Kaleidoscope Eyes

First Post of 2008.

2008-01-17T20:56:00.000Z

So I am being lazy and pinching this meme. It does contain some interesting news though. ^_^

[1.] Where was the first time you ever kissed the last person you kissed?
In a club.

[2.] What’s the greatest thing that happened to you today?
My last day at ASDA for at least 6 weeks, possibly forever!!!

[3.] What’s the number one thing that turns you on the most?
Can't say one specific thing, sometimes the simplest touch can be electric.

[4.] Would you rather get up early or sleep in?
Sleep in. I love my bed.

[5.] Tell me where you got each article of clothing you’re wearing?
It's my work uniform, so you know where it came from. Polyester hell!

[6.] What’s the closest thing to you that is brown?
My hair. Or possibly my desk. I'm not going to measure.

[7.] What would you change about your life right now?
More money, no student debt, married to Jake Gyllenhaal. The usual.

[8.] Would you rather smile over a lie or cry over the truth?
Truth always.

[9.] What’s on your bedroom floor right now?
Carpet, a few books and shoes.

[10.] Who was the last person you got into an argument with?
Probably one of the managers at work.

[11.] Do you trust people?
Yes and no. Depends on the person and the situation.

[12.] If you could move away, no questions asked, where would you move?
I do miss Manchester, so probably there.

[13.] Have you ever been out of the country?
Yes, I am lucky to have traveled to quite a few places.

[14.] Could you go a day without eating?
Theoretically, yes. But don't expect that I would be happy about it!

[15.] How much do looks matter to you?
I am no oil painting so who am I to judge how others look!

[17.] When was the last time you had your hair cut?
Months! Can't remember. Needs cutting actually. Thanks for the reminder!

[18.] Would you rather be mad or sad?
Angry, it tends to be more productive.

[19.] Does it take a lot to make you cry?
Catch me at the wrong moment and I will well up at the drop of a hat.

[20.] What’s the best feeling in the world?
Home, safe and warm. No worries.

[21.] Are you close with your mom?

Very. She is like my best friend.

[23.] Do you tell your parents everything?
Most things. Some things they do not need to know.

[24.] Would you rather be a bird or a fish?
Bird. Flying seems like fun.

[25.] Name fears you have….?
Failure, that's the biggie. Also spiders and cockroaches tend to make me feel a wee bit sick.

[26.] If you need to go to the store a block away, do you walk or drive?
Walk. I don't have my own car plus petrol is bloody expensive!

[27.] Does the thought of marriage scare you?
Not really as I know I'll never get married.

[28.] How many kids do you want?
None, I think. Just wish someone would tell that bloody biological clock.

[29.] What’s your favourite colour to wear?
Green

[30.] Who was the last person in your bedroom besides you?
My sister

[31.] What are you doing tonight?
Shower, make my lunch for the first day of my new job tomorrow and then an early night!

[32.] Would you rather be rich & sad or poor & happy?

Rich and happy, who says that I can't have it all?

[34.] What would you do if you found a dragon egg?
Raise it and then use it to raze ASDA to the ground in a spectacular aerial assault.

[35.] Do you get bored easily?
Sorry, what? I got distracted by a shiny object.

[36.] What’s something that someone can do that really bothers you?
Condescension and rudeness I cannot bear!

[37.] Did you ever want to change your name when you were younger?
No, I definitely suit my name.

[38.] Do you wish you were famous?
Nah. Too much like hard work.

[39.] Do you make a wish at 11:11?
Was I supposed to?

[40.] When you’re at the beach, do you swim or lay out more?
Swim, or lie totally covered by towels or T-shirts. I hate the sun and tend to fall asleep on the beach.

[41.] Who is the last text message you received from and what did it say?
Erm, can't remember. From my mum asking when I was going to be home I think.

[42.] What are you freakishly obsessed with?
I tend to get freakishly obsessed with something every other week until I get bored and move on to the next thing.

[44.] Do you like going to the mall to shop or just shopping online?
Either. Shopping is shopping.

[45.] Can music affect your mood?
Definitely

[46.] What piercings do you want?
Having my ears done is enough.

[47.] What tattoos do you want?
I have one and am happy with that.

[48.] Have you ever been in a cave?
Yes. An old copper mine.

[49] Have you ever eaten a bug?
Never knowingly and I hope it stays that way.

[50.] Are you holding back telling someone how you really feel about them?
Yes, I was raised to be polite and screaming 'I think you are a fucking retard' at people is generally frowned upon. More is the pity!

A Christmas List

2007-12-24T15:37:00.000Z

Phew! Finally finished my overtime marathon and I am so ready for a couple of days of down time before it all starts again. Work has been beyond crazy this year so I have decided to compile a list of 'Do's' and 'Don'ts' for Christmas food shopping, as so many people get it so wrong. So next year you too can get it right!

DO plan ahead. There really is no excuse for not starting early, the only thing that needs buying Christmas week is your veg. Most shops start to put their Christmas stock out in early November, so start then!

DO think about what time you are going to do your shopping. Supermarkets are stocked overnight between 10pm and 6am, therefore early morning is best. 5pm is the worst as everyone goes straight from work. Thinking ahead will save time.

DO make a list. And check it twice. If you forget something, chances are you can live without it. Return trips will invariably raise your blood pressure to scary levels.

DO keep your cool. It will be busy and you will have to queue. This is nobody's fault, just deal with it.

DO stay in one place if you send a staff member off to find something for you. Nothing is worse than searching the aisles for someone who has wandered off to continue shopping.

DON'T attempt to catch the attention of a shop assistant by poking/pinching/playfully smacking/ramming them with a trolley or otherwise manhandling them. We don't appreciate it. Likewise whistling at us like sheepdogs and yelling 'Oi! You!' are equally likely to get you sent in the wrong direction when you ask for something.

DON'T assume we are lying to you because we don't have the item you want in stock. It really annoys us. If we are busy and you insist that we go in the warehouse to search, chances are that the staff member will disappear into the back, count to 30 and come back empty handed. Just to piss you off.

DON'T think that huffily announcing 'Fine! I'll go to Tesco/ASDA/Morrisons/etc!' will result in a beleaguered staff member dropping to their knees and begging you to reconsider. We really don't care where you shop and if you utter the above line you may get extremely accurate directions on how to get there. For example: Fuck off then.

DON'T come shopping one or two days before Christmas and expect the shelves to be full and the car park devoid of other shoppers. Also yelling 'What do you mean you don't have any (insert item here)?' at someone may result in your messy death as you are beaten to death with a tin of 10p baked beans. It's fucking Christmas, what do you expect!

So in conclusion, just generally avoid supermarkets and you (and I) will make it through Christmas with our sanity intact.

Coincidence? Probably not.

2007-10-31T09:13:00.000Z

The word 'tannoy' is only one letter different from 'annoy'.

Yet another thing I've learned from working in a supermarket!

Gigs From Beyond The Grave?

2007-10-25T21:45:00.000+01:00

I was updating my gig alerts on the Orange website, when I noticed something a bit disturbing.

I could request to be sent an email when tickets for an Elliott Smith concert became available.

Reckon I would be waiting a looooooooooooooooooong time, considering he DIED in 2003!!!!!

I Did A Good Deed

2007-10-18T10:51:00.000+01:00

I went and gave blood yesterday, so naturally I am knackered today and my elbow area is a nice bluey-purple colour. But I have that inherent smugness that goes along with knowing I did a good thing.

My first problem is they have to play hunt the vein on both of my arms. Apparently I have narrow veins (probably the only narrow thing about me but there we have it!!). Then they say 'Make a really tight fist with your left hand.'

Errr. Bit of a problem there. I don't have the full complement of movement in that hand yet. Once the needle is in I have to sit there squeezing a rolled up bandage to help pump the blood out, as I am a bit stingy and it takes AGES!!

Whenever I go I am always surprised by how differently people react to the procedure. When I am done they always make me lie on the bed for ages despite my protests that I am fine. Must be my colouring, but I really am this pale naturally, nothing to do with anaemia! As soon as I've munched my free biscuit and glass of juice I am off. However, I've seen big men sitting there with what can only be described as grey faces.

Maybe it is a short thing. My body doesn't have as far to pump the blood as other people so having less doesn't make so much difference.

Why Is It.....

2007-09-27T10:56:00.000+01:00

....that Nanna's will never sit down when you go for tea? Insisting instead of hovering nearby in case someone needs extra bread/tea/vinegar.

Nan, please sit down and eat your dinner!!!!

Last Day of Freedom

2007-09-13T10:47:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow I have to report back to that evil place loosely termed 'work', more correctly termed 'Sisyphean torture'.

After eight weeks away from that place I can only say that it does feel like I am going back to prison. However some things are going to change, I will make sure of it.

I am getting my Health and Safety training and then I am going to things EXACTLY by the book. Irritatingly so.

No working in the freezers without proper coat and gloves (ASDA never supplies these)
No moving overloaded cages
No using the wrong (and only) trucks to move pallets.

That is just a small taster of the things which we are expected to do. Well, given the amount of messing around I've put up with they can FUCK RIGHT OFF.

A Minor Observation

2007-09-10T11:29:00.000+01:00

Why is the glue used to stick those irritating white stickers on the bottom of new shoes so strong?!?

You can never get the sticker off in one go and always end up with white marks on the soles of your new shoes, which look stupid.

Is it deliberate?

Why Me? Does Asda Really Hate Me That Much?

2007-09-02T11:13:00.000+01:00

Remember how last month the fuckwits I work for paid my sick pay to my sister? Well, obviously I pulled them up about this fault. They apologised and promised that next payday the money would be debited into my account.

Well, payday was Friday and this month I have been paid a grand total of........£40. (Which is a tax rebate and not actually pay from ASDA at all!)

They've done it again. But this time the fuck up is twice as big. They still owe me the money from last month, and the sick pay which my sister has been paid this month was not the correct amount. Int fact it was about £300 short. Because they have not bothered to inform the payroll department that I have been off sick for 8 weeks not 4 weeks.

This also means my sister is out of pocket because her National Insurance has gone up due to the extra pay she has erroneously received.

I have been graciously allowed to a loan of £150 against the money I am owed. Not too impressed by this as I now have less than £200 to live off this month and I have just joined the gym.

So tomorrow I will be on the phone to head office to find out how in the name of all that is holy that I have been shortchanged two months in a row and yet I am expected to wait another full four weeks before I can have my money!!

Fucking bastards.

Update - not really for the squeamish!

2007-08-17T10:11:00.000+01:00

Thought I might be a bit gross and post some pics of my damaged hand. Don't worry, all the pictures are from after I had the op! Having my fingers split open didn't really put me in the mood to take pictures of the bloody mess I was left with!

This is the cast I ended up with when I woke up after surgery. It extended all the way up to my elbow! Bloody heavy too!
Me and my cast. As I had been on the gynecology ward (don't ask!) they didn't even have a sling to give me!
Luckily I only had to suffer the cast for two days, before they removed it and gave me a splint instead. You can see the pen marks they drew on me to make sure they operated on the correct arm! As if they the lacerations and general lumpiness of my fingers wasn't enough!!
And this is me after the stitches came out. That black blob is the head of the pin which pinned the bone in my little finger together. They took a pair of pliers to me yesterday and pulled it out. Funny thing was, it didn't hurt. Just got this strange stretching feeling inside my finger and then it popped out. The nurse let me keep it, morbid little bugger that I am.

So now I am just waiting to start physio. Fingers crossed I get full movement back.

Asda - Fuck Up Central

2007-08-03T10:44:00.000+01:00

Apologies for radio silence, been a bit busy healing and plotting my revenge against my feckless employers. It may involve napalm.

My hand is healing well, I still have the pin in (tis a little odd to look at your finger and see something black and bobbly protruding!) but my stitches are out so I feel more comfortable.

However, one thing that is not going well is the pay situation. I am entitled to sick pay but when my sister brought our payslips home I have not received sick pay. But she has!!

I kid you not. How they can pay me normally despite my not having clocked into the store for over 2 weeks? And yet my sister who has been there for four days out of every seven can be given sick pay!!

You can't make this shit up!!!

Possibly the worst week ever.

2007-07-18T10:05:00.000+01:00

I could have titled this post as a 'How Not To Be Elegant', but that would be a bit glib, given this is a pretty serious post.

Sunday started normally, I was in work and therefore a bit blue. L and I were working in the warehouse when I had an accident. My left hand got slammed in between two parts of a metal barrier. It hurt but I thought it had just bruised a couple of my fingers so I swore like a sailor, but then I looked down and saw the blood. My little and ring fingers were cut badly.

We called for a first aider and an ambulance which took myself and a most upset L to hospital. I was fairly calm, I have a fairly high pain threshold and saw no point in panicking. As it would only make things worse. I figured after an X-ray and stitches, I would fine. Wrong!

After a massive wait in A and E (cock up by triage nurse, my dad very unhappy) and an x-ray, it became clear I would need more than stitches. I have fractured both my little finger and ring finger and I was told I would need surgery to 'explore the wound' and I would also be put on IV antibiotics to prevent infection (despite leaving me in A&E for 4 hours with an open wound and not cleaning it. Then the bitch triage nurse told me to clean off my own hands. How she expected me to do it with broken fingers I am not sure.).

So they put a dressing on my left hand and a canula in my right elbow area for the drugs. Why my elbow I don't know as I am left handed with a broken left hand and now with limited movement in my right arm due to the needle that is in there. Clever that.

I was taken to the ward, the gyne ward too, as there was no room in orthopedics and put on nil by mouth for the operation later that day. The consultant saw me and told me due to a big emergency I would be here over night. Upsetting but inevitable.

So I spent a restless night with my arm held upright in a sling and a noisy old woman who refused to go to sleep. The next morning the consultant popped in again and told me I would have my operation that day. I waited all day, nil by mouth again, until at 5pm when my family visited and nothing had happened. So the nurses went to find out.

They had canceled my operation and not bothered to inform the ward! I was gutted and at this point I properly broke down in tears for the first time. It meant another uncomfortable night away from home and no progress on my injury. I will admit I was actually scared at this point and had nightmares that they'd left it too long and had to amputate my fingers.

I slept a little better on Monday night but woke up with itchy legs. I rolled down my dead sexy anti-DVT stockings and saw a red lumpy rash all up legs and hips. To add insult to injury it turns out I am apparently allergic to the antibiotics they gave me!! After forgoing my morning dose the consultant changed me to another antibiotic which he said they would give me in theatre. Hurray, I was going to theatre!

Finally after the usual grilling by the anesthetist, I got my surgery done. This meant putting a wire in my little finger, as the bone is not only broken but crushed. Luckily my tendons weren't cut and my nerves seem fine. The only problem is the rash has spread! It now covers about 70% of my body it is even in my belly button and on my scalp! I look like a plague victim. It would appear I am also allergic to the SECOND antibiotic they gave me!!!!

But I'm just glad to be home. I'll have to have physio but I am completely determined to get my full range of movement back. I am now in the odd position of having my dominant hand in plaster, so I have to do everything one-handed but also wrong-handed. Signing the consent form was fun!

Anyway, I typed all this one handed so I reckon I need a rest!

2007-07-09T14:43:00.001+01:00

I got back yesterday from a nice relaxing fortnight in Florida with the family. A quick word of advice for anyone going on holiday this summer.

Arrive at the airport REALLY REALLY EARLY!!!!

We spent over an hour in the queue for security, as many people for some reason had no clue as to the regulations on taking liquids and lighters etc through the security.

Had a lovely time and did much shopping including a new mp3 player (cheaper too thanks to clever use of my Wal-Mart employee discount card!!).

Now I have freckles thanks to the sun (Boo!) and jetlag which means I am functioning at a sub-normal level. Ah well, excuse for an afternoon nap!!!

Vision!

2007-06-20T22:08:00.000+01:00

This is me. In my new glasses! Yay! I can see!

Another lazy post

2007-06-14T10:01:00.000+01:00

I pinched this from Godzilla's site, as I don't have time to write a proper post! I'm still job hunting but hopefully some progress has been made. Plus I picked up my new glasses yesterday, so maybe a couple of pictures next week (after I've plucked my massive Ugly Betty style eyebrows!!).

You would be very happy in a career that utilised your level-headedness, and allowed you to work mainly on your own. You want a career that allows you to stimulate your senses and your mind, without having to be involved with lots of people. Some careers that would be perfect for you are:

Novelist
Photographer
Vet
Medical Technician
Paralegal
Geologist
Marine Biologist
Graphic Designer
Online Content Developer
Webmaster
Computer Security
Producer
Computer Programmer
Technical Writer
Systems Analyst
Meteorologist
Artist

You like working and being alone. You like to avoid attention at all costs. You tend to keep to yourself, and not interact much with the people around you. You enjoy spending time with a few a close friends. You like to listen to others, but don't like sharing much about yourself. You are very quiet and private.

You are very practical, and only act after thinking things through. You don't like being forced to answer quickly. You have to evaluate the situation completely. You make decisions based on what you can verify with your senses.

You like to be involved deeply in one or two special projects. You like to be behind the scenes. You are very logical and fair. You feel you should be honest with others at all costs.

You trust what is certain. You only like new ideas if they can be practically applied to the situation. You value what is real. You use your common sense. You like to utilise the skills you have instead of learning new ones. You are very specific and detailed when writing or talking to others. You follow directions well. You like things to be laid out for you to do instead of working them out for yourself. You like decisions to be made. You don't like things to be left in limbo. You like to know what you are getting into before you commit to something.

You like to focus on the here and now. You enjoy completing projects. It is important for you to achieve and succeed. Therefore, you believe in working hard and playing later. You like to set goals and work towards them.

Some of this makes sense, but not all. I love learning new things and interacting with people (just not idiots) and I wouldn't call myself quiet either!! Can chat shit for Britain! Ah, well.

As If Job Hunting Wasn't Difficult Enough!

2007-06-05T09:41:00.000+01:00

Yes, the email scammers have found another lucrative source; those of whose who need a job.

I'm signed up on a couple of job sites, and I received an email a couple of days ago from a marketing company who wanted to interview me. I wasn't really interested but decided to check out the company anyway, just to see what was involved.

I duly typed 'Teed Up Marketing' into Google and got nothing definitive, so I checked the fine print on the email. First I noticed the email had come from a Hotmail addess, which I thought was very strange.

Then in the fine print I noticed that 'Teed Up Sales Motivation' would charge me £1.50 per minute with a 4 minute minimum for the privilege of enquiring why they wanted to interview me. Alarm bells began to rang. I typed the company name in again and found this article on Gumtree.

http://forums.gumtree.com/about77622.html

I'm just glad I checked before ringing!!

There Is No Hope

2007-05-24T11:16:00.000+01:00

I have discovered Facebook. I am now an addict.

All is lost.

Not Exactly A Panoramic View

2007-05-15T10:09:00.000+01:00

After being told about it by a friend I watched Panorama's Scientology and Me documentary last night (also when did it become a half hour programme sandwiched between soaps? That is hardly enough scope for a proper investigation).

The Scientologists complain that people label them a cult but can you really blame us? You follow the journalists who are trying to interview, dig into their past and try to destroy their reputations if you think that they are going to use the dreaded C-word.

Sounds like paranoia to me.

Then there was that overly-scrubbed representative Tommy, who looked a Tom Cruise lookalike. Every time he was asked a question he got defensive and aggressive and attempted to intimidate John Sweeney. As has been widely reported, Sweeney lost his rag in spectacular fashion and has had to apologise. Personally I think that Sweeney did well to keep his temper for as long as he did. Five minutes in a room with that fool I would probably lamped him one and instructed him to go and fornicate with himself.

The "Church" of Scientology believes that a balanced report of them can only exist if none of their detractors are interviewed.

Erm, hello! That isn't journalism it is propaganda. I for one am glad this CULT is not recognised as a religion in this country, and I hope this continues indefinitely.

This probably means I'm going to be 'Fair Gamed' and if you don't hear from me in a while, then the bizarre brainwashed Scientologists got me.

Separated at Birth?

2007-05-14T16:34:00.000+01:00

I went to see Spiderman 3 last night.

Anyone else think Thomas Hayden Church looks like a beefed up Lee Evans?

Just me then.

Exahusted! But worth it!

2007-04-15T19:09:00.000+01:00

I've just returned home after spending this freakishly hot weekend in London. It is the first time I've been back there since I moved back to Wales in 2005. It was a little weird how I slipped back into tube journeys and how much of the City Centre I remembered.

Dad got a deal on the rooms so I got a double room to myself! Awesome, as I love to hog the whole bed. I am a terrible human being in that respect.

We saw the changing of the guard at the palace, walked round most of the British Museum and my sister finally got to see the Mold Cape which was found not far from where we live. I still haven't managed to get around all of the museum. And I would love to go back in September when the Terracotta Warriors exhibition is opened.

Saturday night we went to see the Blue Man Group and I can highly recommend this show. It was fantastic. Amazing music and just plain hilarious. I won't even try to explain it, just go and see them if you get the chance! But don't be late. Unless ritual humiliation is for you!

So after an hour in Covent Garden this morning we made the distinctly cramped journey back up to Wales. I was listening to 'Stuck In The Middle With You' which was appropriate as due to my short stature I have to sit in the middle of the back seat. Otherwise the rear view mirror is blocked.

Glad to be home now. Going to soak in a bath and flop into my own bed. Bliss!

Who invented this whole chocolate egg thing?

2007-04-06T10:11:00.001+01:00

Because whoever it was I am going to find them and dance on their bloody grave.

If I had a pound for every person who has asked me for sodding Easter eggs this past week I would be a rich woman indeed!

The special offer eggs have been limited to 8 per customer. Most seem to take this as a challenge blatantly taking more than they need. Others come in demanding we sell them 60 eggs. Erm, no. Because all you are going to do is sell them on in your own shop/eBay/local market* (*delete as appropriate).

And despite all this I have stupidly consented to doing overtime tomorrow. I must be mental.

Also want to wish Grandparent's Happy Diamond Wedding for yesterday. I cannot imagine being married for that amount of time! It is a real milestone.

Today is April 2nd...

2007-04-02T11:19:00.000+01:00

...which is means that it is not only my Great Uncle Jim's 90th birthday (Happy Birthday Uncle Jim!!!) but that the smoking ban is now in effect here in Wales!!

I am so glad that I will finally be able to go out to a pub and not come home stinking as if I've rubbed the contents of an ashtray over my head.

The only problem is that I live very close to the English border, and the most common place to go for a night out is Chester. In England. Which doesn't start to enforce the ban until July.

Ah well, I can wait!

Things I Have Learned The Hard Way

2007-03-29T10:17:00.000+01:00

If a half-kilo tin of dog food drops on your foot from about 3 feet it is not high enough to break any bones, but it will turn your foot an interesting shade of purple.

Anyone who works in Personnel has deep abiding hatred of people.

Obsessive skincare is expensive. But thank goodness for Clinque Bonus Time!

I cannot keep my room in order for more than two days. I am the Queen of Chaotic Living Space!

Another Year Older, Still No Wiser

2007-03-24T17:03:00.000Z

I've turned 24 today. *Sob*

So in a desperate bid to regress back to my childhood my birthday has taken on a decidedly retro theme.

Having home made tomato soup and home made pizza for dinner, just like L and I used to have as kids.

After recent discussions about how TV was waaaaaaaay more entertaining when I was little, I have been given the following DVDs by family;

She-Ra! (Cannot wait to watch this again! I so wanted to be She-Ra!)
Willo the Wisp
Legend (Yes, I hate Tom Cruise but Tim Curry is just the win)
V - The Mini Series (Still makes me cry when the doctor gets killed! Sad but true!)

Soundtrack to this post: It Was Acceptable In The 80s

Intervention!

2007-03-18T15:55:00.000Z

I have been moping about all week. So much so that my family decided it was necessary to stage a kind of intervention regarding my social life.

I arrived home on Friday night only to be order to go and get changed as I was being taken to a friend's Xbox 360 link-up party.

My protests of tiredness fell on deaf ears and I gave up due to fact it was four against one.

But I did enjoy myself when I was out.

Not as much as the crazy Welsh guy we saw on Saturday night though. Wales avoided the Wooden Spoon and beat England in the Six Nations (their only win of the tournament). This is cause for celebration, however this fella stood at the bottom of a hill and waved a huge Welsh flag for at least 3 hours!

Being mature adults, my sister and I drove past with the windows down and sand the Welsh National Anthem at the top of our voices.

He was most impressed. This is yet more evidence that I actually do have to get out more!

Not Dead...

2007-03-01T10:20:00.000Z

I'm not dead. And don't worry, I haven't shaved my head and gone into rehab either.

Just don't really have anything interesting to post about. I've had the last week off work and I'm back in today. So naturally, I'm feeling fucking peachy keen.

Just thought I should say Dydd Dewi Sant Hapus (that is probably wrong, but I haven't studied Welsh since leaving high school! So forgive me). It was this day every year that in school we were encouraged to wear daffodils or leeks to school and some poor girl was made to wear the Welsh National Costume (luckily it was never me, unless I have blocked it from my mind). It was not a very sexy outfit, the hat being a definite passion killer in my opinion. I'd post a picture, but I can't find a decent one! Probably for the best.

Meme

2007-02-13T10:15:00.000Z

Found and stole this meme from Goddy's site.

1. Name people who made you laugh yesterday? No one really, I was one my own most of the day and feeling a bit cheesed off.

2. What were you doing at 8 this morning? Sleeping

3. What were you doing 15 minutes ago? Checking emails

4. What is something that happened to you in 1994? I started high school

5. What is the last thing you said aloud? Erm, not sure.

6. . How many different things did you drink today? Nothing so far. Will have juice with my brekkie in a bit.

7. What colour is your hairbrush? Black

8. What was the last thing you bought? A pair of cheap jogging pants I intend to return.

9.Who is your best friend? My sis, my mum or Gra if we are talking outside the family.

10.What colour is your front door? White and glass

11. Where do you keep your change? In my purse

12. What was the weather like today? Clear and mild.

13. What is the best ice-cream flavor? Anything involving chocolate

14. What is something you are excited about? Getting a new job and telling ASDA where they can shove their poxy job.

15. When was the last rainbow you saw? Not sure.

16. Do you have a sister? Yes, the infamous L.

17. Are you very random? Pretty random. Have a tendency to go off on tangents

18. Do you want to cut your hair? Not right now. Dye it maybe.

19. Are you over the age of 25? Nope. 24 next month though.

20. Do you talk a lot? Yes. Especially when I'm cross, which is most of the time at the moment.

21. Do you watch The OC? Not anymore.

22. Make up a question and answer it. Is it time for food? Definitely!!!

23. Do you know anyone called Steve? Yes

24. Are you ticklish? A little. Not saying where.

25. Are you typically a jealous person? Not really, I'm generally pleased when someone does well

26. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A.’ Andy

27. Do you chew on your straw? No

28. What is the next concert you’re going to? I wanted to see Regina Spektor but her next Manchester date is this Thurs! Too late to organise that, so nothing at the mo.

29. Who is the coolest person in your life? Not sure I could narrow that down. I think all my friends and family are cool in their own way.

30. What is something you say a lot? Pile of shite.

31. What is the last thing you ate? A couple of Quality Street last night.

32. Have you seen the movie ‘Donnie Darko’? Yes. Mmmmmmm Jake Gyllenhaal

33. Do you have work tomorrow? No! Woo Hoo!

34. Is marriage in your future? Don't make me laugh

35. What should you be doing right now? Putting the washing out.

36. Do you have a nickname? Sessy and my Dad also calls me Effie or Efficacious.

37. are you a heavy sleeper? Yes, when I am sleeping. But I find it difficult to fall asleep.

38. When was the last time you used a skateboard? Don't think I ever have.

39. What is the best movie you’ve seen in the past two weeks? Watched Seven Brides for Seven Brothers yesterday, it was awesome! I also watched Doom. Which was....well, it was OK.

40. Are you currently depressed? A little.

Karma Sucks!

2007-02-11T15:45:00.000Z

In a fitting end to a suitably shitty week, the universe decided to apparently throw me a little bit of good fortune before pulling the karma rug out from under me.

Whilst in work I put on a Hi-Vis jacket as I entered the warehouse. It was a big padded one for wearing in the freezer complete with pockets. Putting my hands in the pockets I discovered that one of the previous occupants of said jacket had stuffed a load of Dark Chocolate Lindor choccies in there.

Confectionary paydirt! Or so I thought.

All was well (or at least as 'well' as it can be when working for a supermarket) until I re-entered the warehouse and put on another jacket. This jacket was not fully of chocolatey delights, but instead covered in oil.

Meaning that I am now covered in oil. It is all over my uniform, my arms and my hands. And it will not come off.

Ha de fecking ha. The universe hates me.

More Snow Please!

2007-02-08T09:56:00.000Z

Yes, I know that it causes chaos and is a royal pain in the rear for anyone travelling to work. This is my point.

I REALLY do not want to go to work!!!

More snow means I am justified in my skive. As when we had snow last year, lovely ASDA told my sis she had to walk to and from work from her boyfriend's house. Which is about TEN MILES away. Ten miles in the snow!!! Methinks no.

None of the managers will have bothered coming in, and there won't be any customers. So why should I bother?

So, more snow please!!!!!

America's Next Top Moron?

2007-01-30T10:29:00.000Z

Don't get me wrong, I love ANTM. I think the photo shoots are great, it is just the contestants that enter which bug me.

Why on earth would you sign up to a modeling competition if you have religious/political views stating you think homosexuality is wrong and a sin.

HELLO!!!!!!!

What designer is going to want to work with someone who has problems accepting the lifestyles of a large number of people who work in the fashion industry? Erm, I think no one! Karl Lagerfeld might be a shit (IMHO, women are meant to have curves and fat is OK!!) but he has the right to share his life with whomever he chooses.

Why also would you want to be a model when you don't like the idea of getting your kit off in front of people?

I'm not talking about FHM style photos or anything like that, I agree that you need to be in a certain mindset to want to do that. But you could very well be asked to do a nude shoot (as they were on last nights show) and why was one girl sobbing that she might not have a home to go back to if she posed nude.

WTF? Your parents will throw you out for taking very tame pictures where nothing is on display while you were quite happy to pose in a bikini and heels the day before? I'm pretty sure your parents have been naked at some point in their lives, they conceived you didn't they?

Why the morale outrage about nakedness? You didn't emerge from your mother fully clothed you know. We all start life the same way. With no keks on!!!!!!

How would you cope at a fashion show where you have 30 seconds to strip off one outfit and get into another? Not very well methinks.

Yes, it frustrates the hell out of me but I will be watching next week. And probably laughing when one of the stupid bints gets reduced to tears. Hee hee!

A Taste Of Freedom?

2007-01-25T10:03:00.000Z

I've had a couple of interviews this week for that job at a bank I mentioned a few posts ago.

And while it was nice to see that I have a chance of getting out of ASDA, I am becoming more and more convinced that this job isn't for me.

The early shifts are too early for me to get there on the bus and the manager I spoke to yesterday seemed to think there was no way around this. God only knows how they accommodate employees who have to do a school run etc!

While it would be nice to get out of ASDA, I don't want to end up in a place where I'm struggling to make it into work on time and having to ask for lifts.

Back to shelf stacking for now I suppose.

Dietwatch - The Final Result

2007-01-18T11:30:00.000Z

Well considering that two days in I had a large booze filled night resulting in getting a nasty cold so comfort eating returned.

I then decided that it was really working as I am apparently supposed to be limiting myself to ridiculously small portions of cereal. This is not ideal as my job requires me to be fairly active (a fair bit of heavy lifting is involved!).

So I sacked the whole thing off and have been eating sensibly ever since. Have lost a couple of pound which is good.

Except I am now really ill again (working with the public has so many advantages!!!) and can't get any exercise done.

Not going to be deterred though. I need those new jeans!

Got To Get Out Of This Place

2007-01-12T11:49:00.000Z

Tether ended. Can't stick ASDA any longer. Have just applied to a certain large American bank.

So I could end up working for a bunch of bankers instead of a bunch of w-.

Well, you get the picture!

(Dietwatch update. Sacked off cereal completely yesterday due to illness and ate two Pain Au Chocolat for brekkie this morning. I reckon if I get stomach flu I could just about break even!)

Dietwatch Update

2007-01-11T11:02:00.000Z

A week into this 2 Week ~~Challenge~~ Torture and while I have lost a little bit of weight, this is far outweighed by the fact that pretty much all I can think about is food.

I'd be pretty much anybody's for a KitKat Chunky right now.

Who can tell what I will be capable of this time next week!!!!

Non-Starter for 10

2007-01-08T11:00:00.000Z

Last week I started that 2 Week Kellogg's Challenge. You know, the excruciatingly boring eat-two-bowls-of-cereal-for-a-fortnight-and-get-new-jeans diet.

First two days went well, and I was pleased as that is twice as long as I lasted the first time I tried this diet. Things kind of went to pot after that. Went out to Manchester to celebrate some friends' birthdays and I'm pretty sure that all the lager I drank is not recommended on any diet!

I have now caught a cold and pretty much all I ate yesterday was a ham sandwich. Not entirely sure that is the way to redeem myself.

Oh well, the scales will tell in another week and a half.

Resolutions - 2007 Style

2007-01-01T19:50:00.000Z

T'was inevitable but here they are. This year's list of this year's resolutions, most of which I will ignore or forget within days.

FIND. NEW. JOB!!!! (Note the capital letters and emboldened script. This one is important.)
Sort out my finances.
Get back on the car insurance and start driving again.
Overhaul this blog. Was reading the archives the other day. I used to be far more interesting. New year, new template, new links. And hopefull more new posts.
Stop ignoring my health and make appointments with relevant health professionals.
Lose the weight I've put back on and improve my fitness.
Buy a new pair of jeans that fit properly.
Learn French. (No sniggering please!)
Visit friends I have been meaning to for ages!
Go see more live music.
Be a neater person rather than a personification of chaos theory.
Finish the scarf I am knitting.
Knit a blanket.
Be a bit more in control of my emotions and temper.
Finish off the backlog of resolutions from 2006.
Be happy.

Wish me luck. Me thinks I shall need it.

Resolutions Review 2006

2006-12-29T11:59:00.000Z

In January of this year I posted my New Year's Resolutions for 2006. So....how did I do?

Lose another 5lb and finally get my BMI in the right range. (Lost weight, but put it back on. So this is a work in progress!).
Try my hardest to get good marks in all my Master's coursework and exams. (Got a merit, so this one is complete I think).
Get my competitive streak under control, need to I can't always be Number 1 at everything. (Still ultra-competitive but I am trying. Honest.)
Learn that second place does not equal failure. (I am not so hard on myself as once was.)
Decide one way or the other. Am I a spinster for good, or do I really think I can handle another relationship (should the opportunity arise)? (Yeah, well. Less said about this one the better.)
Get to Egypt. (Done! And had a blast!!)
See more live music. (Done! But I hope 2007 will bring even more great gigs.)
Be more positive about my body image. (I love my boobs and bum. Working on learning to like my legs.)
Be more positive about myself in general actually. (Hmmm, getting there.)
Attempt not to have a breakdown during my exams. (I passed, and there was little in the way of tearful protests of 'I can't do this!!!' So a success.)
Find a great project for my dissertation. (While the title, 'An Evaluative Study of Elastin Stains in Ancient Tissue' is not the catchiest I found it very interesting.)
Start earning cash for a PhD. (Erm....moving on.)
Finish Crime & Punishment. (Oh dear. The book is in the loft and I have no idea where!)
Balance my worklife with a social life of some description. (Not doing too bad, if only I knew where I was going for New Year!)
Be better at keeping in touch with friends. (This one is obviously on-going.)
Buy a corset. (Done, a white broderie anglaise one. Spent 12 hours in it at my cousin's wedding. But I want another one, perhaps that laces up.)
Go somewhere other than La Senza and get measured properly (so I can achieve #16). (Done, and wasn't that a trauma.)
Confront fear of zombies, and possibly spiders. But not a the same time. (Watched all of Resident Evil on my own the other night and didn't flinch or have nightmares. Still hate zombies though and still shit scared of spiders!!!!)

Well, I haven't done too badly. 2006 has been an interesting year. And I hope to have some new resolutions for 2007 up soon.

Is It Schadenfreude If They Aren't Your Friends?

2006-12-20T10:33:00.000Z

Certain manager types at my store got a lovely Christmas comeuppance yesterday.

Their corner cutting ways have incurred the wrath of Trading Standards.

Not going to say much more than that but it is lovely when someone so smug and superior gets taken down a peg or two (or possibly to the dole queue).

Graduation is on Tuesday

2006-12-07T12:24:00.000Z

So time to dust off my suit, which has only been worn about 3 times in the two years since my last graduation ceremony.

But to my horror I discovered that despite the many and varied pairs of shoes and boots I own, I don't have anything suitable to wear with my suit.

Oh the humanity!

So obviously I had to rectify this by buying the cutest pair of little black heels with silver trim.

Don't look at me like that!! They were in the sale.

I Have Mastered The Science!

2006-11-30T11:30:00.000Z

With merit!

Fuck, yeah!!

I Think I Deserve Danger Money!

2006-11-14T19:38:00.000Z

I mean I already look like I self harm from all the cardboard cuts on my hands and arms. But things got a teensy bit worse today.

While trying to rearrange a cage of boxes which was overloaded, a load of stuff fell off and I took a box of Quaker Oats to the head. Or more accurately it walloped me full in the face and has split my lip a bit on the inside and left a mark on my upper lip.

Not very attractive. And I thought Quakers were pacifists. Bastards.

November - The Month of Live Music (Part The Second)

2006-11-11T15:43:00.000Z

Last night I went to see Muse at the MEN arena.

BEST! GIG! EVER!

They even played Muscle Museum, which is the song which introduced me to this amazing band back when I was in Sixth Form. Q has apparently named them Best Live Act, and rightly so.

I sang along at the top of my lungs, screamed myself hoarse and applauded so much my hands ache. And it was so worth it.

Matt Bellamy I am in awe. There is nothing more I can say.

November - The Month of Live Music

2006-11-03T10:44:00.000Z

I went to see the Canadian band Metric in Manchester on Wednesday, which was a lot of fun. I was too tired to post about it yesterday, for reasons that will become clear.

The concert was great, Metric were very tight performers but I perfer bands who have a little more verbal interaction with the audience. Such as introducing new songs we haven't heard before.
But that is a slight thing.

The venue was small and quiet intimate, being at the front helped. If I had wanted to, I could have reached out and touched the bassist's effects pedal. But I didn't as that would be wrong. Standing in direct line with the amp also meant that my ears are still ringing slightly.

Metric made up for the appalling support group who took themselves far too seriously consdiering they had only done 8 gigs. The best part of their performance was when the cable fell out of the lead singer's mic and he was left silenced.

The only low point of the day was when we arrived at the train station at 11pm to find that our train had been replaced by a bus. A bus that took TWO HOURS to reach Chester station, instead of the one hour the train takes. So I eventually got into bed at 2am after leaving the house at around 11:45am. Which is why there was no post about this yesterday.

Also it would appear that Jesus lives, and works as on the road crew for Metric!

Has It Been That Long?

2006-10-24T10:40:00.000+01:00

Oh dear. What a lack of updates. In my defense I was halfway through a post last week when my Dad turned the router off without asking if I was using the internet. I was so pissed off I didn't finish the post. A true story.

Other news. I have begun preparations for Christmas. Don't look so shocked, I work in retail. I am far too aware of how mental people become at that special time of year. So far I have made the Christmas cake and three Christmas puddings. From scratch, without the help of an electric mixer. I must have been mental. I also intend to have my Christmas shopping done totally by the end of November.

I blame it on light-headedness brought on by having my long locks chopped off. Hope to post a pick of that soon, maybe tomorrow.

And, yes, I still haven't heard my results. Rang the university and apparently it won't be until the middle of November. But at least I have stopped anxiously waiting on the post each morning.

A Small Update

2006-10-03T19:39:00.000+01:00

Lack of posts due to lack of interesting things to post about. There are only so many times I can bitch about how much I hate ASDA.

It has been over a month since the deadline for my course and I have not yet heard anything. Starting to get antsy due to the fact that my exam results for my BSc got lost in the post and I graduated without having written confirmation of my result! So I am getting a little worried that history may repeat itself!

Other than that there is little of note. I now have a MySpace page, which is here. And I am currently trying to find a new job and upgrade my PC.

Life is dull. Will post again when the monotony breaks.

A Theory

2006-09-15T23:10:00.000+01:00

I have been toying with getting a new phone for a while but I wasn't planning on doing it until next year. But Fate has forced my hand, as my old phone has gone kaput so I am now the proud owner of a sexy new camera phone.

There is only one problem. Shit ringtones. I mean really, really bad.

This is where the theory comes in. I believe that the ringtones are deliberately shit. That way you have to download something which doesn't either irritate the hell out of you or is too quiet to be heard.

It's a conspiracy!

Things That My Dad Does

2006-09-07T14:10:00.000+01:00

I will be the first to admit that I am a Daddy's Girl, however there are some things my Dad does which I just really don't understand. Such as;

Hiding in the dark space by the front door and then jumping out whenever I (or anyone else) walks in the door.
Chastising me for swearing when the above occurs.
Gilbert & Sullivan - just don't ask
Cheap bread. This is one of the worst, our freezer is full of 10p markdown loaves of bread which are still going to be half stale when they are defrosted.

Youthful Good Looks? I sincerely doubt it.

2006-09-02T11:14:00.000+01:00

Almost forgot to post about this. It seems that there is a slight misconception about me at my present place at work.

Several of my co-workers appear to have the strange idea that I am about 17 or 18 years old. I was asked the other week if I had had my A-level results. To which I replied 'Yes thanks. Five years ago!'.

And when buying some alcohol the other day (whilst with my sister who is also over the legal age) I was asked for ID!! My jaw hit the floor and I must have looked so stunned that the woman on the checkout launched into the lecture on how it is only my job and I could be breaking the law etc etc.

She back-pedalled when she saw the date of birth on my driving license and proceeded to call me 'Madam'.

Talk about adding insult to injury!

Finally!

2006-08-31T17:35:00.000+01:00

I've handed in my thesis!! It has the very catchy title of 'An Evaluative Study of Elastin Stains in Ancient Tissue'.

My word count was fine and altogether it came to a whopping 163 pages including all my references and the bumph at the front about promising I have not submitted it to any other universities in the hope of getting another degree. As if I could be arsed doing that!!

The only problem is my deadline isn't until next week, and no one else has finished. So I am now shitting it that mine is utter tripe because everyone else is still running around trying to finish. Am I efficient or just a rubbish student?

I guess I'll find out in a month or so, I expect some minor corrections as I am not good when it comes to proofing my own work. And despite my Dad checking it, some things are bound to have slipped through.

But I'll start worrying about my grade tomorrow, tonight I am going to Buffet City!

The Consequences of Brain Cramp

2006-08-23T12:16:00.000+01:00

Lack of posts due to the fact that all I do at the moment is either work at ASDA or sit in front of my computer typing like there is no tomorrow!

Unfortunately I reached that point on Monday where all I could do was say 'Fuck it, I'm having a day off tomorrow!' So I went out last night to watch D's band play. They were great as were the others playing (Prgenant Ladies Club & Vietnam Disco - who are somewhere on MySpace but I can't find them at the mo!!) although it would have been nice to have a larger audience in attendence.

I also discovered a new drink, Fosters with huge amounts of lime which is then drunk through a straw. I are a classy bird.

We ended up sitting outside a pub eating Chinese before I got home to my brand new bed which arrived that day. I am knackered today but I am so glad I had a break!!!!!

Hmmm.....

2006-08-11T09:34:00.000+01:00

I have just been reading that Posh's new short haircut is called the Pob, as in Posh Bob.

Personally I think this name has probably chosen due to her uncanny resemblence to the children's TV character of the same name. You decide....

(Just look at that pout, they could've been separated at birth!)

Some days you are the pigeon....

2006-08-09T17:26:00.000+01:00

...and then there are days like today. When I feel distinctly like the statue.

Decided to go into uni to discuss my write up with my supervisor. Except that it turns out he is in Sheffield. Great.

So I decide to pop into town for a couple of hours as I need shoes for a wedding I'm going to in a few weeks time. Hours of tramping round later and all I've got to shoe for it is a bad headache and a bad mood.

My cold is getting worse not better and I've forgotten to tape the film I really wanted to watch. I'm now too tired to do any work and my V for Vendetta DVD has yet to arrive.

Fuck this. I'm going to bed....

Oh yeah. It broke again. And had to be thrown away and the furniture shop isn't bringing my new one for a fortnight, so I am sleeping on a mattress on the floor.

Life is beautiful. Apparently.

Poorly

2006-08-07T17:08:00.000+01:00

Yes, dread plague monkeys have once again infested the house and infected me, L and L's boyf, D.

L is by far the worse off, having lost her voice. This was not helped by the fact that a manager from work guilt tripped her into going in on Saturday. Something along the lines of 'So you all get paid and then no one turns up' was mentioned. I am most unhappy and will be having words with this dickhead when I return to work tomorrow.

I got all of 2 hours sleep on Saturday night and so last night I was in bed by 10pm and didn't get up properly until dinnertime. But the fact that I had a temperature so high in the night that even the soles of my feet were burning gives me leave for a grossly overlong lie-in.

However I have got no work done this weekend and am going to have to do a lot of catch up. Damn your eyes, plague monkeys. I will have my revenge!!

Meme

2006-08-05T15:41:00.000+01:00

Favorites:

Favorite Colour: Purple, or green, or black.

Favorite Food: The edible kind. Am not particularly fussy. Though I do love chocolate and pasta. But not together.

Favorite Movie: I couldn't even narrow it down to a genre! Let alone one film.

Favorite Sport: Crickey

Favorite Day of the Week: Saturday

Favorite Season: Autumn

Favorite Ice Cream: Neopolitan! It is great if you are feeling indecisive. Phish Food is also heavenly

Currents:

Current Mood: Tired.

Current Clothes: Jeans, white t-shirt, silver racer back vest over the top

Current Desktop: I have wallpaper featuring V of V for Vendetta. Which I love!

Current Time:15:45pm

Current Surroundings: Bedroom

Current Annoyances: Lack of inspiration regarding my Discussion

Current Thoughts: Aaargh. I have lack of inspiration regarding my Discussion

First:

First Best Friend: Rebecca. I saw her on the bus the other week.

Last:

Last Drink: Water

Last Car Ride: Today, home from Chester

Last Crush: TBIOLAAF, crush now over.

Last Phone Call: The other day, my Dad calling to speak to the electrician!

Last CD played: The No.1 Ska Album. Lip Up Fatty!

Have you ever:

Have you ever dated one of your best friends: Nope

Have you ever broken the law: Yes.

Have you ever been arrested: I have so far evaded capture.

Have you ever been on TV: A lecture I attended was filmed for German TV. Not sure if that counts.

Have you ever kissed someone you didn’t know: Yes

Things:

5 things you are good at: Maths, Science, Sarcasm, Swearing, General Knowledge

4 things you have done today: Bought new shoes (mmm Babychams!), eaten a pasty, ordered a new bed (the old one broke again) and started my Discussion

3 things you can hear right now: Out of Control by the Chemical Brothers, Dad sweeping up outside, my PC fan.

Tag You're it: Off you go then!

I Broke 10,000!

2006-08-03T12:25:00.000+01:00

Words on my MSc thesis that is. 10,324 at the mo. And a whopping 87 pages! This is all down to the number of pictures I have and the captions underneath them. I have about 107 in so far and another 30 to insert this evening after I finish work.

Then I can start on the hard bit. The Discussion. Dun, Dun, DUH!!!

I want a draft to hand into my supervisor by next Wednesday. So I can be on the right track for the final two weeks.

And I wish to warn everyone now. I will be getting so monumentally drunk when I finish that they might as well put me on the list for a new liver today!

Hair was firmly down!

2006-07-29T16:38:00.000+01:00

Pent up frustrations over work and uni meant that I got totally trashed at my friend's housewarming party last night. Luckily so did everyone else. Odd coincidence of the night is one of the guy's at the party comes from hometown and we even went to the same school, at the same time (though in different years)! So we spent ages slagging off where we live and all the mad teachers we had in school.

I had a great night and the only problem it took me over FOUR HOURS to get home today. I walked to the train station (extremely large sunglasses firmly in place) only to find my train had been cancelled. So I had to get to Chester via Stockport and all the other random little stations in Cheshire. The train was a bit warm and I was transfixed by two of the most unsuccessful transvesites I had ever seen. You'd think that someone who wanted to dress in women's clothes would have some idea on how to put an outfit together.

Apparently not. As satin blouses, ill-fitting shorts, luminous alice bands and gold fake Chanel quilted handbags were all in evidence. Truly bizarre.

Only mildly less bizarre was the large grown man I was sat on a bench next to at Chester station. He spent the majority of the wait for the train sucking his thumb.

For once I was actually glad to get back to Wales. Kind of.

Life Update

2006-07-23T16:39:00.000+01:00

No rest for the wicked and all that. So just a quick post on where I am and what I am up to;

ASDA is shit. We have a bully on our shift, who thinks he is in charge when our manager is not around. His idea of work is wandering around with a clipboard and trying to intimidate the younger members of staff. This I WILL NOT stand for. I have made several complaints but nothing seems to get done. So I am keeping a close eye on him, if he steps out of line, wrath will be felt. And trust me when I say I reckon I could make a grown man weep when I get riled.
Thesis now stands at a distinctly underwhelming 6566 words. I am itching to finish this bloody Introduction and get to the good stuff!
I'm actually going out on Friday night to a housewarming party in Manchester. Woo, socialisation!!
Oh yeah, and I'm now a blonde. There may be pics, we'll have to see.

Five Questions!

2006-07-17T17:44:00.000+01:00

I asked Godzilla over at A Man of Numbers for 5 questions, and here they are. Along with the answers, of course.

1. How did you end up doing a thesis involving mummy tissue?

I've always loved studying and learning. Anything really. At school I loved science and maths (yes, I am a geek. And proud!), and I also loved history. But when it came to A-levels I ended up taking biology, chemistry and maths. There was no room for history, though I still dabbled. I did my first degree in Pharmacology and ended up working in the pharmaceutical industry, in an office job in London. This was my attempt to figure out what I wanted from working life, I discovered that this wasn't it!
So I decided to cut my losses and go back to uni, and when I looked at the Master's degrees that Manchester offered, Biomedical and Forensic Egyptology seemed perfect. I could go back to science but do some history as well. So here I am! Word count is currenly 6089 and I finally have all my images, and despite my stress induced whinging I am loving it!!!!

2. What was your best night out ever?

Erm, tough one this. I remember a night I spent with my last boyfriend where we went to the bonfire at Platt Fields Park and watch the fireworks and rode the rides. Before ending up back at home eating pizza in bed. Perfect date in my opinion.
Other than that my eighteen birthday was a riot and is something my friend's and I still laugh about. Mainly due to the drunken antics of my good (and anonymous) friend, she knows who she is.

3. What would your ideal man be like?

I don't have a set 'type' but the old clichés of humour and intelligence are way up that list. I am a strong (some would say bloody) minded young woman and I can be very bossy and do get myself in a right knot when I am upset. So I need someone who can tell me when I am being a fool, but still love me for it!
In the looks department I am a traditionalist. Tall, dark and handsome, baby!!

4. You can only ever play one game again, what would it be?

Toughest one yet!!! I love so many games on so many formats! Though I don't actually own them, I would probably say World of Warcraft or Guild Wars as they are so opened ended that I could never get bored.
Out of my own collection? Probably Fable The Lost Chapters. Kicking those chickens never gets old! But all bets are off when the Wii and the new Zelda game comes out!!

5. What single thing would you change about your life right now?

Is that a pun, Goddy? The single thing? If I can only change one thing it wouldn't be my relationship status, it would be my financial one! Cash is tight and having to work cuts into the time I could be spending on my university work. Being financially secure would also allow me to go travelling and do a PhD without having to whore myself to the retail world.

Thanks for the questions and I hope I have answered them in a satisfactory manner. If anyone wants questions, I'll do my best.

Not What I Pay My License Fee For!

2006-07-13T20:44:00.000+01:00

I am seriously running out of time with my research project. I've finally finished all my slides but taking the images takes a long time. Especially as I have found something really interesting on one of my samples which has necessitated extra slides being made, and a trip to the MRI for a second opinion. Interesting to me at least, another post on that tomorrow or next week perhaps).

Anyway, I had the whole of yesterday afternoon booked for image analysis on the intimidatingly expensive microscope. But the BBC were filming Horizon in our lab and I was 'asked' if I could leave for an hour. The crew didn't really seem to care that they were causing havoc in our labs which are primarily for diagnostic cases from MRI. The cameraman introduced himself thus;

"Hi. Luke. Cameraman." Shaking my supervisor's hand and ignoring me completely. This was translated to "Hi. Luke. Professional Tool." By the time it reached my ears.

So I still don't have all my photos, my thesis is due in six weeks and my supervisor is in Zurich next week. Going to be a rush to get it all finished.

Yay, pressure!!

Long Live The King? No thanks!

2006-07-11T22:47:00.000+01:00

Is anyone else creeped out by the King in the Burger King adverts.

As I find that smiling plastic visage deeply sinister. The stuff of kid's nightmares. He's got to be evil, no one who smiles like that is a good person.

I always distrust happy people, they have to be hiding something.

Oops! I did it again!

2006-07-07T10:19:00.000+01:00

Yes for the second time in a little over a year, I have broken my bed.

And once again I was not doing anything fun!!! I was sat looking at holiday photos on the PC and my mum and L were also sat on the bed. Two minutes later we realised we were a lot lower than we had been. The base had sifted backwards so the legs were at a sort of 45 degree from the floor.

But I still had to sleep on it. And last night as I was drifting off to sleep, the legs at the bottom of the bed gave out completely. The resulting bang woke up most of the house, who assumed (naturally) that I had fallen out of bed and didn't come and help.

I spent the rest of the night attempting to sleep on what is essentially a mattress covered slide!

Pumptrucks, Pallets and Cola Fountains

2006-07-04T19:32:00.000+01:00

Women drivers, eh?

Well, my work colleague and I unfortunately lived up to all the cliches while dragging a pallet of tins of Coke back into the warehouse today. Not really looking where we were going, we managed to bash the pallet on the warehouse door.

Except we also bashed several tins of Coke which, well, they exploded for lack of a better word. Sending fountainous sprays of sugary Coke through the air.

We are sooooooooo going to have ants.

Thesis Watch

2006-07-03T20:44:00.000+01:00

I think I might finally have broken through that pesky writer's block. I think this might be down to the fact that my practical work (digits crossed) is almost complete. So no more returning home, trying to explain why my hands have brightly coloured splotches on (I have small hands, gloves too big, chemical dyes, you get the picture).

While all I currently have is my Methods & Materials and an incomplete bare-bones draft of my Intro, I finally feel something is being accomplished. About time too!!!!!! Now if I could only remember how to spell Pharoah correctly, I'd be away.

Word count: 4128 (That's 20% of thet minimum word count. Much typing ahead, so glad I invested in a new keyboard!)

Cybermen AND Daleks!!

2006-07-02T18:20:00.000+01:00

Mr Davis, you are really spoiling us!

I am more than a little worried that the woman from Eastenders is going to try and stove the Doc's head in with a doorstop in the shape of a dog.

And I don't even watch Eastenders!

Le sigh

2006-06-27T22:29:00.000+01:00

I take a few days blog-break and all of a sudden the spamming reappears.

No posts due to my life currently consisting of work-sleep-uni-sleep-work, repeated ad nauseum.

My family recently returned from Florida and brought me back a DS Lite, which I worship. So all time not spent at work or uni is now spent playing Mario. I'll sleep when I'm dead and all that.

Posting will be erratic for a while due to lack of a social life to post about.

I need help!

2006-06-14T13:19:00.000+01:00

I think I fancy Russell Brand. Oh the humanity.

Progress?

2006-06-07T16:25:00.000+01:00

I have my mummy tissue!! Finally. So I can now start to make headway with my project. Thanks for your messages of support, I really appreciate it.

I'm trying to write my introduction, but inspiration is elusive. Everything I write seems clunky and unimaginative. Can't believe I have writer's block on top of everything else!

A Birthday Message

2006-06-06T08:35:00.000+01:00

Me and L, originally uploaded by sessanie.

Happy Birthday to my sister L who is 20 today!

Presents have been given and cards opened. But we still have the whole Antichrist thing to deal with. Despite repeated appeals though the years my parents won't let me shave her head and get it all out in the open. I'm sure there must be a birthmark.

So I will be keeping a close eye today for signs of world-shattering evil.

Many Happy Returns L!!!!!

My Temperament - apparently

2006-06-04T16:26:00.000+01:00

You Have a Choleric Temperament

You are a person of great enthusiasm - easily excited by many things.
Unsatisfied by the ordinary, you are reaching for an epic, extraordinary life.
You want the best. The best life. The best love. The best reputation.

You posses a sharp and keen intellect. Your mind is your primary weapon.
Strong willed, nothing can keep you down. Your energy can break down any wall.
You're an instantly passionate person - and this passion gives you an intoxicating power over others.

At your worst, you are a narcissist. Full of yourself and even proud of your faults.
Stubborn and opinionated, you know what you think is right. End of discussion.
A bit of a misanthrope, you often see others as weak, ignorant, and inferior.

What Temperment Are You?

This is pretty close to the bone, but I don't think I'm a narcissist. Just impatient when it comes to other people and pretty unforgiving.

Frustration!!!

2006-05-31T10:20:00.000+01:00

And just for a change it doesn't stem from my unending singleness.

But from university. Because of my job I can currently only make it into the lab two days a week. So I need to get a lot done while I am here. Unfortunately some power-mad bitch at the Manchester Museum doesn't seem to give a shit that my three grand's worth of tuition fees are rapidly going down the toilet. As she won't give up the time to allow my supervisor to go over and collect the samples of mummy tissue that I (and several of my coursemates) need for our final projects.

I'm running out of time. I haven't had a day off in a long time and I am incredibly tired, run down and hormonal. And all this woman needs to give up is one hour of her time, but apparently being deliberately obstructive is far more fun.

As soon as I get some contact details I will be emailing her, her boss and whoever else is necessary (rest assured I will be civil). Because I am sick of being fucked about and I don't have a great deal of patience at the best of times, but the end of my tether has been and gone.

God, I need a drink.

How Do They Always Manage To Find Me?

2006-05-29T10:43:00.000+01:00

It doesn't seem to matter where I am or what I am doing, the weirdos always manage to appear.

Last night for example, I went to the cinema with my Mum. As we were leaving we noticed a woman in an overly tight floral dress with ridiculously bleached hair being followed through the car park by two security guards. We figured she had locked herself out of her car and the security guards had offered to help.

But they stopped next to a car (presumably hers) but she kept on walking right into the bushes and trees which lined the edge of the car park. And just stood there for several minutes. During this time my Mum started the car and we backed out of our parking space only for this woman to come running over and start asking my Mum to 'Let her out'. Which neither of us understood.

Then she opened the backdoor of our car and tried to get in!! Luckily one of the security guys stopped her and led her away. The weird thing was she wasn't staggering and she didn't look or sound drunk. Needless to say, we left pretty quickly!

Pinched from Godzilla's site, as I am lazy

2006-05-25T22:24:00.000+01:00

1)Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4.

Erm, there are only diagrams of polymers and co-polymers. It's a Biomaterials textbook.

2) Stretch your left arm out as far as you can and see what you touch.

The air at the side of the desk.

3) What is the last thing you watched on TV?

Big Brother

4) Without looking, guess what time it is.

10:15pm

5) Now look at the clock. What is the actual time?

10:25pm. I have a pretty good internal clock

6) With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?

My Dad downstairs making his lunch for work (and probably eating my Mum's in the process, she'll go ape if she catches him.)

7) When did you last step outside? What were you doing?

I left work at 8pm, got picked up by parents and came home

8) Before you started this survey, what did you look at?

Godzilla's blog, A Man Of Numbers

9) What are you wearing?

Little Miss Naughty PJs, big red dressing gown with hood and furry moonboot slippers. Dead sexy.

10) Did you dream last night?

I rarely remember my dreams. Unless they are nightmares about zombies or being pregnant

11) When did you last laugh?

Watching Big Brother. Ah, the freaks.

12) What is on the walls of the room you are in?

Paint, a poster of a tropical sunset, shelves covered in CDs and computer discs

13) Seen anything weird lately?

I work at ASDA, my frame of reference is skewed.

14) What do you think of this quiz?

Kills a few minutes

15) What is the last film you saw?

At the cinema - Mission Impossible 3. I liked the beatings Tom Cruise received. It gave me warm fuzzy feelings.

16) If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?

A car. Getting a little sick of public transport, I should just buy shares in Arriva.

17) Tell us something about you that we don't know.

I have a papercut on my little finger of my right hand. I got it today.

18) If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?

Get rid of religion, especially the Scientologists.

19) Do you like to dance?

Yes, all the time

20) George Bush

Who is President of the USA? (Yay, Jeopardy!)

21) Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?

Alice

22) Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?

Harry or Jack

23) Would you ever consider living abroad?

Maybe.

24) What do you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?

OK. I messed up, but I'll fix it. Plus I'll smite all the Scientologists and Creationists while I'm at it.

How not to be elegant #10

2006-05-24T09:30:00.000+01:00

Yes, my clumsiness has finally landed me in double figures. It was inevitable, lets face it.

It turns out that when climbing out of the backseat of a 3-door car, it is not generally a good idea to straighten up too early. As you can bang your shoulder really hard. So hard in fact that a bit of a lump appears and you can't even bear to have your handbag strap there.

Not to be a wuss or anything......but it REALLY HURTS!!!!!! :(

I am so poised.

My next day off is.....

2006-05-17T10:33:00.000+01:00

June 10th!!!!!!

Ain't life grand.

Cybermen!!

2006-05-15T18:56:00.000+01:00

Ever since watching the original Doctor Who as a kid, the cybermen have scared the living shit out of me. I actually did hide behind the sofa. Maybe it is because they are pretty much zombies (and we are all painfully aware of how I feel about zombies). Except cybermen are metal and therefore even more impossible to defeat.

So I'm quite proud of the fact I managed to stay seated on the sofa for the duration of Saturday's episode. Yes I'm 23. You want to make something of it?

Father-Daughter Bonding - Kaleidoscope Eyes Style

2006-05-14T12:52:00.000+01:00

My Dad doesn't have a son, so as the eldest of his two girls I get to be the honourary boy (and you wonder why I have no boyfriend!!!!). I have no idea what other girls and their dads do but I was taught how to bowl a cricket bowl correctly (I still can't get any spin though), how to rewire a plug and how to build a PC.

My Dad and I go to computer fairs and I've been helping in his recent obsession with researching the family history. Mostly by sitting next to him at the computer and unhelpfully telling him he spelt things wrong and that he's getting gray hairs. I was asked to leave after this.

So it's perfectly normal that Dad and I spent this morning installing my shiny new graphics card. And I wouldn't change our relationship a bit (even though my Mum despairs at some of my unladylike habits and always will).

Official!

2006-05-10T19:59:00.000+01:00

I will once again be donning the lime green polyester and sacrificing my dignity on the altar of retail.

I got the job at ASDA.

Although this time I won't be on the checkout. Small mercies and all that. So at least I can hide from some of the weirdos.

Time to write that resignation letter.

Smooooooooooooooke on the water...

2006-05-08T10:48:00.000+01:00

....A fire in the sky.

Well, actually just rainclouds in the sky. Lots of them!

And it is totally my fault.

As you see, I spent all afternoon playing Singstar Rocks! (the exclamation is necessary to denote how much the producers of Singstar think it rocks) and anyone who has heard my IRL voice knows I shouldn't sing.

Ever.

So sorry about the torrential downpour folks. I do believe I see a man in a big wooden boat thing floating down our street. Ooops, I think I broke reality.

A Case of the Crazies

2006-05-03T16:10:00.000+01:00

Yes, my flirtation with mental illness has progressed to more of a committed relationship (pun intended).

In addition to my insommnia and possibly because of it, my compulsions are beginning to rear their very orderly heads again. I'm all about the symmetry at the moment, and the colour coordination and angles. Right angles to be exact. Luckily, I've not yet reached the stage of dodging cracks in the pavement. This is when I know I have to reign myself in.

I'm also a horder by nature. So I've forced myself to have a clearout and you will not believe the stuff I have squirrled away and forgot I had!!! Clothes, shoes and some really expensive makeup including an Estee Lauder lipgloss I really don't remember buying. All in boxes and bags around the house. Ebay here I come!

In other news. Our house may be haunted. By a ghost which smokes cigarettes. My Mum and I noticed a really strong smell of cigs in the garage. We just figured that we had driven my Daddy to smoking. But this afternoon my room reeks of cigarettes when this morning it was fine. And it's not as if that I've been to the pub or anything.

It's really weird.

But then it could just be a new symptom of my craziness.

Cinders did go to the ball!

2006-04-29T18:56:00.000+01:00

But she also had to go to work today as well.

Last night was the Faculty of Life Sciences ball at the very cheesy Sacha's hotel. I wore my best satin frock, the one which i do appear to have been poured into. Ball dresses are great but nothing copared to the relief of taking it off at the end of the night!!

A good time was had by all and my only complaint was the food, a school dinners-esqe buffet (and no dessert!!!! ¬_¬ )

The entertainment was very good but there is no romantic scandal to relate I am afraid. Our group were nigh on the only postgrads there so the idea of being chatted up by some eighteen year old who would no doubt spend the end of the evening chucking up the buckets of free 'wine' he'd drank was not desirable*

Is it too much to ask to meet a bloke my age who is not a chav, gay, taken or just plain fucking stupid? I'm only 23 for sobbing out loud.
Oh well. Pics may be added to Flikr at some point, when I get them developed.

*This is if the state of the ladies' room is any indication. At least try and make it to the toilet girls, spewing in the sink is just plain rude!).

No sleep!!

2006-04-27T10:25:00.000+01:00

So plenty of time to think of theme songs for myself.

Insommnia - Faithless (A little obvious given my currently sleep deprived state)
I'd Start A Revolution (If I Could Get Up In The Morning) - Aimee Allen (As I am not a morning person)
Stephanie Says - Lou Reed (Well I am. And I say a lot of things)
Evil - Interpol (Less said)
Keep Myself Awake - Black Lab
Dance, Dance - Fall Out Boy

If my insommnia continues (which it will), then you can probably expect a few more. Unless you guys have suggestions.....?

Useful for an MP3 player addict like myself to know!

2006-04-25T10:19:00.000+01:00

Your Theme Song is Back in Black by AC/DC

"Back in black, I hit the sack,
I've been too long, I'm glad to be back"

Things sometimes get really crazy for you, and sometimes you have to get away from all the chaos.
But each time you stage your comeback, it's even better than the last!

What's Your Theme Song?

This is actually my favourite of their songs! Though I wouldn't say I think of it as my theme song. I think I need to find my real one!!

We have a new microwave

2006-04-21T10:44:00.000+01:00

We've actually had since the day after 'the Incident' with the old microwave. But it has taken L and I a while to realise something.

The new microwave is evil!!!!!!

Firstly it has a turny-button. And we all know that turny-buttons lie. Oh, and lie it does! Nothing cooks at the same rate despite putting it in for the same amount of time.

Also. It refuses to defrost anything. It just sits there and half cooks things on the outside while the inside is still frozen solid. It is trying to give me food poisoning!!

But I'm on to it now. It won't get away with it.

Looking at your watch and weeping

2006-04-17T22:39:00.000+01:00

I hate working on Bank Holidays. Balls to time and a half!

The day just drags. Plus the customers are all riled up as they know deep down that they are wasting their day off. By shopping. The same thing they do every bloody weekend!

I almost went cross-eyed when a bloke spent ten minutes talking at me regards the differences between the Final Fantasy series and Shadow of the Colossus. I shared 'a Look' with his poor girlfriend. The kind of look you exchange with a woman which basically carries an entire conversation:

"Oh Lord. Does he do this at home?"
"Yes. Bores me rigid"
"You poor girl!"
"I know"

Or something along those lines.

From Fluff's site....

2006-04-16T10:45:00.000+01:00

Taken a picture naked?: No
Made out with a member of the same sex?: No
Danced in front of your mirror?: Yes
Told a lie?: Yes
Gotten in a car with people you just met?: Yes
Been in a fist fight?: No
Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back?: Yes
Been arrested?: No
Slept in a bed with a member of the same sex?: Yes
Seen someone die?: No
Kissed a picture?: Yes
Slept in until 3?: Yes
Laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by?: Yes
Played dress up?: Yes
Fallen asleep at work?: No
Had sex at work?: No
Felt an earthquake?: Yes
Touched a snake?: Yes
Ran a red light?: No
Been in a car accident?: No
Pole danced?: No
Been lost?: Yes
Sang karaoke?: Yes
Done something you told yourself you wouldn't?: Yes
Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose?: No
Caught a snowflake on your tongue?: Yes
Kissed in the rain?: No
Sang in the shower?: Yes
Got your tongue stuck to a pole?: No
Sat on a roof top?: No
Played chicken?: Yes
Raised chickens?: No
Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on?: No
Been told you're hot by a complete stranger?: No
Broken a bone?: No
Mooned/flashed someone?: No
Forgotten someone's name?: Yes
Slept naked?: Yes
Blacked out from drinking?: Yes
Played a prank on someone?: Yes
Felt like killing someone?: Yes
Made a parent cry?: Yes
Cried over someone?: Yes
Had sex more than 5 times in one day?: Yes
Had/Have a dog?: Yes
Been in a band?: No
Drank 25 sodas in a day?: No
Shot a gun?: No

A Good Day All Round

2006-04-12T20:17:00.000+01:00

A rubbish night's sleep aside, today has turned out pretty well.

My new jeans arrived, and they fit!!! 32" hipster jeans!! I haven't been this size since I was around 18-19. Much joy and shaking of the booty ensued.

My supervisor liked my research proposal. Although I am still bricking it, as my undergrad project was non-lab based. So aside from the histology practical I did last semester, I haven't been in a lab environment since 2003!

I got a phonecall from L when I was in Manc and it turns out that I've got a job interview for a new part time job. It's back at ASDA but the pay and hours will be better. Plus now that I'm older, I'm sure I can cope with the idiot management better.

And on the train home I met up with a girl who used to be in my tutor group in high school. We had a good natter and I was glad to see she was doing well for herself. Though shocked to hear how many of my former classmates are now sprogged up.

So it is all going rather well. So I sit waiting for that other shoe. It'll drop at some point. It always does.

I Passed!

2006-04-11T10:15:00.000+01:00

My exams that is. Although I don't know how well (or badly) that I've done. Which is a little irritating as I'd like to know what I need to pull out of the bag regarding my research project.

I suppose it doesn't matter as my supervisor has told me he expects all his students to get a distinction.

No pressure then.

My project involves redoing something that was attempted last year and was utterly cocked up by the previous student. So I'm off to write my research proposal.

It feels so good to have work to do again!

Fire!

2006-04-10T13:16:00.000+01:00

It's totally and completely not my fault. I swear!!!!

I just put the plate with the Pain Au Chocolat on it in the microwave. I cannot be held responsible if the inside of the microwave suddenly ignites and there are flames and burning smells!!!!

I wasn't even in the room when it started as I was hunting for my glasses. Plus my Nanna always told me not to stand in front of the microwave when it is on, as it might explode and kill me. She has been telling me and my sister this ever since we were old enough to under stand the words 'microwave' and 'explode'.

I turned it off and unplugged it. And, yes, I ate the Pain Au Chocolat. They tasted of ozone.

But I was hungry and breakfast is the most important meal, and all that.

I Are Scientists

2006-04-08T11:20:00.000+01:00

Went with L and her boy to see We Are Scientists at the Academy last night. It was a great gig. They were being supported by Foreign Born, a great band from California. I bought their EP and had a little flirt with their guitarist at the merchandise stall. The other band was Forward Russia, who I was less fond of. Mostly because their songs were all 'ironically' just numbers and they got the emo/hipster kids all riled up.

I do not apologise for shoving anyone. If you are going to bounce up and down like a retard and try to start a pit (for the love of God why! This is not a Primus gig!), you are going to get shoved.

Anyway, WAS outdid themselves and played pretty much their entire album, some B-sides and a brilliant version of Be My Baby. And the banter with the crowd was very entertaining, and it is true that in Manchester 'they like to throw shit' as Keith Murray put it.

Trophiness!

2006-04-06T13:50:00.000+01:00

So those of you who know me in the real world are no doubt aware of my trivia addiction. Due partly to the fact that my Daddy and Grandaddy have played in quiz teams for longer than I've been on t'Earth.

And this year I joined the team properly, having played the odd match in past years. We play in a local league with seven other teams. And bugger me, if we didn't win that there trophy last night. It's the TSB Consolation Shield which is decided by means of several cup matches. It's the trophy for the teams who haven't made it into the top cup. Which we will next season!!!!!

C'est la Vie

2006-04-02T11:27:00.000+01:00

Ah well. So nothing is going to happen between me and TBIOLAAF. And you know what. I really don't care.

Apart from the fact that he is obviously very stupid for not falling at my feet, I found out a couple of habits which I am not to fond of.

So it all worked out well.

Even better news is that since August I have around a stone and a half in weight and I am now in the weight bracket normal for my height. While I weight more than I did when I was an undergrad I don't think I've ever felt this healthy or energetic.

Go me!!!!

Home at last!

2006-03-29T11:04:00.000+01:00

Boy, am I tired! Got back home about midnight last night and even though I had a completely amazing time in Egypt, it is nice to be back. Back where I can brush my teeth using tap water, I don't feel it necessary to cross myself when riding in a taxi and using a public toilet is not a potentially life threatening experience.

The last few days in Cairo were a lot slower in pace. We went to Giza (of course!) with a taxi driver who only knew how to say 'Hello' in English. So prices and times were agreed mainly through the use of hand gestures and the occasional interpreter. It was fantastic to see the Pyramids but I can't say I enjoyed the atmosphere at Giza. Too many tourists, pushing and shoving and the cat calls from Egyptian men. But climbing up the 40 metres up inside the Great Pyramid to the burial chamber of King Khufu is something I will never forget. It was pretty scary and damn hot but it was worth it just to see those huge stones in the Grand Gallery.

I think my time in Egypt has given me a bit of an insight into what it might be like to be a celebrity. We would walk down the street and everyone would stare, or shout hello and wave, or come over and talk to you. I had several people ask to have their picture taken with me, which is a little odd. But I suppose because I am naturally so pale I am something of a novelty.

I won't miss the attention from the Egyptian men though. You'd think that having people tell me that I'm beautiful would make me feel good. It doesn't. I hate people looking at me and I think because I was the plainest of the girls they targetted me. Perhaps they figured I'd be flattered.

I wasn't.

In a way it'll be nice to be overlooked again.

How not to be elegant #9

2006-03-24T08:06:00.000Z

As a sophisticated traveller to foreign climes (no sniggering at the back), poise and elegance are essential.

Therefore when walking down the street carrying a 12kg backpack wearing only sandals on my feet, slipping off the kerb and landing on your arse in the street is perhaps inevitable.

Except due to said weight on my back, I couldn't get up. So I had to take off my backpack, stand up then haul my bacg back up onto my back and carry on walking as if nothing had happened.

(Luckily all I have is a small graze, a bruised but not twisted ankle and some damaged dignity).

I am so poised.

Happy Birthday to me!

2006-03-24T07:51:00.000Z

23 today. Although I reckon I might just stick with 22.

So the felucca trip was great. But I have to admit that having to go for a pee in the bushes along the banks of the Nile is not going to be my favourite memory of this holiday! Nor is the fact that the temperature dropped far more than anyone expected and we were all freezing at night! My legs were so cramped the next day from sleeping curled up in a little ball.

Kom Ombo and Edfu were very impressive but were blown out of the water by yesterday's trip to The Valley Of The Kings and the enormous temple complex of Karnak as well as Hatshepsut's temple at Deir El Bahri and the tomb builder's village at Deir el Medina. The columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall there make you feel so tiny! Some of the bases they stood on were as tall as me! We stayed for the light and sound show at Karnak which was as kitschy as promised but walking through the temple in the dark was a phenomenal experience, even if I was surrounded by other tourists.

I can't really describe the feeling of looking in the tombs at the Valley Of The Kings. We went very early so there were few people around which only heightened the experience. To look at the beautiful reliefs which were to aid the King's journey to the solar barque of the Gods is just gob-smacking. The detail is so intricate such thousands of gold stars painted on the ceilings to represent the night sky, or the sarcophagi having even toenails and creases on the knees carved upon the Pharaoh's image. I am so glad that I studied Egyptian art in quite a bit of detail before the trip as it really helped to understand what the Pharaoh's had been trying to achieve.

Today is going to be a bit of a quiter day. We're going to a couple of museums, the Luxor temple and to do some shopping (I have to get myself a birthday present after all) and hopefully for a camal ride. Which I am looking forward to lots.

Walking like an Egyptian

2006-03-21T08:27:00.000Z

Hi there! Greetings from Aswan.

I've been in Egypt for four full days now (and one travelling) and you won't believe how much we've packed in!!!

We arrived around 3am local time on Friday and were up at 7am to go to Tanis, an ancient capital city which is possibly the city mentioned in the Exodus. As Friday was Paddy's Day we managed to find probably the only bar in Cairo which had a St Patrick's Day celebration. We all got a bit tipsy on Saqqara Red, this really nice local beer.

This didn't stop us from going to the Cairo Museum the next day. The gate guard told me he loved me. It is really strange as we get stared at everywhere we go. I've never known anything like it. That night we spent 12 hours (no exaggeration) on a train down here to Aswan. Our hotel here is great and the food is phenomenal!

Yesterday was the best yet as we got a trip which included Rameses' II temples at Abu Simbel (one of which he dedicated to his beloved wife, hell of an anniversary present!), plus the Aswan High Dam, the beautiful island temple of Philae (which is too gorgeous for description) and the Unfinished Obelisk. It was knackering as it was a half 3 start but it was sooooooo worth it.

Today we are taking an overnight felucca cruise up to Kom Ombo where the crocodile god Sobek was worshiped. Then we join an overland convoy to the Ptolomeic temple of Horus at Edfu before heading on to Luxor.

I am having a whale of a time and touch wood, it'll stay that way. I'll post more when I get home and hopsefully start a Flikr account for my pics!!!

TTFN

Lazy old me!

2006-03-15T14:25:00.000Z

You Are Likely a First Born

At your darkest moments, you feel guilty.
At work and school, you do best when you're researching.
When you love someone, you tend to agree with them often.

In friendship, you are considerate and compromising.
Your ideal careers are: business, research, counseling, promotion, and speaking.
You will leave your mark on the world with discoveries, new information, and teaching people to dream.

The Birth Order Predictor

Found this on Goddy's site. It came out true for me! And not just cos I am the oldest.

Will be at the airport this time tomorrow, but due to the morons at Paypal sitting with their fingers up their rears my backpack has not arrived. So I now have to buy another and return the one which will arrive while I am away. I love being me sometimes.

Relief, tinged with resignation

2006-03-14T13:55:00.000Z

So that's that then. The first half of the course is done. The presentation went quite well (I think) and this was followed by a really enjoyable night out.

So while I am relived that all the exam hoopla is over, I am a little down at the situation between myself and TBIOLAAF. It seems that he singles me out for conversations and other things, but at other times completely ignores me. Such as when we were all out dancing last night.

Meaning I have now given up any hope of anything happening between us, and to be honest considering we are going to spend almost a fortnight together in Egypt I can see us falling out over his attitude sometimes.

Sad but true. But I have no intention of letting it get in the way of the fantastic holiday I intend to have. If my backpack ever arrives that is!!

Two days to go! Am starting to get excited now!

Gulf Stream, my arse!

2006-03-12T18:39:00.000Z

This whole 'snow' thing is getting out of hand. My Daddy wakes me up this morning by telling me,

"I don't think you'll make it to work today?" When I asked why he just told me to look out of the window.

It would appear that our home had been transported to the frozen north. There were drifts of about one foot in places.

When I walked the mile or so to my Nanna's house I did so in a T-shirt, one wool jumper, one fleece jumper, two pairs of socks (one thermal), jogging pants, jeans, big parka, hat and gloves.

I hate the cold. Plus how am I supposed to get to Manchester tomorrow in this?

10 things you might not know about me.

2006-03-11T11:15:00.000Z

I'm left-handed (or cack-handed, whichever you prefer).

I have this really embarrassing tendency to snort when I laugh really hard.

I have one tattoo. It is The Eye of Horus and is above my left hip bone.

My favourite band ever is Nine Inch Nails.

My eyes are green.

I can recite the whole of 'On The Ning Nang Nong' by Spike Milligan.

I have what can only be described as an addiction to Cadbury Mini Eggs.

I was in this play. Can you spot my pic?

When my mum was pregnant with me, amniocentesis indicated I would have spina bifidia. My parents found out when our GP turned up on the doorstep and he was in tears. My mum said she knew I was fine and decided (against some medical advice) not to have the pregnancy terminated.

I don't have spina bifida.

Back!

2006-03-10T20:24:00.000Z

Yes, I know I said it would be longer but I was surprised by how much I missed blogging. Boring as my life is I still enjoy writing about it.

My exams ended today and I went for a few drinks. I had a lot of fun and was in the pub from noon today until around 6. I am such a reprobate! Anyway we played Truth or Dare and according to coursemates I have the best boobs on the course and one bloke (unfortunately not TBIOLAAF) said if he had to kiss any girl on the course he would pick me. Bit of an ego boost!

I think I've done alright in my exams. Enough to pass at least. Feel far more confident than I ever did about my undergrad exams. I hope that isn't a jinx!! :S

So after I've given my assessed presentation on Monday morning, I am done until its time for the dissertation in April. This means I will be out on the town on Monday getting horrendously pissed!

Consider thyselves warned!!