there tonight. But then it's Thursday, most of them will be off out on the pull afterwards at the aftershow thingie they always throw at The Empire.

The "teenagers" always provide a lot of entertainment with their experimenting look. It's generally a wee bit off the wall but fair play to them, they're discovering themselves, they need all that to find out what their real look will be.

Then there's the "uncool ones" who tonight committed the following crimes (as assigned by moi):
1. the wearing of a Pete Doherty hat. You are not him. And really, why would you want to be?
2. the wearing of a Babyshambles teeshirt to a DPT gig, wrong wrong wrong
3. the wearing of a DPT teeshirt to a DPT gig, this is so not good

And then finally there's your "I've never been to an indie gig and don't really know what to wear so here's what I decided on" wardrobe. And tonight's winner had it hands down. I shall describe. She was like Indie Girl Barbie gone very very wrong. From the bottom up she was wearing: grey suede ankle boots that Christine Cagney would have been ashamed of, black opaque tights, grey jersey shorts that cost about £3 in Matalan and are strictly for holidays or gym, a yellow vest top, one of those skull scarfs that have featured in Heat a lot (actually liked that), many many gold chains, and hair that can only be described as straw bunched up to look like a beehive...meee-ow, bring on el bitch. I'm sorry but what the...? No no no. Did you not check the mirror before you left the house? And what was her boyf doing letting her go out like that?

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, I was travelling home on the bus and saw to my horror, one 50 something year old woman with a white cardigan stretched very tightly across her saggy drooping boobs with the words "BAD GIRL" printed across her chest. I rest my case.

Na-nite x

sneezey gonzalez

2006-05-16T17:17:00.000+01:00

from somewhere (come on, who was it?) I have got a cold. And not just your garden variety cold but a snorter of a one. Just in time for me to have a bright red nose for the first of the weddings (dun dun duuuuuun!) next week. I tell you, I sneezed so forcibly earlier that I think my brain shifted. Grand.

Today's dissertation news is that I have spent much of the day coming up with questions for both the interview and the focus group. Slight panic set in yesterday when I realised that my main interviewee has a habit of leaving the building for his jollies (and by that I mean holidays you dirty minded lot) and not coming back for over a month. So I trot off to his peeps to find out when he goes, and guess what? It's not that long. And I'm thinking shiiiiiiit, I haven't got any questions and I really need to do this before he goes away cos he's not back in enough time for me to do it when he comes back...well you can see where this is going. Hence the questions. Feel good about the ones I have come up with. Am hoping that there will be enough data in the answers to provide me with some great stuff...god is anyone still awake? I'm boring myself over here. Yawn yawn. Basically, questions were created. Very productive. Also did my application form for the job. I know it's not strictly diss stuff but it is work stuff so it sort of counts.

In other news: RIP pen number 4. And I'm almost at the end of my notebook. This is how sad it is. I'm now into those pens that you get free in envelopes where your charitable contribution goes some way towards paying for the pen. By the time I'm done I fear I will be pen-less. But I won't put out a request for notebooks or I might have a bit of a JK Rowling on my hands, (yeah right Claire, you are that famous).

Cannot believe I go away a week today! How is that possible? Where has this year gone? God I really am getting old. You know that when you start making such comments.

How do you like my new consumption bit? Sheesh, if you'd have told me that I'd be playing around with HTML and the like I would have laughed in your face. Turns out, I really am a geek after all... :o)

bus is best/biscuits anyone?

2006-05-11T18:08:00.000+01:00

you know for all I rant and rave about the bus, it's probably a good job that is how I get around most because I find that when I have use of a car, I'm partial to a bit of road rage. I know, I know, who am I to judge right? It's just that some people's driving is shockingly bad! There is this one slip road on the way home that people just don't do right. This slip road is really long. There is plenty of time to merrily drive along it and be able to transfer lanes, but oh no, everyone wants out as soon as it joins the blummin' dual carriageway and it blocks up and people start honking their horns and basically no-one is moving. And it is very frustrating. And that's it, right there, I just can't help myself, I start ranting, yelling at people to keep moving even though they can't hear me and they probably just think I'm mad cos I'm sat in a car on my own and flapping my lips in vain (a wee film quote there for those who love and cherish a crackin' John Hughes 80's flick). I say PAH! Come on people. Keep the flow of traffic moving, basic driving lesson stuff that one. Rant over.

In other news, went into my lovely local supermarket this evening primarily to buy icecream. It's hot. I've been dreaming of a all afternoon, hence the need for icecream this evening. However, when I got in there, the offers of the week were too good to resist. So I filled up my basket with lots of BOGOFs and they were all biscuits. I get to the till and am unloading and the man in front of me turned and gave me a look as if to say: "you fat knacker". I was tempted to explain that they're not for me, they're for the work peeps but I thought, no, let him think what he likes. I do not care :o) Most exciting is possibly the new jaffa cake by Cadbury's. Should be tasty. Yumalicious.

Right then, off I trot. To make tea. And enjoy my icecream. Fat knacker-ish and proud :o)

all shopped out

2006-05-10T17:12:00.000+01:00

and it's quite probable that I can never go out again due to buying so much stuff! In my defence, I did need it for the holiday. And the couple of other things that I've bought are for work so that's all good too. It just costs so much money when you need to buy things from scratch! Still, all good. My favourite purchase of the day is definitely my hat: I heart it so.

Also finally found some shoes for the other wedding. Was beginning to get flappy and thinking that I was never going to find any, but went into Debenhams and there they were. I was trying to find a photo but there doesn't seem to be one in existence, pah. So you'll just have to wait until I have the photo of me in all my finery and then they will be seen. They're very pretty though. Sandals. In the shade of pewter. And they've got a great heel! Not sure how they'll fare on the cobbles, but hey, what's a broken ankle between friends eh?

Right, off I go to wash my locks. And count up how much I've spent...eek! Probably not such a good idea.
Ta-ta x

2000!

2006-05-09T17:27:00.000+01:00

Yep I've done it, I'm over the 2000 mark! That only leaves another 14500 to go, but hey, it's better than before. And I've done my literature review, yay! Just needs checking by my grammar checker now...

10 things I've learned today whilst doing said literature review:
1. I use the word suggest way too many times when I'm presenting arguments
2. Much of the literature is keen to emphasise that librarians who have blogs are "savvy"
3. Wait, does this make me savvy?
4. My thesaurus is my new best friend
5. Receiving texts from fellow course people who have already completed literature reviews and are at interview stage only succeeds in making me growl and not liking them any more :o(
6. McVities flapjacks are not that nice
7. I can delete whole paragraphs in half the time it takes me to create them in the first place
8. I cannot construct sentences very well and when one is crap I get stuck there, hanging, and can't move on until it looks better
9. I can never have enough cups of tea when I'm working...
10. ...and I wish I had someone who would make them for me so that I wouldn't have to keep on going downstairs to the kitchen

Now I have to escape this computer. Have been sat in front of it all day long. Not good. I go. To make veggie chilli for tea. Yum yum.

three word tip from me to you...

2006-05-08T18:24:00.000+01:00

DON'T COPY ME! Long live the headband

fun in the stacks

2006-05-08T18:19:00.000+01:00

I'm trying to prove my geekiness in my Librarian-to-be quest. Actually to be really geeky I'll make that LTB and then I'm the proud owner of an acronym. Woohoo. So I thought I'd tell you about my work day cos I actually did have fun.

I don't normally talk much about work for a couple of reasons. The first being that I'm afraid I might get fired if I started spouting forth all my views and opinions. And secondly, it's bloody boring. When I'm not at work I'm in official playtime mode so I cease to think of it. But this summer I've been given the task of being part of the summer project team. Initial excitement soon wore off when I found out that my main responsibility was to order the water...but today I had to do more stuff for it that involved a measuring tape, a red marker and a list.

Librarians love lists. They also love hoarding stuff. I, on the other hand, love chucking stuff out. And that's what we're doing. Chucking out loads of stuff, well journals to be precise. Dead journals, may they rest... So the fun was had by drawing big red crosses on the bases of them. See when you put it like that it just doesn't sound like fun. But there is something bad about doing that. I'll try putting it another way. I was down and dirty in the stacks...see now that sounds rude. But I actually was. Kneeling down that is. And the stacks are very dirty. My jeans need washing it's so dirty in there.

The good news is that it's not like The Day After Tomorrow and we're not going to burn them to keep the place warm, we're going to have them pulped so that they can be recycled. Being a greenie, I'm very happy about this. However, should such an end of the world type incident occur like in the above film, the bound journals are so the things to burn first...