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Showing posts from 2005
Merry Christmas / Nadolig Llawen / Joyeux Noel / Bon Nadal / Feliz Navidas. And festive wishes in any other language you care to mention! We're just finishing up packing and stuff to head down to Whiltshire form Christmas / New Year. Can't promise I'll remeber to post in the mean time so I leave you with festive thought, best wisesh, and a lovely picture of our Christmas tree.
According to this I'm an inspirational eccentric. Probably about right. I know I should be tidying up the flat, and I will, I promise, just a few more minutes of procrastination and then it will be on with the laundry / kitchen / tidying, well maybe after lunch. Christmas is all sorted here, all brought and wrapped and the such. Now thats out of the way been busy voluteering with some conservation voluteers . IT's good fun but my legs are covered with big scratches from attacking some brambles the other day! Good thing I've got sexy boot to wear to cover them up!!
Wishing you all a Very Merry Amazon Christmas. In case anyone thought I was kidding my family really has left Amazon do all the work this year. Look at the growing pile of beautifully wrapped, hand typed pressies, in easy to stack and carry box shapes. It's comforting knowing theres piles like that being stack up around the Williams family homsteads. Amazon fairy not withstanding, feeling very festive over here - Christmas dinner tomorrow wheich should be fun. I've a trifle to make today but I think I'll watch Saturday Kitchen first. We've decorated the flat, brought a new Christmas tree and eveything. Busy burning a CD of festive tunes for dinner tomorrow, should be good fun!
We've got a new telly - it's huge, well it's a 28" widescreen beast, it's lovely though, and more importantly we can read it from sitting on our lovely sofa. I've not included apicture of the telly, that's a bit dull, but look, there's a picture of the huge box that is currently taking up the hall. Kudos to Pete for getting it home. Other purchases this week include a CD/Tape/DAB radio combo thingy for the kitchen, which means, finally, we have a way of listening to Radio 4 (and other delights) without having to switch on the PC. Since the Digi box went mental and rescanned getting rid of Channel 5 and most BBC Digital radio channels we've been at a bit of a loss. We're thinking of getting a new digibox, and if that doesn't work asking the Eldonians to have a look at the TV ariel. Apart from that we've been Christmas shopping, well, buying stuff on-line really. It's a lazy way to do things but it's very stress free. Amazon is an
Cute little campaing from UK Resistance - it gets my full stamp of approval anyway!. Not really been up to much, back to part time hours in college, gave out my first proper assignment today :) I fell all grown up. I've also been all domestic godessy and made very lovely apple and cinnamon muffins. Naturally I've not been so housewifely that I've put away the laundry or anything but it's certinly a start. Went to see Kiss Kiss Bang Bang last night - I really urge everyone to go see it. FACT are showing Fear and Loathing in LasVegas tomorrow night again so we've finally got our tickets this time. should eb a good laugh anyway. Best of all, family convergance on Saturday!
Things I have learnt in the last week For some reason the Guradian and the BBC Magazine has been a wealth of useless and misleading facts and information this week. My favourites have been: The tear duct is the warmest part of the human body ( more so then the core temprature?? ) Botanists can't tell the differnce between broccoli and caluiflower- ( on a micro scale obviously ) There are 40 more Starbucks in London then there in Manhatten ( London's an awful lot bigger than Manhatten, not they doen't say New York ) Obviously you can't believe everything you read in the newspapers! If anyone has any information on these wonderful facts do e-mail in ( fairydust@wormella.com ) In other news I've had another full week in uni - that's nice, I've been paid (sort of) and I even had a chance to go girly shoe shopping. Quiet night in with home made lasagnia tonight I think, I might even make some kind of lovely pudding, on the basis I had a really nasty blueberry muf
I had a really great night at Barfly last night - didn't drink loads, came home at a sensible time, got to sit in the funky theater bit (There are all things I approve of in my old age) But saw / heard some really good music: Ambrose Thompkins - kind of a farm boy rock thing - Really cool if you can catch them Sillouette - Updated 60's pop Holly Golightly (she off White Stripes album) - Amazing, This fantastic blusey rock Pete's a happy bunny too - well he's got a cold but He had a really great time too, first time We've randomly gone to see live music in ages. We've been quite busy of late, Pete's demanding a night in. Newcasltle last weekend, Cinema on Tuesday (the beautiful Bearcub ), Lunch in Chester and FACT's Film Quiz on Wednesday. I've been filling in some hours at work so the flat is it more of a tip then it usually is at this point in the week - I really don't remember the last time I actually cooked anything. Oh well, tonights menu r
I don't usually do / post stuff lik this - but this on made me giggle. It also proves I haven't totally forgotten my roleplaying roots! You are the rare, the overlooked, yet incredibly useful dodecahedron: the d12. You are a creative, romantic soul. You often act without thinking, but make up for your lack of plans with plenty of heart. You easily solve problems that stump others, but your answers tend to put you into even deeper trouble. You write long, detailed backgrounds for all your characters, and are most likely to dress up as one or get involved in cos-play. You can be silly at times and are easily distracted by your own day dreams, but are at the end of the day you're someone who can be depended on. Take the quiz at dicepool.com
Pictures from our mini-mini break in the lake district are up, ever so relaxing and I can't wait to go back. Works going along swimmingly - I'm really enjoying it. Just need to find a weekend job, Pte says thier hiring in starbucks :-)
OOh, look, pretty new coat. I didn't mean to buy it, I just saw it in Oxfam Originals today - knowing full well it wouldn't be there next time I went in, since all the students have thier loan checks in and such. And think of all the starving orphens I helped! Work still going well, and we sold another book on Green Metropolis today - great stuff. Now if somone would just like to buy me the nice boots I like in Ew look I'll be a very happy bunny indeed!!
Thats two books sold is as many days on Green Metropolis. More importantly another £6 in the bank and some more room on our cluttered shelves. If only I didn't have to walk all the way into town to post it, and I could just popo accross the car park to the handy post office on old hall street, how easier things were then.
And so, I have a job. It turns out I interviewd very well at Warrington, so well that despite the fact they've decided against runnigng the Games course, they'd still like me to try my hand at some lecturing. it's only partt time, so another pat time job beckons, but the experience will be wonderful. So yeah me!
Yesterday we realied we we were old - well, at least not kids anymore. We're sat in Quiggin 's cafe bar. We have to be cool just be association, suerly. Anyway theres a load of 16/17 year olds with PSP's. thier not released for a few days yet and it took us a little while to twig they were selling them, or at least marketing them ( in fact the kind of stunt I might have dremt up If I'd have got a job with making waves ). There were a couple of cool guys and a girl just pretty enough so you'd look twice but not so pretty youd rule her out ( this is according to Pete ). They show the PSPs to everyone in a 'hey dude - wanna have a look' -thats everyone but us. Pete thought it was very funny the one person in the room who would probably be best interested in it compleatly galnced over because I assume we don't fit thier profile. Ofcourse they may well have overheard me discuss th high rate of dead pixels, the easy scratchable/ smudgebale screen, the slightl
I handed in and presented the final part of my MA yesterday, which explains when I've been so quiet. Now I've finished uni (and it would appear full time education for good) I'm hopeful to get a job, lecturing in computer games, in fact I've got an ineterview for just such a post Next week or so. I wont get my results for a little while, but I'm confident I've passed! It's just strange to not have to think about school / university for the first time in almost 20 years! I'm a very tierd little bunny today, massive weight off my shoulders though.
At the end of the week I'll effectivly be out of full time education for the first time in almost 20 years! Do you know how scary that is?
And so, with the purchase of a pasta machine in scope this morning we really have reached the limit of ' everything we could ever possibly need to buy for the kicthen ' You name it, we have it - impressive really, we just have to remember to use it all now! The continental markets in town so we've just had a french present esqu lunch of fresh bread, juicy olives and nice artisan cheese, Very lovely stuff. Ooh and it's the farmers market on saturday and the veg box should be here any second! This ethical living things a bit of an alright really! We also made some new art for the flat, more funky bottles from the bar and an Elvis poster. --- Exciting News, Jess got into the Uni of her choice, so she's off to Northumbria in September, and Pete starts work at Starbucks on Wednesday, providing Whittards don't give him a job first. It's all go around here. --- We also have a date for the final year show - September 12th at Fact, more details avilable on request,
Fathers 4 Justice have set up around the corner .. again. Last time they left Batman up a crane for four days, he only went up for an afternoon, and then only came down when the crane was struck by lighting for a second time. I wonder if Spidy will fare any better! Do you think theres a really nerdy campaigner that spemds ages making exact replicas of really obscure super-hero costumes only to be laughed at by the rest of them? I'm sure they think sitting on top of the magistrates court is the way forward, not sure I agree but ever mind. Our fridge is impressivly full at the moment, We've got Charlotte, Doug and Evie staying the night and we went a little bit nuts in Asda last night, confirming we shouldn't be allowed in supermarkets, not that I didn't go a bit nuts last time I was at the farmers market, but this is just silly! New draining rack brightens up the kitchen a bit though. Talking of shopping at stuff, brought a LCD monitor at long last. got very fed up with
Some randomly exciting news, well for me anyway. While I don't really care who or how many pople visit the site, it's always nice to know. July's figures were double June, and August looks set to be just as good. It would appear re-jigging the site, adding the blog and stuff has been worth it!!! No news on the job front, the closing date for Swansea and Warrington have both closed so I'm hopeful to hear something soon. busy cnavassing Liverpool for a new job for Pete, glad he and James have inally got the guts to leave Nero, lovely shop, lovely coffee slightly questionable working practices. I'm not a big one for fashion, especially not transient stuff but I've been eyeing up boy scouts / trucker shirts for a while and I finally found one that wasn't boys junior or a size 8 (so it actually fits over my hefty chest) A bit of an impusle buy I admit, but never mind, I've not brought that much of late, I'll justify it later!! The flat's looking swis
Well thats my birthday money spent, well some of it anyway. In case you were wondering it when on: American Gothic on DVD A Bagle Guillotine Al-la The O.C. The first Latin Playboys CD Bruce Cambell's Autobiography 'If Chins Could Kill'. Oh, and my 'Video games made me do it' t-shirt So thats me, a happy bunny and probably the last spending spree I can do for a while, or until I get a job anyway, what with Pete having quite Nero, and the enchewing domino effect of James quitting as well. Feeling quite nautical today, but mainly it's due to my stripy breton top that was a pressie from Pete's folks. The flats still a tip by the way, not having sorted out our 15 mins a day routine, and because the living room is now taken up with two huge speakers. We've got an inspection next week so it all has to be tidy by then.
Well, with any luck this should be my last weekend working a crappy minimum wage job! Yeah Me! Proper paying jobs or nothing, I want to be the other side of the counter *stomps foot* Pete's gone home this weekend, he set off at 5:30am to beat traffic and he should be there by now! It means I've a night of slobbing in front of the telly with no one to try and steal the bean bag, or a night playing sims with out anyone complaining all I care about is the little people in my computer, I'm pretty sure I'll have finished book 10 of series of unfortunate events by then. Uni works going well, it's all comming togther nicely, as is the job serach. I'm also amused to find out the new media MA think I'm really intelligent becuase I've got an Engineering Bsc - It's very silly. The flats a tip, but we've got guests in a few weeks so a solid goal to work towards means it's likely the flat will be sparkaling - always a good thing!! We're aiming to set
finally got to spend a day with Pete (yeah), and we spent it in Blackpool (umm, less yeah). Anyway thats two sea sides in as many weeks, 3 if you count Crosby Photos up as soon as I post this..Really. Stuff keeps arriving for my birthday, and it's all plesently book / DvD shaped. I love my Amazon wishlist, and I'm not sure how others cope without one. Annoying HSBC bank hasn't got back to me yet. Grr, stupid people. Apart from that, and the weather, and the flat's a mess, it's all hunky-dory over here.
I wasn't fussed about my birthday until I noticed things being brought from my amazon wish list and Pete furitivly hiding stuff around the flat. Yeah - Birthday!! (and happy birthday to Charlotte for tomorrow) Got attacked by Spike this morning and it's made typing really painful - evil cactus! The mental thing has decided it's fun to flop over at random. Went to see Antony Gormly's another place thing, with all the people standing on the beach, it's size means it's got nowehere near the impact of Field or even The Angel of the North. Pretty bit of coast though. Photos up when I get around to it!
Didn't get the job in Brighton, didn't really expect to and they did say it came down to teaching experience. I might have had a shot if they'd have written the course yet, but they haven't. Never mind, Brighton was nice and sunny. Bit lonely to be there on my own but never mind, all expense paid (more or less) I'll put photos up in a bit. Off to yell at the bank again, in the process of drafting a letter of complaint to HSBC about the Liverpool branch. got confirmation from a lovely guy called Owen at Cardiff that Liverpool should deal with it all. Went out for Pizza last night, it's also serving as breakfast this morning.
AAARGH. I just want a bit more money / loan / overdraft so I can quit my stupid job, and catch up with my MA, so I have a chance in hell of finishing what I've put some much work into with smething half decent. All they can recommend is that I re-apply for a loan with a covering letter TO CARDIFF because it's my branch, and no, I can't change branches because they all work of a central computer, and there's no point. if I could change my branch then just maybe I coould have had a descison today, and not wait 4 / 5 days (post + weekend + red tape bullshit) stupid crap HSBC (sorry about the swearing)
We've tested out the new little BBQ - it's really fab. Pete did a lovely little post work BBq for us, there's some photos on the Nero bit When it got a bit colder we all sat down and watched Dr Who finale, it really was an amazing bit of telly, hats of to Mr. Davies - great stuff. I also found out I've got a job interview with Brighton City College on a job I applied for. I didn't expect that - so it's come as a little bit of a shock. I now need to sort out getting down there and the like. I'm very excited and in turn very scared.
Back from the quick jaunt to London last night - never used so much public transport in 2 days!!! Photos are up in the people section - London convergance link. Have to go get ready for work now!
It's sunny! I do love having gardens to sit out in, just went out to sit outside for lunch and to celebrate Pimm's O'Clock (my favourite time of the day). Bliss. Oh well, back to work!
Man, I'm tierd. I know it's only been my usual weekend at Nero but with such a busy week preceeding it and such a busy day Saturday (stupud Lord Mayor's parade - I've more civic pride then most, but parades annoy me in SimCity where they keep centering on them, they annoy me even more when they drive past work wth loudspeakers blearing). In work again tomorrow - Amazingly the one or two days promised by my boss whern she was away has morphed into 2 solid weeks of work. GRRR - Wish I wasn't so weak willed, and I could say something, but lord knows the money will be helpful. I just keep hoping it won't hurt my project, and I have to be better at making myself work. At least I know more or less what I'm doing with my project. Been on my own this weekend as well, Pete's popped back home to proudly show off his Barista of the Year finalist t-shirt (he came 3rd in the region, lots of calls of Eurovision stylee tactical voting and thewrong shaped jugs - Pete
What a lovely few days - it's been nice and sun, and I think I've caught the sun a little. I've been in work, but ast least it pays the bills. I brought James from work home with me yesterday and we fed him nice food and drank beer in the garden. He ended up staying the night because he missed the last train. ~ Sorry! And today we were both in work -very odd to start at the same time. Work was dead so we stayed 3 hours, managed to squeeze in lunch together and got sent home. Being such a nice day we headed first to H&M to buy things to change into and lie about in the sun on the grass outside the three graces. Liverpool is a lovely city in the right light. Now we've got a silly night of DVD's ahead of us, but for the moment it's listen agin to Sorry I haven't a Clue!!!!! Charlotte, Doug and Evie should be visiting tomorrow - can't wait.
There's pictures up from the parade thing last night. Amazing amount of people there. Check the pictures of places link at the top.
Well, Star Wars - not as dissapointed as I thought I'd be. (How's that for glowing praise) - It's quite good really., I rather enjoyed it. I felt like Star Wars. Had a lovely day with Pete ysterday - He's got a new coat, lovely leather one, very good quality and a bargine from a charity shop. I'm facing the sad relaity I'm going to have to replace my green one at some point. Really second day of riding to uni today - since it doesn't lkook like rain or anything, but first to make some sarnies. Well done Liverpool for winning, we didn't need to watch the match, we just managed to get the highlight's through the wall from the party next door. We'll probably go see the parade later.
well I would have cycled if it hadn't had started raining. I'm eating salad to make us for it. Mmmm aduki beans!!
I cycled into Uni for the first time yesterday - I'm about to do the same again today (now it's stopped looking like it's about to rain) One thing for Liverpool, it's really not bike freindly, all those cars!!! I really just wan't a T-Shirt that says something like 'Cars are Scary' or 'You sure you want me on the roads...I'm not very good at this' I can't say I feel all that much healthier, mind you I'm still full from the Creol Inspired Feast the other night. Got a Los Lobos CD through the post, just waiting for the Latin Playboys CD then I think I'll be satisifed (for a bit) on the mexian music splurge. Good Summery stuff. Project not withstanding We've got a busy time of it over the next few weeks, Pete's off home this week, We're off to London for a family convergance in a few weeks. Then there's Taj Mahal and Brian Wilson in June! Yeah, I like being busy, makes me feel like a real person. Off to see Star Wars toni
Preying mantis are icky! Pete had the morning off so we mooched around town and looked at the new Museum. This is also the closest place for us to buy fair trade coffe and tea - bizarre but true. Other exciting news, we bought a BBQ, it's a lovely little barrel thing and we're planning BBQ-related activities on the weekend. It's a shame it won't stay shiny for long!
THANK YOU - A massive hug to Tamu8 from the Gorum for the squishy computer stress thingy. Who'd have thought pc's could be so aerodynamic!!!! I've done the washing up, there really should be a word to describe the sad little frission of joy you get when you realise you've done a task just in time to watch Neighbours. I did some photo-taking this morning and well as some pictures of Bristol, there's some more pictures around Liverpool. There's fewer Bristol pics then I thought, you'll find them in the Uni friends bit. We're off to see Melinda and Melinda tonight, I really can't remember the last time I saw a Woody Allen film. I just hope my dislike of Will Ferral doesn't colour the film for me.
My Yahoo Launch cast has been playing up all morning, lord knows why it think I want to listen to the theme from Top Gun? I'm being easily distracted today, spent a good few minutes working out if I could get a Tampa Bay Buccaneras Replica shirt with Williams onthe back in budget (It should only cost £50 - maybe with some birthday money perhaps) Maybe I should go home and do housewifely things / make my sims do housewifely things whilw the flat descends into further mess.
Well that was a fun day at work .. well, no it wasn't and my new trainers still make my feet ache (or maybe it's standing up and serving for 10 hours?) Anyway A cold beer soon sortes that out. More exciting is my new Cd. I only ordered it yesterday morning. El Marachis and Mexico, the Robert Rodrigues collection that inspired the Mariachi triplogy. IT's great, feeding my need for dirty mexican music in a way Les Tigres Del Nortes never could. My NarcoCorrido book arrived today - woot!! I would have sat outside with a beer to read it but it's a little bit windy. Now if I could just get hold of my parents in Spain all would be well in the world, how dare they have a social life?
I'm back! Playful subjects was good fun, nice food, interesting points, lovely people etc. Quite a nice Youth Hostle they've got in Bristol, fairly impressive breakfast, but not as nice as Barry's sounded (he stayed at the Marriot around the corner - they had Black Pudding for breakfast) What I do like is the old adadge 'And The Geek shall Inherit the Earth' really is true. All you have to mention is a full set of Buffy comics, or you used to chair a roleplaying gropup and you've still got your dice and doors fling open. Great Stuff. Who knew studying sci-fi could have proved so useful. I still have this lovely dream that getting a job at Lionhead or something wouldn't rest on the letters after my name, or my obvious perfectness for the job, but a really jammy D20 roll in a fight against Molyneux.
Hmm, Pete's ordering a pizza as I type - good lad! It's a shame Domino's doesn't deliver to this address, As lovely as The American Pizza Slice is, not quite as naughty as I was in the mood for. Ho Hum, T-Minus 40- mins till Pizza Joy! --- My watch broke, my first grown up watch (the swatch one I brought on the way back from France a few years back to stop Pete from teasing me about not bing able to tell the time) . Anyway, according to the bloke in Timpson's the battery wasn't dead, the watch was. Cue frantic running around town in the 2 hour gap between finishing work at 3 and meeting Pete at 5, all this without a watch to look at to check I wan't being late, worse still for some reason I'd left my mobile phone in the bathroom (??) so I found myself detouring past the big screen outside Tesco's just to check the time. I did see a few watches I liked in Argos, but since money was tight I headed to the Index closing down sale and they had nothing I
I was going to update this blog with all the old entries, but I really can't be bothered, especially since so many of them are out of date! So this is a fresh new start for the front page. --- Had a bit of a crap day in work, well, up until the last half hour anyway. Grrr, stupid lawyers from EXL, 3 of them trooped in twice with a load of bin bags that had somehow found their way into their bin. They were so proud they'd had chance to go through them and everything - This suggests to me their not busy, which may, or may not imply their not very good. -- Just spell checked this, the Blog's own spell checker doesn't recognise Blog as a word - that made me chuckle!! -- Site Updates - Some more pictures of Liverpool and the river Mersey - in the photos of places section.
They've painted to LambBanana green, something to do with foster care. very strange, it just makes it look unripe! In similar news their doing something strange to the statue in Exchange Square. (the square round the back of the town hall)This is where they've just announced Penthouses should sell for £2 million quid. Pete and I can't work out if it's art or it's just being cleaned!