So work has gotten interesting....and busy, so very busy. For my first month of so I was plagued with boredom and could not wait till things picked up. And while I do not wish to go back to that snail pace I do find myself wishing I had a few more hours in the day, and thinking about staying late after work.
The good thing is that I genuinely enjoy what I do. I may find myself frustrated or stressed but it is all worth while when you get job satisfaction.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Monday, January 08, 2007
First transport rant of the year
I know I frequently compain about the transport but I have to have somewhere to rant.
So the crowds are back. Untill this morning I had been enjoying a relatively empty tube...but it couldn't last. This morning the crowds were all headed back to work.....Got dirty looks from some woman for DARING to read a newspaper on a crowded tube..... only 52 weeks of this left....
So the crowds are back. Untill this morning I had been enjoying a relatively empty tube...but it couldn't last. This morning the crowds were all headed back to work.....Got dirty looks from some woman for DARING to read a newspaper on a crowded tube..... only 52 weeks of this left....
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Long time, no Blog
Just logged onto blogger for the first time this year and was shocked to see I have not blogged in over a month....so apologies to anyone who has been checking my blog in hopes of fresh posts.
New years is a time of looking forward for me....thinking about things I'm hoping to accomplish and planning exciting adventures for the year. So here is some of what I have planned.
1. I am going to make a long awaited trip home.
One of my oldest and dearest friends is getting married this year and so I am going home for 2 weeks. It will be 3 years by the time I get back to SA...three years of not having seen 90% of my family and most of my old friends. I am looking forward to catching up and chilling out and totally enjoying all the holiday splendour that SA has to offer (despite the fact that is is going to be autumn and a tad chilly)
2. I am going to 2 music festivals
The plan is to go to Spain for an amazing long weekend on the beach. The festival runs through the nights and so I am going to spend the days lazing on the beach and swimming.....can hardly wait. Then going to Leeds/Reading festival in August for a muddy version of the Spain festival...minus the beach...and with a lot less sun.
3. Probably a trip to Egypt
Hoping to go to Egypt in around September for a final shot at getting a tan....Have ALWAYS wanted to go there and I am looking forward to a mixture of seeing some ancient history and doing sweet blow all.....should be amazing
4. Get a grip on my finances
If I want to do all the above mentioned activities I am going to have to get serious about my money.....spend less save more is going to be my motto.
5. Career focused
Work is going to be a major priority this year. I desperately want to be good at what I do and be able to move up the ladder at the end of this contract and not into a similar job in a different company...so going to work hard and have as much fun as possible.
6. Be more precious about my time
Last year I said yes to everything and by the end of the year I was going out 7 nights a week and was totally run down and near hysteria a lot of the time. This year I am going to limit my week day activities and spend more time chilling out after work (lets see how long this lasts!!!!)
New years is a time of looking forward for me....thinking about things I'm hoping to accomplish and planning exciting adventures for the year. So here is some of what I have planned.
1. I am going to make a long awaited trip home.
One of my oldest and dearest friends is getting married this year and so I am going home for 2 weeks. It will be 3 years by the time I get back to SA...three years of not having seen 90% of my family and most of my old friends. I am looking forward to catching up and chilling out and totally enjoying all the holiday splendour that SA has to offer (despite the fact that is is going to be autumn and a tad chilly)
2. I am going to 2 music festivals
The plan is to go to Spain for an amazing long weekend on the beach. The festival runs through the nights and so I am going to spend the days lazing on the beach and swimming.....can hardly wait. Then going to Leeds/Reading festival in August for a muddy version of the Spain festival...minus the beach...and with a lot less sun.
3. Probably a trip to Egypt
Hoping to go to Egypt in around September for a final shot at getting a tan....Have ALWAYS wanted to go there and I am looking forward to a mixture of seeing some ancient history and doing sweet blow all.....should be amazing
4. Get a grip on my finances
If I want to do all the above mentioned activities I am going to have to get serious about my money.....spend less save more is going to be my motto.
5. Career focused
Work is going to be a major priority this year. I desperately want to be good at what I do and be able to move up the ladder at the end of this contract and not into a similar job in a different company...so going to work hard and have as much fun as possible.
6. Be more precious about my time
Last year I said yes to everything and by the end of the year I was going out 7 nights a week and was totally run down and near hysteria a lot of the time. This year I am going to limit my week day activities and spend more time chilling out after work (lets see how long this lasts!!!!)
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Still Dirrty
Last night I went to see Christina Aguilera in concert. It was a rather last minute thing and to be honest there were times last night when I wondered what the hell I had been thinking, but the show was phenomenal.
I had spent the day travelling to and from Birmingham for work and so by the time I got to Wembley I was pretty finished. We had to queue for about an hour and then had another hour to wait for the support band, Nizlopi. They were just plain wierd. They tried their best to get the crowd amped but no one wanted to know their story. We then waited another 45 mins for Christina to get her cute little butt onto stage. This was definetly one of the best shows I have seen. The sets were amazing, the dancers highly energised and of course the pint sized blond with the most amazing voice. She was definetly still looking to shock a few people with her antics but non of that was at the expense of an amazinf performance.
So it was enjoyable but next time I go to a pop concert I am going to be seated, to avoid standing for hours on end and to totally avoid annoying fans who blow whistles and have a running compentary going all through the show.
I had spent the day travelling to and from Birmingham for work and so by the time I got to Wembley I was pretty finished. We had to queue for about an hour and then had another hour to wait for the support band, Nizlopi. They were just plain wierd. They tried their best to get the crowd amped but no one wanted to know their story. We then waited another 45 mins for Christina to get her cute little butt onto stage. This was definetly one of the best shows I have seen. The sets were amazing, the dancers highly energised and of course the pint sized blond with the most amazing voice. She was definetly still looking to shock a few people with her antics but non of that was at the expense of an amazinf performance.
So it was enjoyable but next time I go to a pop concert I am going to be seated, to avoid standing for hours on end and to totally avoid annoying fans who blow whistles and have a running compentary going all through the show.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Monday, November 13, 2006
You always take the weather with you
Lately the weather has been relecting my mood very very acurately. Last week I was happy, the world was a fresh clean place and nothing could bring me down. I loved the autumn leaves on the floor, the crisp air and how everyone was dressed all snug in their hats, gloves and scarves.
Today, I am hurting, I want to climb under my blankets and hide from the world. It is pouring with rain outside and it feels very theraputic. People keep their heads down in the street or hide under their umbrella's and somehow I feel like the world knows how badly I want to be left alone and has orchestrated this weather just for me. I have very little to do at work and so I watch the rain coming down and hope that this will somehow wash all the yuck away.
Today, I am hurting, I want to climb under my blankets and hide from the world. It is pouring with rain outside and it feels very theraputic. People keep their heads down in the street or hide under their umbrella's and somehow I feel like the world knows how badly I want to be left alone and has orchestrated this weather just for me. I have very little to do at work and so I watch the rain coming down and hope that this will somehow wash all the yuck away.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Especially for you Sarah
Hey girl......you know I don't actually have your e-mail address...no excuses seeing as I know Rox has it.....
Anyway....life is good. I am LOVING living in south. It's just as good as I thought it would be. It is so good to be able to get almost all the way home with a friend. The new job is going good. A bit boring to be honest but they keep telling me it is going to get so busy that I should just appreciate this quite time....
For a more in depth look into how I'm really doing I write another blog..... which might give you some more insight.
So I know that is not terribly detailed....but the important thing is that I miss you so so much and I am planning on going to sydney in april so we will have to meet up for a big hug and a seriously long chat.
Anyway....life is good. I am LOVING living in south. It's just as good as I thought it would be. It is so good to be able to get almost all the way home with a friend. The new job is going good. A bit boring to be honest but they keep telling me it is going to get so busy that I should just appreciate this quite time....
For a more in depth look into how I'm really doing I write another blog..... which might give you some more insight.
So I know that is not terribly detailed....but the important thing is that I miss you so so much and I am planning on going to sydney in april so we will have to meet up for a big hug and a seriously long chat.
here's an unfunny joke for you
How many people can you fit on an overland train between putney and waterloo?
About a hundred million billion.
This morning my bus was late and so I missed the earlier train into town and was subjected to being face to face with some guy for 20 mins....I kid you not, I didn't want to breath because he was so close, and had the train moved a bit more violently I would have unwittingly kissed him (luckily he was quite hot so it was not such a hard burden to bear)...At one point I didn't have to hold onto anything as I was propped up by the swaying mass of people around me.
They say the British are great queue'rs but I have to say that all goes out the window if they are trying to get onto the train....they will just push and push untill they are on that train...even if it means their arse cheek gets pinched in the door as it slams shut.
About a hundred million billion.
This morning my bus was late and so I missed the earlier train into town and was subjected to being face to face with some guy for 20 mins....I kid you not, I didn't want to breath because he was so close, and had the train moved a bit more violently I would have unwittingly kissed him (luckily he was quite hot so it was not such a hard burden to bear)...At one point I didn't have to hold onto anything as I was propped up by the swaying mass of people around me.
They say the British are great queue'rs but I have to say that all goes out the window if they are trying to get onto the train....they will just push and push untill they are on that train...even if it means their arse cheek gets pinched in the door as it slams shut.
Feeding my music addiction
Last night was the long-awaited Feeder concert. I knew it was going to be a good one but I had no idea how good.
We decided to stand instead of sit to get the full Feeder vibe and managed to get quite close to the front before the support act "Boy Kill Boy" started. They were pretty good, one of the better support bands we had seen. The place packed up pretty quickly and before we knew it Feeder came on stage and we were in the middle of a mosh pit. I mean a serious mosh pit. All I can say is thank the pope we had Steven there otherwise we would never have gotten out alive. He had to literally drag us out. We headed right to the back where all the old fogies and boring people were hanging out and proceeded to jump around like crazies for an hour and a bit. They played all the best Feeder tunes and through in a few covers for fun. I was equally entertained by the fifty something year old guys around me who knew more words to the songs than I did and who had more energy and stamina than I did....They were bouncing around and playing air guitar.....highly enjoyable watching.
So now I'm kinda sad.....I loved the concert so much but now it's over....Going to see some SA bands tomorrow night and then it is a month long wait for Kasabian and Snow Patrol (woohoo)Not sure how I am going to cope without my weekely gig, actually maybe now I will get to catch up on some much needed sleep.
We decided to stand instead of sit to get the full Feeder vibe and managed to get quite close to the front before the support act "Boy Kill Boy" started. They were pretty good, one of the better support bands we had seen. The place packed up pretty quickly and before we knew it Feeder came on stage and we were in the middle of a mosh pit. I mean a serious mosh pit. All I can say is thank the pope we had Steven there otherwise we would never have gotten out alive. He had to literally drag us out. We headed right to the back where all the old fogies and boring people were hanging out and proceeded to jump around like crazies for an hour and a bit. They played all the best Feeder tunes and through in a few covers for fun. I was equally entertained by the fifty something year old guys around me who knew more words to the songs than I did and who had more energy and stamina than I did....They were bouncing around and playing air guitar.....highly enjoyable watching.
So now I'm kinda sad.....I loved the concert so much but now it's over....Going to see some SA bands tomorrow night and then it is a month long wait for Kasabian and Snow Patrol (woohoo)Not sure how I am going to cope without my weekely gig, actually maybe now I will get to catch up on some much needed sleep.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Frickin hell
aaaahhhhhh
aaaahhhhhhh
aaaaaahhhhh
Sorry trying to vent some frustration without attracting too much attention. I have another fine to pay......another hundred pound fine to pay. And this time it is not even for something that I did (I think I say that every time don't I?)
Anyway there was a warrant out for my arrest and now they want me to go down to the new forest for a court date....which is ridiculous and so now I think I am just going to have to cough up the hundred pounds for ease of mind and convenience......bloody hell I can't afford this. I am NEVER going to own a car in this country again.......
aaaahhhhhhh
aaaaaahhhhh
Sorry trying to vent some frustration without attracting too much attention. I have another fine to pay......another hundred pound fine to pay. And this time it is not even for something that I did (I think I say that every time don't I?)
Anyway there was a warrant out for my arrest and now they want me to go down to the new forest for a court date....which is ridiculous and so now I think I am just going to have to cough up the hundred pounds for ease of mind and convenience......bloody hell I can't afford this. I am NEVER going to own a car in this country again.......
Deep thought
Just discovered this guy Jack Handy. I love his random thoughts. Here r some of my favourites.
Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words - "mank" and "ind". What do these words mean ? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind.
The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.
When you go in for a job interview, I think a good thing to ask is if they ever press charges.
We tend to scoff at the beliefs of the ancients. But we can't scoff at them personally, to their faces, and this is what annoys me.
If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.
Love can sweep you off your feet and carry you along in a way you've never known before. But the ride always ends, and you end up feeling lonely and bitter. Wait. It's not love I'm describing. I'm thinking of a monorail.
There are too many.....lol
Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words - "mank" and "ind". What do these words mean ? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind.
The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.
When you go in for a job interview, I think a good thing to ask is if they ever press charges.
We tend to scoff at the beliefs of the ancients. But we can't scoff at them personally, to their faces, and this is what annoys me.
If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.
Love can sweep you off your feet and carry you along in a way you've never known before. But the ride always ends, and you end up feeling lonely and bitter. Wait. It's not love I'm describing. I'm thinking of a monorail.
There are too many.....lol
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Live gigs 2 and 3
Gig # 2 was the phenomenal John Meyer. I wasn't that keen initially to go along to this concert. Infact I made the decision not to buy a ticket. Luckily for me Ian decided to go on holiday and he generously gave me his ticket.....and I am so so grateful. This concert totally rocked. John Meyer is not just a sexy beast but also an amazingly talented musician. I think at the moment he is on my top 5 live acts of the year....
Gig # 3 was Delirious last night. The thing that made this one so special was that almost all my friends came along. Ian had just got back from Africa so it was awesome to see him and I LOVE sharing these things with the people closest to me. Delirious is an awesome rock band....and boy did they rock last night. The only downer was that we planted ourselves right next to the speakers for some unknown reason and so I spent at least half the night with my fingers plugged into my ears trying to stop my ear drums bursting.
So next week sees me at two more concerts before I have a mini concert break.....
Gig # 3 was Delirious last night. The thing that made this one so special was that almost all my friends came along. Ian had just got back from Africa so it was awesome to see him and I LOVE sharing these things with the people closest to me. Delirious is an awesome rock band....and boy did they rock last night. The only downer was that we planted ourselves right next to the speakers for some unknown reason and so I spent at least half the night with my fingers plugged into my ears trying to stop my ear drums bursting.
So next week sees me at two more concerts before I have a mini concert break.....
Friday, October 27, 2006
Another post about public transport
Since giving up the easy life and moving to the South West of London I have actually had to do battle with public transport on a daily basis. Don't get me wrong,I love having the freedom to be able to go anywhere (almost,) anytime (till 12pm) but seeing as I have been living here for 2 and a half years now I feel I have earned the right to complain a bit.
This morning I was rushing to get on the overland. I knew the train was about to depart and so I leaped onto the train....and got caught mid-leap in the doors. I felt like a ping pong ball bouncing back and forth till the doors clamped shut, at which point I felt a lot of pain. Those doors mean business, nothing and no-one is going to stop them from closing, especially not little old me.
So after extricating myself and checking to make sure all my body parts had made it onto the train intact I glanced around to see most of the carriage staring at me.....I think I must have muttered (shouted) a few profanities at some point.....
I spent the rest of the journey staring out a window wondering how long till someone else would make an arse of themselves and take the heat off me.
Note to self, the next train will be along in 5 mins....it is never worth it to leap on the train just because it is about to leave!!!
This morning I was rushing to get on the overland. I knew the train was about to depart and so I leaped onto the train....and got caught mid-leap in the doors. I felt like a ping pong ball bouncing back and forth till the doors clamped shut, at which point I felt a lot of pain. Those doors mean business, nothing and no-one is going to stop them from closing, especially not little old me.
So after extricating myself and checking to make sure all my body parts had made it onto the train intact I glanced around to see most of the carriage staring at me.....I think I must have muttered (shouted) a few profanities at some point.....
I spent the rest of the journey staring out a window wondering how long till someone else would make an arse of themselves and take the heat off me.
Note to self, the next train will be along in 5 mins....it is never worth it to leap on the train just because it is about to leave!!!
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
I don't wanna!!!!!
I have made the move down south...It was stressful and I still haven't unpacked, but it was my great joy to have my friends with me as I travelled home last night. There is only one big blip on the horizon......the bloody busses. I have been having to actually go up a gear into run mode (I know shock horror) in order to catch the bus. At first I thought it would only happen when I was with Tagg, but then this morning I found myself running for the 39......aaaarrrrrrggggg. How did this happen to me?????
Monday, October 23, 2006
The Atomatic: A concert review
My season of live music has officially kicked off. I dragged Rox, Jo and Steve down to the Astoria to see The Automatic.
We arrived at 7ish and found what looked like a very young and punky crowd. If I said we looked out of place I would be understating. We eventually got to the front of the queue after about half an hour just to be told we were in the wrong place and needed to be one door down. Quite embarrasing. We made our way through the rather confusing venue and managed to bag a little with a great view of the stage.
The support band were okay....couldn't have expected any more from them really. The Automatic however, rocked my world. They sounded just as great as on their album and I loved that I could sing along to every song (listened to the CD 5 times the day of the concert.....that's real dedication). My favourite was the "screamer" of the band. He is such and out there performer and I loved watching him throwing his body around. Sadly not everyone (steve) in our group was as enthralled by their performance as I was. All I can say is there is no accounting for some people's (steve's) taste.
So concert season is off to a good start, tonight is something compeletly different in the form of John Meyer. I have once again been trying to cram some of his songs into my little brain. I will be surprised if there is anything but music left in there by the end of the year.
We arrived at 7ish and found what looked like a very young and punky crowd. If I said we looked out of place I would be understating. We eventually got to the front of the queue after about half an hour just to be told we were in the wrong place and needed to be one door down. Quite embarrasing. We made our way through the rather confusing venue and managed to bag a little with a great view of the stage.
The support band were okay....couldn't have expected any more from them really. The Automatic however, rocked my world. They sounded just as great as on their album and I loved that I could sing along to every song (listened to the CD 5 times the day of the concert.....that's real dedication). My favourite was the "screamer" of the band. He is such and out there performer and I loved watching him throwing his body around. Sadly not everyone (steve) in our group was as enthralled by their performance as I was. All I can say is there is no accounting for some people's (steve's) taste.
So concert season is off to a good start, tonight is something compeletly different in the form of John Meyer. I have once again been trying to cram some of his songs into my little brain. I will be surprised if there is anything but music left in there by the end of the year.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Phew
So today was the first day if my new job. I was really expecting the worst but it all went swimmingly. The people are all friendly and helpful. I managed to get a mail merge done which had been totally freaking me out. There were a few hitches along the way but nothing I couldn't handle.
So all in all a successful experience. I think I am going to be really happy there!
So all in all a successful experience. I think I am going to be really happy there!
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Departed is such sweet sorrow.....
Actually it is just sorrow....
Went to see "The Departed" today. I knew what I was letting myself into but still came out of the cinema feeling rather morose. Don't get me wrong, the acting was beyond brilliant and the story line kept me entertained and guessing. It was just in no way a feel good movie. So, if you feel like a brilliant but depressing film then this is definitely the one for you.
Went to see "The Departed" today. I knew what I was letting myself into but still came out of the cinema feeling rather morose. Don't get me wrong, the acting was beyond brilliant and the story line kept me entertained and guessing. It was just in no way a feel good movie. So, if you feel like a brilliant but depressing film then this is definitely the one for you.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
It's all going down the drain
I am so frickin scarred. Tonight I get a call from my lovely (or so I thought) friend, Steven. His called sounded a bit funny so I asked him where he was. He managed to side step the question but I was persistent and he revealed he was in the bathroom. Que dawning realisation that he is sitting on the toilet....no....shitting on the toilet. aaarrrrrrrrgggggggg I am so mentally scarred right now. I am going to have to keep him at arms length at least .....maybe two arms' length.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Bitter sweet week
So it has arrived. My last week as nanny in the Kanerick/Greenhalgh household and I am just not too sure how to feel. One minute I am radically excited about living in the south with everyone else and the next minute I feel like screaming NNNNNOOOOOOOO.
I had Ian, Steve and Rox over for dinner last night and it was one of the evenings I love to have. Chilled out, food, wine and lots and lots of laughs. This house holds so many good memories of similar evenings and fun days with Saskia. It has been a wonderful year. I had no idea when I took this job that I would come to love these two people as much as I do and I am just so happy that they will continue to be a huge part of my life.
So I guess that is enough introspection. Looking forward, the rest of this year is definitely going to be amazing. Lots of live music, facing winter and looking forward to the prospect of inviting the new year in while skiing down some snowy mountain.
I had Ian, Steve and Rox over for dinner last night and it was one of the evenings I love to have. Chilled out, food, wine and lots and lots of laughs. This house holds so many good memories of similar evenings and fun days with Saskia. It has been a wonderful year. I had no idea when I took this job that I would come to love these two people as much as I do and I am just so happy that they will continue to be a huge part of my life.
So I guess that is enough introspection. Looking forward, the rest of this year is definitely going to be amazing. Lots of live music, facing winter and looking forward to the prospect of inviting the new year in while skiing down some snowy mountain.
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