Yeah but no but yeah but

Oh god am feeling spaced out again today. You wouldn't have thought I haven't had a toot since before Christmas. I must say this non smoking malarky doesn't seem to have changed my mind/body in any discernable physical way at all. Well, it must be all internal. My lungs are probably like two fresh meadow fields by now.

Another weekend of DIY, punctuated by a large hangover on Sunday. I managed to get a whopping amount of painting done, but it felt like groundhog day because I had to do a few coats and I was going around and around the room in circles... I might go round there tonight and do some glossing of doors and pipes. So, we managed to drag ourselves out on Saturday night to town, went to the lovely Penny's flat first and she made an absolute vat of lasagne. Mmm, haven't had lasagne for ages I might cook it this week becuase it was gorgeous. Then it all went downhill in the form of Red Onion and Club 54. Well at least we got into the club for free cos it was a pile of wank. As usual. We stopped off for cocktails at Bamboo, I had a Long Island Ice Tea that tasted like a very pleasant run and coke.

We spent last night making our wedding website! Now that the invitations have (mostly) gone out we sent everyone a little card with the web address on it so they can have a look. It's really for people coming across from the UK. Nick did most of it and a lot of the text is palmed off a local tourist website. All the stuff about Guernsey as we really don't know that much about where we live. I wrote the 'The Day' bit though. That's my handywork. I am also writing the hotels bit which isn't on there yet but should be tonight. Sorry if its all a bit cheesy, Nick really writes like a travel rep. I think it's from his job training you see.

Oh Fuck it I'm too tired to do any DIY tonight. I'm going to go shopping and cook a lasagne and do ironing. And mebbe watch a few hours of telly. ahhhh I can't wait. There's no point making myself miserable by slogging my guts out round there. When its done its done. I wish I was clever enough to put some photos of it on the internet. If I steal my work camera I might be able to... Be nice to show what I get up to every weekend.

PS the sun has come out and its making me verrry sleepy...

Ooooh

Sorry, two glasses of wine and I turn into a twat. That is all. Umm, just come back from the wonderful Mallard cinema, yes it's named after a duck. V for Vendetta? V for Vubbish I'm sorry to say I found really like a too awful knowing rehash of 1984 but with current political issues and focusing on how paranoid Britain is... OK fair enough its good to illustrate to people what might possibly happen if we continue to live our relatively sanitised lives but it reaaaaally dragged in the middle bit. And we never got to see the phantom of the opera! How sucky is that. Is it bad that I fancied Natalie Portman?

oh apparentely we have Rew to stay tonight, Rew has just found out that I have a blog, I think he thinks its a bit weird. I admitted that it takes a certain amount of vanity to think that folk might want to read what I think all the time every day but. The Day Today is SO funny, even funnier than Alan Partrifge if I put myself out on a limb. Police have just cordoned a man in Piccadilly who may have eaten an explosive dog and he is backed by Sein Fein. You have to be here.

I felt like an insane person when I was driving home from the cinema on my own tonight. I had the scissor sisters on really loud and it was raining really heavily and the windscreen wipers were on fast. It was like Ride of the Valkyries but to Take your Mama.

More wedding stuff I'm afraid

So, my excuse being that something is better than nothing at all, but in all honesty my life is BORING or BORGING as I just misspelt then corrected. Yes, I'm actually an alien out of Star Trek... Enough geekiness. So anyhow, I thought I would just tell you how my wedding planning has been going.

On monday night the photographer came round with his missus and we talked through what we are going to do on the day. They basically want to stick to us like glue and make a documentary style wedding album with lots of informal shots (as well as the obligatory Churchy ones) and as it's Herm there should be lots of ideal locations to take pretty pictures. They stayed at our house for like TWO hours and I hadn't had any tea so I lost my concentration towards the end of it as I'd drank some wine on an empty stomach... But they said we can have a CD of the photos so we can do what we want with them afterwards and there will also be a website.

Yesterday I met the florist to talk through the flowers, she was lovely. She basically said I have to tell her exactly what I want becuase she can prety much do anything. So I am all head scratchy cos I don't know. We can't have peonies though cos they are only around in the Spring, but I can have ranunculus and pink lilies. Yay, they are so pretty.

I want to go to Southampton for a hen weekend, I've emailed some friends to see if they want to come and so far only 3 have emailed back which is a bit poo. Hopefully I will get around 7 - 8 girls over there, then I can also have a Guernsey hen party nearer the day. The Soton one wil be about a month before.

Coaches. I've booked coaches. And I've hired the balloon people as well. I now need to think about proper wedding cars, I want to have something really cool but I'm not sure what.

In other news, I have just eaten a massive slab of birthday cake so I'm not going to buy any lunch today. I'm just going to have fruit and hopefully not feel too guilty.

My friends wedding

And I have a mini me! Now I can take over the world.


Smoochy coochy, I like this one.

Bit of an Anticlimax

Well, 100 posts, that makes me an official long term blogger I guess. What lofty heights can I head for now though?

I've been a bit shit with the blogging since then I know but really, not much going on here and I'd rather not be boring. Umm, DIY DIY DIY, all weekend and also on Monday and Tuesday night, and also tonight. So that IS my life at the moment. I tiled and grouted our fireplace surround and painted the bathroom ceiling. Tonight I may paint the awkward ceilingy bit behind our tall kitchen cabinets. Ho hum. Work is still quite mega busy and I should be doing something now but sod it. I've sold a few houses and flats over the last week and my boss has said I can have the 2 days off before my wedding as a 'gift' which is so sweet of him, all is forgiven.

My cat is definitely better and so am I after the illness of the last couple of weeks. And I'm still not smoking since New Years Eve. That's nearly three months now. I don't miss it now either. (smug smug grin grin)

100th Post!

I have the royal seal to prove it. What a waste of time/fascinating study of my life!*

(*delete as appropriate)

Got to love this film

So, I've now watched this three times, and the special features twice. Bit of a geek aren't I. But then again I loved Buffy so I guess there's no hope.

Seriously I would recommend this film though, and not only me, it's Film 2005's film of the year so nah nah and all that.

Molly is eating again! Not much but it's a start and she was miowing as usual outside the bedroom door this morning, so I think she is over whatever it was that made her ill. Hooray!!

Meh

Am still a bit full of snot and Nick's still off work. Molly seemed slightly chirpier today although still not 100%, she has eaten a little food. Her blood test results are all clear which is brilliant. I just want my little black cat back.

My Dad's not likely to read this so I can tell you that I bought him a mahogany wall clock and a book called the Timewaster Letters which is pure genius, he's gonna love it. I also went to FatFace in my lunch hour and bought a few wicked little things for Julia who is leaving tomorrow and is off to live in Koh Samui, the lucky lady. FatFace is her favourite shop she's a bit of a surfer chick. We also had to pay our plasterer £850 which is a bit of a knock but we were expecting it. And Nick's making a website for people coming over from England for our wedding, its brilliant.

That's all my news for now. Sorry its just like bullet points isn't it, my life in brief... I guess. Let me try to think of something a bit more interesting to say. Umm, I spent 4 years at Art College, yes, there you go. I can draw. I did a fine art degree and specialised in multi media and time based art. I wrote a thesis on Rene Magritte, Ceci n'est pas une pipe. I also spent a year doing Art Foundation, and did A Levels in Art & Design, Ancient History and Religious Studies. I like to think of myself as an intellectual but in truth I don't read/learn enough to keep up to scratch. I spent about 8 years being very hippy/goth complete with leather/pvc/black lipstick and scary London clubs but at heart I'm not scary I just liked the bassy music. Since I've been with Nick this has died off as he's more into Harry Connick Jnr & Norah Jones than Marilyn Manson and Tura Satana. I still have a lot of love in my heart for that sort of thing though and truly if Nick hadn't come along I would probably still be in biker boots and tie dye. But I love him so there you go. I have quite a big family but my Mum died when I was 11 so my Dad brought me & my sister up.

There I think that's quite enough personal information, I have to remember this is t'internet and there could be all sorts of strange bods reading this. Ok probably not but you never know.

Sick kitty

Oh no oh no oh no. Things haven't been so good lately. I still have the illness although I am back at work now, sniffing quietly at my desk. Nick has caught it, as was to be expected really and he has taken today off sick to recover. With his job he has to be in top condition so they are pretty good and sent him home yesterday when they could see he was clearly not feeling up to scratch.

And I don't know if its related but our cat isn't very well either. She hasn't eaten for 4 days and has absolutely no energy which is very unusual. She is normally miowing at my bedroom door when my alarm goes off but she's just been sleepy on the sofa every day and not hungry. So this morning Nick took her to our vet and the vet gave her a bloodtest which Nick said was really horrible. For a start Nick had to hold her while they stuck the big needle in her front leg and he got her blood all on his arm. Then because she is so little (most people assume she is a kitten) they couldn't get much blood out and she was clearly in pain and screeching while it was being done. I don't know why I'm relaying this all in detail because it just is upsetting me, don't be cynical I know she is only a cat but the thought of her being in pain is just horrific.

Anyway the vet says it might be her kidneys and we have to try to get her to drink more so I'm going to go to M&S in my lunch hour and buy a pot of cream and mix that with water in the hope that she will be tempted. She won't even eat tuna which is normally her favourite. If she dies I will just fall apart, I know it.

In other news, the wedding planning is coming along, won't bore you with details but I spoke to a few people on Monday and it was quite productive. I watched the Aviator last night which is a terrific film but peters out towards the end and it a bit too long. And i still haven't found a present for my Dad and its his birthday in 2 days time. SHIT.

Aaatch Poo

I've taken the day off work. The recurrence of the icky throat and deep scratchy voicebox has ensured me a day of TV and sofadom.

Having just watched Big Cook Little Cook I am now sat in front of Postman Pat. The joys of childrens TV are all consuming. Molly was trying to sit on the laptop (its nice and warm) but having been shooed off she now has her back to me in a missus sulkyhead mode.

Well, I am planning to sort out some wedding bits and pieces. I've emailed the guy who runs the hotel in Herm to get this years menus and wine list and I'm planning to phone the vicar, flower woman and coach people too. Might as well make the most of the day and I haven't exactly got anything else pressing to do.

I foolishly went out on Saturday night, remember how I told you I wasn't looking forward to it? Well we started off with a ginormous meal in the Red Onion, then went for drinks at the Golden Lion. There was a rocky type band playing so we had to shout somewhat, then I made my way up to the Cornerstone, by which point my voice had disintigrated into husky painful whimpering, I sounded proper ridiculous. Basically walked into the Cornerstone to be confronted by everyone-I-have-ever-met-in-Guernsey. Literally the whole island was in there that I have met and am friends with plus a few old faces I haven't seen for years. so they all got to see me at my most ill and pathetic. Eventually Rachel Goddess of Niceness took pity and drove me home, but then I couldn't get inside cos Nick's Dad had left the key in the inside of the door so I had to walk round and bang on the window and wake him up to let me in.

ooh! Fireman Sam!

So yesterday I just stayed in front of the telly, Rachel came round and we watched Serenity and ate nachos. In the evening my Dad had us round for a yummy roast. Maggie made chocolate blancmange (thanks anonymous!) which looked like a big wobbly boobie but tasted quite nice, in a weird chocolate-mousse sort of way.

More ramblings

I really want to buy loads of stuff at the moment on Amazon. There's Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, Katamari, Corrine Bailey Rae CD, the Firefly series and a billion other things. Shame I'm skint this month, I've been naughty and bought Serenity on DVD which I'm wildly excited about.

God my throat feels like it's full of little razorblades today. The cold went away mid week but came back yesterday with a renewed vengeance. We went for a meal out which I couldn't even enjoy last night, bah what a waste.

Nicks Dad is over this weekend to help us with DIY and I've got to go to two leaving do's tonight, when what I really want is to eat a bowl of chicken soup and watch TV wrapped in a big duvet. Well at least I have a healthy social life which I am very grateful for, after moving around so much in the UK where I really literally didn't know anyone and we had to try really hard to make friends I certainly appreciate the circle we have here in Guernsey. I remember especially when we lived in Plymouth and Nick was living in Truro Mon-Fri for six months, I was such a solitary little bean back then.

I'm in work right now, it's one of the quiestest Saturday's in record. Just two phone calls so far, and one of them was a work colleague who's out on the road who was also bored and phoned for a chat. It's good I don't have to talk much as I'm speaking in a low husky whisper today. People might think I'm a pervert. I've had two cups of tea, it might be time for a blackcurrant lemsip soon.

It's my Dad's birthday mext week, if anyone has any ideas what to get a fussy 59 year old who has already has everything he could possibly want, do please let me know.

I wish I could knit

Because I would knit one of these for Molly, my stressed little mimsy.

Whatya gonna Do

With all that junk
All that junk inside that trunk

my hump my hump my hump
my lovely ladee lumps
.....................................................................

Pass the duchy to the left hand side

Feel free to have either or these two songs trapped inside your head. I wouldn't want to be alone.

Big catch up

OK then! Lots to tell you today. I'm back at work, luckily it's fairly quiet, I've got no appointments until 3pm and my boss's flight back from Austria was delayed so he's not coming in until tomorrow, which is great. I needn't have rushed back at all. My flight landed 2 hours ago so I've just been at home to get changed and straight into work. Soooo, here we go, the last few days in proper diary stylee becuase its easier...

Thurs 23 Feb: Flew to Southampton 4pm. Chilled at Nick's parents and had nice family dinner with the folks plus Holly & her boyfriend. They brought their 11 week old puppy along which is one of those white fluffy terriers and just ridiculously adorable. It couldn't run properly but did this crazy fast hoppy/bouncy thing, a bit like a kangaroo. Anyway, the cute factor was through the roof.

Fri 24: Got up early and went to Debenhams to check out the wedding stationary. V good, chose nice cards & Nick was happy too. Drove up to Worksop (still no idea where it is) with the GPS to guide us thank goodness, and the Da Vinci Code on audio CD the whole way. Stopped for lunch at a horrid service station for an overpriced jacket potato. Arrived at hotel in Worksop at about 4:30 so not too bad, went to see the bride-to-be at her sisters house for a cup of tea then back to hotel for really delicious 2 course meal and sank a bottle of wine each, clearly we were both a bit tired becuase it went to both ours heads instantly and we both got horrendous red faced giggle attacks at the antics of our highly attentive and slightly scary waitress. Even sober she would have been scary though. She kept hovering and every 5 minutes would come top of the wine and arrange the serving dishes so that the SPOONS were pointed in the correct directionss!!? WTF? She was clearly a bit OCD.

Sat: Up early again to hairdressers for wedding hair. Let young hairdressing lady attack me with her tongs and turn me into a huge poodle head. It was scary. Very scary. People were looking at me all wide-eyed and the girl was gushing about how great it looked and I just sat there like a big lummox and let her do it to me. I managed to get her to pull some of it back off my face in the end which made it slightly less massive and to be fair after a few hours it did relax a bit and look much better, but for the wedding photos (which were earlier in the day) I had poodle hair. Nick thought it looked great though so maybe I'm being paranoid!
After the hairdressers went to help the bride get ready, get dressed, makeup etc etc which was fun. She looked beautiful. Drove to the Church, did my whole bridesmaid duty which was surreal and it all went really fast. There was a pretty little flower girl who was like a mini version of me, she was literally my mini-me. I missed the entire wedding run through though so I didn't really know what I had to do and where I was supposed to sit etc and I ended up sitting between the brides mum & dad which I think was a bit innappropriate as the mum was crying and there's me again, big poodle headed lummox sat in the wrong place trying to look inconspicuous. I was a witness too which I wasn't expecting.
After the wedding & photos it was to the village hall for the reception, lots of food and wine, speeches, all the rest of it. It was quite a small reception which was nice, more people came in the evening. I think the bride had a really nice day. I drank too much early on and as a result got tired out and really flaked by the end of the evening, what a lightweight I know.

Sun: Christ, up early AGAIN, this time to check out. Lost my lovely DKNY perfume in the hotel room, I swear it was stolen by the cleaner so I caused a bit of a fuss. It still hasn't turned up. Drove down to the Miltont Keynes Ikea for a few hours of retail therapy but didn't end up buying much. It seems to be the same old stock they had years ago, not much new stuff at all. Arrived back in Southampton late afternoon to an amazing roast dinner and early night. Feeling fairly tired out and full of cold by this point.

Today: Hoorah! Finally got a lie-in. Definitely have a full on cold now complete with sore throat and free-running snot. Flew back to Guernsey at 11:00. Got all paniced on the plane becuase they flew into Guernsey a funyy way and I didn't recognise the coastline and became convinced we had somehow got on a Jersey flight by mistake. Managed to panic Nick as well until literally we landed and could tell it was definitely Gsey airport. What a pair of divvies. And that brings me pretty much up to speed, allbeit in a brief fashion. Nick doesn't have to go into work until 4 so he's at home watching daytime TV right now the lucky bastard.

We are supposed to be out tonight for a friends leaving do but I'm feeling so snotted-up and have loads of unpacking blah blah I might bail. My cat was all scared and weird when we arrived back home, I don't think she realised it was us at first but she's OK now.

Shit, that's the longest blog entry ever in the history of Sam.

I'm far too busy dammit

This has been a reeeeeeeeeally busy week. I have a lot of stuff on. Work wise, people are away, we're short staffed and I seem to be doing mostly all the viewings. It would have to be the coldest, nastiest week of the year so fay as well. On Monday I forgot my gloves and had three bad attacks of Raynauds. It was quite embarrasing because at one point I had to write out a cheque with people waiting behind me and I must have looked like a right spaz cos it took me ages to write it and my hands looked like a dead womans. Ah well, at least the hair still looks good, and I can use my dead fingers to freak Nick out, he hates them!!

I've got a woman who wants to come round and view the house we rent (my Dad is selling it privately and he's in the UK so I have to show her around), anyway she's been before and she's a bit crazy-ass, last time I was on the phone to her she starting crying so I don't want to invite her around really incase she breaks down in the lounge or something. She's just a bit weird and has THE most annoying voice. Its monotone.

I guess she's OK really but it's just that's its our old family house where I grew up many years ago and I am a bit emotionally attached. I would like someone nice to have it and look after it properly, that's all. Anyway, its all a long long story how I ended up living there again with Nick (and without my Dad).

We're off of course tomorrow to Southampton then its the big drive to Worksop (which is where??? I still don't know. Luckily we have GPS otherwise I'd be seriously worried right now). I went shopping yesterday lunchtime and bought some cutesy pearl earrings and a matching bracelet which will look the business with the bridesmaids dress. It's got a pearly sheen to it and I will also be wearing a white fur jacket thing, I'm going for a kind of 1940's glam, hopefully it'll pay off.

I spent 4 and a half hours tidying yesterday incase the woman wants a viewing, I also did some sewing(!), I repaired my fake ugg style slippers which were splitting at the seams and I also waxed my (non existant I promise except in very harsh sunlight) tash ready for Saturday. I've been making free and easy with the Johnsons holiday skin as well so that I'll have a lovely glowing tan. Woooo.

I have my rant head on, apologies.

I feel the need to relate the story of the shitty hairdresser and the princess. (Me being the princess of course.)

We went out on Friday night as planned to our friends flat. We ate those Old El Paso thingies you get in the advert! Brilliant. So anyway it was only natural that we got slightly pissed and it was a fairly late one. As a result I overslept slightly the next morning. I woke up at precisely 9:32 and my hair appointment was for 9:45, oops. Luckily we slept at the flat which is only about a 10 minute walk from the hairdressers so I LEAPT out of bed, pulled on last nights smelly clothes, brushed my teeth and legged it out of the flat. At this stage my head was pounding quite profoundly and I felt that I could collapse at any minute I must say.

I arrived 5 minutes late for my appointment and do you know what? The shitty hairdresser refused to see me. She sent me away! 5 MINUTES!!!! Not 15 minutes, not even 10, but 5! I was gobsmacked.

She said that I could come back in an hour to have my colour done but there was no way she would now have time to cut my hair as well. Can you believe it. I explained that I am going to a wedding this week and am the bridesmaid and desperately needed my hair cut & roots done today as arranged. But No! The stony faced cow refused. It was literally like 'computer says no'. It was 'Activ Hair' to name and shame.

This story does have a happy ending you will be pleased to hear. I have found a fantastic new hairdresser as a result. She's called Maria (at Carma's), she fitted me in at very short notice and gave me the best haircut I've had in about 3 years. She also coloured my hair exactly how I wanted, she is a real find. And guess what? When she was cutting my hair she noticed that one side was longer than the other, so bad Activ Hair again, they are the folk that cut it last time. She massaged my pounding hangover head and gave me lots of lovely tea and I didn't even need a magazine cos she was so chatty. So all's well that ends well.

Sorry to recount all that in great detail but it upset me all morning that someone could let me down so badly and not give a shit like that but all in all it worked out for the best thank God.

Yesterday I tiled my kitchen, it took me all day and I'm very proud because it looks very even and straight.

On Saturday night we went to Rachel's flatwarming party which was brilliant as it was halloween themed! There was lots of haribo.

And tonight I am collecting my newly altered bridesmaid dress so I'll be all set to go. And guess what folks, I'm only working a 3 1/2 day week cos I'm flying away on Thursday afternoon. Sing Hosannas and all that.

Lawks A Lordy

Blimey, it was hailing like crazy at lunchtime. I was marooned in a clothes shop at the time and eventually made a crazy dash back to work but not before a hailstone hit me on the nose and made my eyes water, those things sting! It kind of looked like snow though, very pretty.

Have just come back from a viewing with a couple who had the most bratty bratty kids in tow. One of them scared the cat and the other pulled a cupboard door handle off. The parents didn't seem to have any control. I just wanted to scream at them to stop touching everything. Especially cos it was a nice cat that I had made friends with before they all arrived. Poor thing.

(PS I would like to assert that I am not a twat, despite the irritating blog titles I put on. I don't know what I was thinking but Lawks a Lordy isn't something I usually come out with, I promise.)

Crap Sticks

Oopsa daisy, have made yet another stunning balls-up at work. Ha ha, it's quite funny though. I sent a surveyor around to a house thinking that the owners were away on holiday but it turned out they were back today and were both in bed asleep when he let himself in with the key. The key I gave him. How naughty. Must phone them and apologise but he said they went back to bed so will leave it a few hours. He was really really embarrased about it, hope they weren't naked or anything.

Ah, well that's my morning so far. Umm, have to go into town at lunchtime and withdraw lots of cash to pay the plumber who fitted our bathroom suite earlier this week. We're out tonight to Ben & Penny's for a boozy soiree and we have another tomorrow, Rachel's flatwarming. She didn't have a halloween party so she's having an 'evil' theme. And tomorrow I am SORTING OUT my manky hair, I'm having highlights and a few inches lopped off. It's got way too long and I am starting to look like Neil from the Young Ones. Also my roots are totally unacceptable. If I have the time today I'm going to flick through magazines to find inspiration. I might go a bit blonder.

Molly news: took her to the vets, he says she had an enlarged thyroid and is suffering from stress. How bad do I feel? I don't understand the stress thing, I really don't. I mean, I try to give her the best life I can, she gets fed, like, ALL the time and has her routine, plus we totally spoil her and fuss over her all the time. The vet said it might be another cat hanging around that causes it, so if I see any others I'm going to shout at them and freak them out.

I watched Dodgeball last night, it was really really funny. Ben Stiller is so great.

Well, have a good weekend y'all, and think of me getting drunk/sitting at the hairdressers/doing lots of DIY.
xxx

I'm fugging tired

I won't bore you with the reasons why I haven't been able to blog for the last few days: suffice to say that they were all work related and hence not worth mentioning.

Luckily I now have time to sit back and relax, although I am strictly speaking still at work and do have stuff to be getting on with. In particular I have a nasty phone call to make, to let a vendor know that their buyers have just pulled out. These are always excruciating in the maximum but I've done enough of them over the last few years to be fairly thick skinned about it. What is very very annoying is that the buyers really had no good reason why they are pulling out, so all I can really tell the vendor is that they've changed their minds and should be slapped for messing him about.

I went out last night to the Doghouse (ha I just wrote Boghouse! Freudian!) in order to scout out a local band for maybe the wedding reception. They were a Jersey band and not amazingly inspiring so I will have to keep looking. We have booked this local jazz pianist/singer to play already so I dont know if we need a band as well. We'll see. Nick got really drunk and first of all he wouldn't leave the pub, then he tried to get out of the car at some traffic lights on the way home to have a wee. Sometimes he's a bit of a liability.

I am supposed to be going to a party tonight, I really need to wake myself up, I haven't had much sleep and I feel a bit mushy.

Oh yes, the title. I have added another link to my 'websites I like' bit, go fug yourself is a very funny American blog, do have a look.

I can't wait for this next week, we're going to get so much done at the flat. We have a plasterer and a bathroom fitter and a granite specialist coming round. And Nick's taken the week off work to get loads done so woo woo woo! We might be able to move in soon!

Well, gah. My hair is greasy and the phone keeps ringing which makes me lose my train of thought.

Shit, my boss just arrived and I had the front door locked because I went out the back for a wee and forgot to unbolt the door afterwards. What a bad girl.

I just made the evil phonecall, at least that's over and done with.

Someone left a tin of jellybabies here yesterday and I've eaten all the yellow ones, yum yum in my tum.

Blah blah blah

This is monday morning, this is me, at work, gazing out of the window as per usual. Working hard or hardly working? You decide.

Another weekend sans much fun. Another hard slog of DIY but its so boring, the kitchen looks pretty though, that I will say. I am around there again tonight because I have no life. No, basically I just want to move in and I can't stand how long it is all taking.

I watched Revenge of the Sith last night, it was quite unconvincing. It did upset me a bit when Anakim got his legs chopped up and his pretty face fried in the volcano but all in all it didn't make me whoop with excitement as I had hoped. I just found it jumped around far too much and relied too heavily on pretty back drops. Saying that it was infinitely better than the previous 2 prequels and it was pleasantly dark. Which I liked.

OK, apart from that I'm sorting out more wedding stuff today. We're also off to Dix Neuf on Wednesday night to hear a local jazz player in the hope that he might want to play at our reception. Nick is sorting out the honeymoon which is hideously complicated as it involves several flights, time zones, hotels and hire cars so I will leave that with him. It makes my head implode. We're thinking London - San Fran - LA - Tokyo - Bangkok - London but all in three weeks??

This is now Monday afternoon, see how long it takes me to write these? I wish I got paid for this. OK, I stopped for a tuna salad & a chomp bar.

I have just come back from viewings at the bedsit apartments (shiver) that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. I showed around a middle aged man with a toupee who had a bout of verbal diahhrea and divulged to me (against my wishes) the entire sad story of how his Portuguese wife stiffed him and left him for broke but he has to be nice to her because they have a child. Sigh. I don't ask to be a agony aunt, I really don't. The good news was that he liked one of the apartments. Yes, I couldn't believe it but to each his own, as they say.

Mint tea, ahhhhhhhh.

... really works. Or it is at least a very convincing placebo. I feel 78% better. That could also be the result of a few quite acidic farts though.

I went home in my lunch hour and accidently trod on my cat. Which was ironic because I only bothered to go home because she was acting all miserable yesterday and I felt really bad that I didn't go home last night and I wanted to give her some love. I was wearing my boots as well. The guilt lingers on.

I sold a sweet little house today. A young couple, they really suit the place. And I've done a few viewings, at one of of them the lady would NOT speak the entire time and I felt I had to fill all the uncomfortable silences with inane remarks, ("Ooh what a lovely vase" etc etc when I don't even like the sodding vase) but I think she was quiet in a good way and she was just trying to take it all in. I probably distracted her utterly.

It's roast chicken again tonight, partly for the cat as I know she loves it. My karma must be rebalanced.

One bloated tummy

Ohhhhh my God I literally could explode right now. Ugh.

I am sat at my desk, only I'm hunched over my desk like Quasimodo. I have the worst indigestion ever. It obviously has a lot to do with the entire large bag of Penn state pretzels, toad in the hole, mashed potato, chocolate fondue, haribo sweets and bottles of wine I consumed last night. I can see why people become bullimic, I really can. The thought of sticking my fingers down my throat and emptying out my stuffed gullet is very very tempting right now. But first I will try a peppermint tea to ease the pain.

Our friends introduced us to 'Articulate' last night, which is a boardgame version of Richard & Judy's 'You say, We pay' basically. Great fun.

Also, my tummy button hurts. I stuffed my old belly ring through it the other night to see if the hole was open (after about 5 years of not wearing it) and weirdly enough it was. Only it bled when I removed it again and now it hurts and my trousers are cutting in to it where my stomach is so big today.

Sindy Rules...

Carrying on from the incredible twee girlieness of yesterdays postings, I have added a new link on my favourite websites. (Scroll down, you'll see it.)

This is a website made by a lady who collects Sindy dolls then makes photo-montage style cartoons with them. Kind of like Deirdre's casebook in the Sun. I think it's fantastic, probably becuase its an amalgamation of favourites things from my childhood, Sindy dolls and Bunty/Mandy style comic books. So hurrah for all things twee and 80's. And they're also quite funny. Kind of like if you still played with dolls this is what you would do with them...

Another site worth looking at from a blogging point of view is this which is a round up of the best blogs from around the world which are all up for awards. The funniest nominations includes 'stuff on my cat' which will be getting my vote.

Pink, green and cream DO go...

UFO's at the wedding

I guess I'm using this blog as an ideas space for my wedding preparations. Here is a pic of a bowl of lovely fizzy UFO's, which I really want at the wedding but Nick doesn't. I have to convince him that these are both wedding-y and totally appropriate. I really like them and I think they will be a lot of fun. I mean, who doesn't like UFO's? The are edible and can also double up as table decorations, (until they're eaten). Of course if we could get actual UFO's to land in Herm then that would also be cool.

Other ideas include butterflies and bubbles. It does all sound a bit girlie I admit. And becuase it's in a marquis, I want a path of tealights in glass jars leading along the path between the marquis and the hotel (where the loos are) because I remember the last wedding I went to I was stumbling around in my heels in the dark and it was all a bit precarious.

My colour scheme is another problem, Nick needs some convincing. It's going to be chocolate brown bridesmaids and grooms, cream flowers and me with a hot pink bouquet. There will also be a lot of green leaves. It is going to look fantastic but his lordship kicked up a big fuss last night when I told him about this. I KNOW IT WILL LOOK GOOD! He needs to trust me.

Hen nights and evil buckets

Brokeback Mountain? Verrrrry very slow indeed. It was a good film but towards the end I was snoozing in the back row of the cinema. Not much is said by either of the two main characters, the whole way through. But there are lots of anguished looks and pensive glances, and shots of glorious mountainsides. You have to be in the right mood, which I think I was. But had it been on TV I probably would have channel surfed.

Saturday night, we ate at Sawadhi, (a very nice thai restaurant where you sit on the floor on big cushions, hence cramp and backache) then went on a girlie rampage around town, hitting the Albion bar, Laska's, the Red Onion and finally ending the evening in Barbados, (the nightclub, not the island). Catherine was forced to wear a veil, banner etc and we all wore devil horns and badges. I think she had a good time, I'm not sure because I was very very drunk. I know I was drunk because I made it from the taxi into my house but no further. I woke up in the lounge with the cat on my face, coat and shoes still firmly in place.

The next morning Nick woke me up by flicking me with cold water and shouting 'The power of Christ compels you" because apparentely I looked possessed.

Catherine's Mum, during the day before the hen night, was walking past the town Church when a bucket flew off the scaffolding and hit her on the head! So she spent most of the afternoon in A&E but was a real trooper and came out to the meal, but she had to go home afterwards. We all told her she should sue the workman but she's far too nice to do that. What a thing to happen though.

I have been reading 'Diaries of an internet lover' by Dawn Porter, which arrived from Amazon on Saturday. I went to school with Dawn and since then she has gone on to great things and she has recently had this book published. It is a journal of 6 months that she spent living in London where she met different men via a dating website. There are quite a few explicit and naughty stories and its really weird to read it. She always was a saucy minx at school to be fair. I can remember a sex-ed class, being partnered with her when we were made to put condoms on bananas, she really knew what she was doing whereas I was a giggling wide eyed 14 year old.

I did manage to put in a few hours of DIY this weekend, even though yesterday I felt like death all day. I was very dizzy and dry mouthed which I know is my own sweet fault but there you go. There is a depressing amount of work we have to do still and it really got me down. I am going to have to start doing evenings in order to get anywhere.

Gay Porn

I'm off to see Brokeback mountain tonight to get me some gay cowboy action, yeeeehaw. OK I know its not gay porn exactly but its as close as I'm likely to get.

Tomorrow it's the big hen weekend for Catherine, starting with lunch tomorrow then an afternoon/evening of fun with lots of thai food and cocktails I think. As chief bridesmaid I have been in charge of organising it, Cat's flying over from oop north tonight with 2 of her friends. Susan has already said she's up for getting really hammered although Rachel's going to be driving (quelle surprise). Personally I will erring on the drunk side as usual. I have bought table decorations for the restaurant, heh heh, she's going to love it or hate me, I'm not sure which.

I put in 3 hours of DIY last night at the flat (and still have paint up my arm) to make up for not doing much this weekend. I didn't get home until 9pm.

One of the girls I work with has just come back from travelling and she phoned the office to tell us she'e met a man in Thailand and is going back out there to live with him. She's just her to work out her notice period then she's off again. She sounded so happy on the phone it brought on a big lump in my throat. My boss doesn't know yet, I'm not sure if he'll take it that well.

I just got back from going into town in my lunch hour, I bumped into a guy, also called Sam, who I hadn't seen in about 6 or 7 years. I love it when stuff like that happens to you! I also saw a girl in the supermarket two days ago who I hadn't seen since school, that's 8 years. I didn't recognise her but she did me. Cor hang, that's Guernsey eh! Sam is off to New York soon, he's been offered a job there as a tree surgeon or something.

Oh, go on then

Four jobs I’ve had in my life:

Barmaid in a nightclub
Receptionist at an electronics firm (zzzzzzz)
Estate Agent (at four different companies)
Telesales rep (for one lousy week)

Four movies I can watch over and over:

SpiderMan
The Shining
French Kiss
Dirty Dancing

Four places I have lived:

Guernsey, Channel Islands
Winchester, Hampshire
Falmouth, Cornwall
Exeter, Devon

Four TV shows I love to watch:

Lost
The OC
Buffy
What not to Wear

Four places I have been on holiday:

Amsterdam
Mauritius
Egypt
Norway

Four of my favourite dishes:

Spaghetti Bolognese with garlic bread
Special fried rice with sweet & sour sauce
Roast chicken with cranberry sauce (I had this last night)
Rare steak with bearnaise sauce

Four websites I visit daily:

b3ta
BBC news
ebay
this one

Four places I would rather be right now:

Tahiti on a beach
Amsterdam in a cafe
At home in front of the telly
San Fransisco, with flowers in my hair

Four bloggers I am tagging:

Cassie
that's all I can think of, I have no friends.

Gerry!

Umm, not much to say as again have to go to a viewing in 5 minutes but Nick says that I look like Margo Leadbetter from The Good Life in the photo that I posted which isn't good.

Tonight I am getting my bridesmaids dress altered and might cook a roast chicken if I have the time.

Last night I dreamed that I really needed a poo and I had to go in this awful public toilet and my boss was watching me from across the room. Ewwwww.

And again!

I only seem to find the time to do this just before 5 o clock. I guess it has been kind of busy in here the last few days. I've just come back from a viewing of a house with a lovely old man but he had the heating turned well far up, to 'old person' temperature which was just gross. The house was lovely though and just a perfect typical grandparents house with well kept rose bushes and a little pond in the garden. Bless.

I went to Claires accessories at lunchtime, ended up buying a ton of jewellery as they have a crazy sale on. I got some long beads, I'm wearing them now. They're blue and shiny.

I've got to go round the parents again tonight for more wedding chats. Seeing as my old man is forking out for the lions share of it it is necessary. I am going to ask Maggie to take in my bridesmaids dress which I tried on yesterday and it's fine on the waist but WAY too loose around the tits. If I stretch I pop out. Well, not pop exactly but I don't have the cleavage to fill it so something has to be done.

Its nearly hometime

so I am speed typing as fast as I can. Just had a pretty boring weekend of kitchen fitting and painting, didn't do a lot else so won't bore you. But did manage to watch Starsky & Hutch on Sky. DO it. DOOOOOoooo it. (That's a Starsky & Hutch reference BTW)

My boss is being really nice to me today. It's been a busy day.

My bridesmaid dress has arrived for Catherines wedding next month and I'm off to try it on after work! Also got to go to Chequers for some groceries. Nick's back on the Weightwatchers so it's all rabbit food I'm afraid. Tonight I will be watching TV and cooking healthy food. Go me.

Another cake idea...

Annoying I can't get this any bigger.

I prefer the other one I posted a month or so ago but what I like about this one is the ivy that they've draped artistically around it. A cheap and very pretty thing to do, I reckon.

Swing Bada Bada Bada Swiiiiiiing

I have just found a wedding photographer, and he seems quite reasonable and nice on the phone. Huzzahs.

And here is a picture of me for Alex! I'm not sure if I've posted it before. I'm normally gurning/frowning/looking like a spanner in photos but this one's not too bad.

To cheer me up

A bit of gratuitous Sawyer.

Come on I need it! For those of you who have missed out on the best thing to come out of the States since crispy creme doughnuts, he is in Lost. How unbelievably pretty is a man allowed to be.

Where do I start?

Grim couple of days. I was thinking of sparing you the awful boring humdrumness of my whinging but then I thought, what the hell is a blog for if you can't let it all out? So here goes, in no particular order of importantness:

1) can't get a wedding photographer. They're all booked up already.

2)have snapped off one fake nail and another one's about to go.

3)Have eaten like a pig the last couple of days. Oink oink.

4)Nick has managed to put me in an awkward spot with my boss here at work. HOW!? You ask. Well, he's managed. First he phones me up at 5ish yesterday to say "Sam I have got you the most amazing opportunity for you. I've got you a free herbal facial peel, they normally cost £250 but you have to have it tomorrow afternoon."
My boss had already gone home so I phoned him to ask if I could beg a couple of hours off in the afternoon to have this thing done. He says no. End of story? No. Bear in mind I wasn't too upset cos although I would quite like it done I find the whole concept a bit scary. Don't want to end up looking like Pete Burns you see.
Me not being able to do it put Nick in a tight spot as he'd already promised I would do it to his workmates. It was for an advert and I was to be the model having the treatment done basically. So then at his work a woman he works with figures out that she knows my boss socially and takes it upon herself to call up my boss and have a go at him for not letting me have a couple of hours off! NNNNNGHHHHH!!! Great going. LUCKILY I managed to get to my boss in time as I had prior warning and apologised profusely and explain it wasn't anything to do with me. And LUCKILY he's OK . But I think it's a bloody cheek of her to poke her nose into what is essentially my livelihood and jeopadise my working relationship. And Nick just sees it that he was trying to do me a favour.

5) This is kind of leading on from No.4. Maybe its because he's a bit pissed at me for asking for a couple of hours off, I don't know, but my boss has this morning told me that I can't have 4 weeks off in July for my honeymoon which is what he'd previously said I could have. 3 weeks is the absolute max. He then went on to say that out of my 20 days holiday I am expected to save a couple of days for Christmas. I pointed out that if I am expected to do this then in reality that only leaves me with 17/18 days holiday, which sucks, and I'm going on honeymoon and also have 3 other weddings in England that I HAVE to go to this year (I'm bridesmaid at one, Nick's the best man at another, and the third is an ex of mine and best friend of Nick and its just important we have to go) that leaves me with minus holiday. He could see I was upset but left it a couple of hours before renegging slightly and saying MAYBE we can work something out with unpaid leave but JESUS how stressed am I today. New job here I come.

Did you like the over-use of capital letters there to emphasize certain words? That's what they do in my new self help book.

Rant over. Anal stupid rant over.

PS I have stomach ache and am tired.

Mammouth Journey

So, I've booked flights for next month and I'm off to my friends wedding. She is getting married on 25th Feb in Worksop, we're flying over to Southampton then borrowing a car from Nick's Mum & Dad and we're going to drive up. It looks like its kind of near Leeds/Sheffield and on the AA routeplanner it looks about 4 hours but you know what traffic is like. Hopefully it will take us about half a day.

If we can borrow Nicks Dads work car that would be so cool cos its a really plush jag and I'll feel like a yuppie. I can wear shades and yak on the mobile while Nick feeds me seedless grapes as we drive up. Just kidding. But it is the kind of car you get funny looks in becuase you're quite young and its a real old mans exec car (no offence Tony).

In other news, I found a pile of dried up cat sick that has obviously been around a few days, I just hadn't noticed it. So I have to clear that up tonight. I noticed it yesterday but figured another day wouldn't hurt. I also have a load of boring chores to do like ironing (but at least I can watch Buffy at the same time) and I have to see my cousin to give her the birthday present and we're really overdrawn in the joint account. Such is my life.

The front page of the Guernsey Press was just stupid today. The headline story is that a child pointed a toy gun at an old person in the town library and the old person got pissed off. Basically. So not a lot going on in Guernsey then.

Chinese stirfry tonight I think and I have to go becuase apparentely I have to be at a viewing 5 minutes ago.

Sober as a judge

Its been a bit hard to keep up with the blogging recently, as work has got 100 times busier over the last few days. But that's good! I don't mind being busy, at least we're selling stuff which is fun. I'm showing Ben some flats tomorrow morning. And I'm doing some posh houses too, one has loads of amazing antiques in it I'm going to late morning.

I got so very wasted on Saturday night, as my friends well know. But I wasn't the only one, Nick was breakdancing and fell over 5 times, apparentely. And I was very proud of being Rachels toilet buddy, and on the way home I decided to stroke a bald mans head. And I was dressed as Felicity Shagwell, you had to be there. So that's it in a nutshell, and I'm still not smoking! Hey hey.

In other weekend news, I put my knee out, it's really hard to kneel down now. I did lots of DIY and also went to the cinema on Sunday night and saw Just Friends, which drags on a bit towards the end but has some very exceedingly funny moments.

Something a bit freaky, from Hot or Not (see my link) a total stranger (or nutcase) has paid $2 and sent me a 'virtual daisy'. I find this nothing shrt of scary and feel a bit rude but I'm not going to email him back. No way.

I have to go to the Toy Shop now and find something appropriate for a 4 year old's birthday. Ooooh toy shops are brilliant.

Also, have been wedding planning some more, and am about to order the invites soon, in a week or so. I've decided on the ones I want which are very tasteful and not at all yucky/tacky/pukesome. They're just plain white card and I think very chic. I hate tack.

New Years Eve Pics

Rachel & Lex looking pensive

Ahhh, I love this one, its of Seonaid (left) and little Katie (right)

A drunken Susan! I am sat behind in the distant background , I have a white top on This is the only one I'm in! The guy whose half a face you can see is Laurie, Sue's boyfriend.

Seonaid and Westy

I'm sorry, we don't DO rentals

Really, that should be my mantra. The amount of times I have to say that to people every day. I should just put a big sign up on the door so that they don't come in and bother me.

What gets me is that after you say it, most people just go 'oh', and stand there and stare at you stupidly, as if we can still help them in some way. OK, some of them aren't too bad but its like go away and leave me alone you slack jawed freak.

Sorry, but I've been selling houses for over three years and everywhere I've worked I've had the same thing happen. Maybe we should do rentals, oh hang on, no. The hassle would be ridiculous. Selling is nice and easy but renting is just a hornets nest of hell. I should know, people in rentals departments are always overstressed and quit.

Ah well, being an estate agent a lot of people hate me anyway. I've given up trying to tell people that I'm nice while on viewings. Some people just look at you with such an evil glare of suspicion as if you're about to suck dry their bank account and force them to buy a beetle-infested shack. I have got thick skinned over the years in my realisation that whatever I say or do, however pleasant I am, the general public will never change.

I've just come back from taking on 2 flats that are so small and depressing, the only good thing I could think to say about them was at least the ceilings are high so you won't have any trouble hanging yourself.

OK, rant for the day is well and truly over. I have to go to B&Q tonight and buy some paint while it's still 15% off, then I have to go to my Dads and discuss the wedding list with them, and then its home to do a pile of ironing and make dinner. But right now I'm off to eat a kiwi fruit. Bet you're jealous of my inspiring life! I was a bit naughty and bought a top in my lunch hour today from Land of Green Ginger. It's a dark brown long crochet jumper and will look good with jeans.

Wedding dress!

Oh my God a swatch has arrived for my wedding dress. I can't say too much on here because Nick might tune in and read it but it is BEEEAAAAUUUUTIFUL in the extreme. I have sent a piece off to Nick's Mum to get her expert opinion on matching it to the bridesmaids dresses. Fun.

Another weekend of hard work at the flat, feeling quite fit though as a result. Went to the Petit Bistro on Saturday night with some friends, nice, a bit pricey but nice. Got a bit drunk and Ben stole some novelty magnets before stumbling to Sinatras for some whisky sours. I glammed up in a dress which was a bit unneccesary but I'd had a knackering day and was feeling very unattractive so I needed a bit of feminine allure.

For some reason I decided I needed a hawaiian pizza on the way back though (this is after a huge meal) and stuffed myself in my drunken stupor. I think I forgot I had just eaten. It was really garlicy. I turn into such a twat when I'm drunk I really do. I think I might have been a bit shitty with the lady in the takeaway as well. But it was a bit weird not smoking I kept reaching for the fags but then remembered. I felt really bad the next day but at least I didn't stink of fags. We got up and dragged ourselves out to Christies for breakfast, I had pancakes with maple syrup. Just call me fatty bom bom. I cringe a bit at myself sometimes. Big fatty slob I have to diet.

There's been a murder! In Guernsey! It's been quite a few years since we've had one but they've already caught the guy, I think it was her son.

Kedgeree

I found such a good recipe and I cooked it last night, it was so good I just have to share...

You will need:
10fl oz milk
3 tblsp dbl cream
knob of butter
olive oil
piece of smoked haddock
brown rice
fresh coriander
coriander seeds
cumin seeds
garam masala
bay leaf
cayenne pepper
3 eggs
red onion
Mango chutney

Put the rice on. When you've done that heat up a large pan, either a saucepan or a really big frying pan.
Toast your coriander & cumin seeds for a couple of minutes in this pan, then take them out and crush them up in a pestle & mortar, if you have one. (Otherwise a teacup and spoon seems to do the trick.)
In the same pan put some olive oil and fry your onion quite slowly.
While doing this, get a saucepan, lay the fish in the bottom skin side down and pour on your milk, a knob of butter and bay leaf.
Heat it up until it simmers then let it cook for about 10 minutes.
Poke the fish and if it falls apart easily it's done. Keep it basted in milk while it cooks.
Turn the heat off when it's cooked.
When the onions are about 3/4 done put in the other spices.
When the rice is done mix it into the onions.
Once the fish is done carefully take off the skin and pick out any bones, then break it up and put the chunks in with the rest.
Add your chopped fresh coriander to the mix
Add the double cream and another knob of butter to the mix, have the heat slow and simmer it all for as long as you want (5 - 20 minutes it doesn't seem to hurt)
Get a small saucepan and boil your eggs for 5 1/2 minutes.
Take them out the pan and run under cold tap.
Serve up your yummy meal, peel your eggs and lay them on top all artistic. They should be a bit runny in the middle still.
Eat with mango chutney and side salad.

YUM! Hope you enjoy it. That was for 2 people so have however much rice & fish you want.

I am in work until 1pm today then its round the flat, the black hole where my weekends just disappear. Today I will be painting the upstairs spare bedroom.

Um Bongo Um Bongo

They drink it in the Congo.

This is a nice day, because I actually have !!STUFF TO DO!! at work today. And it even involves a trip into town at lunchtime - sales sales sales. I may be some time.

My hair is so greasy I have a little shloppy bit at the front I have to keep putting behind my ear cos otherwise it looks disgusting. Talcum powder would've sorted it out but I forgot this morning.

I was quite impressed with the quality of the celebs last night in Big Brother. Michael Barrymore! Interesting. Quite a nice bunch, I think they'll mostly get on. Its only for a fortnight anyway lets see if they can keep their fake grins firmly attached to their faces that long. I like the politician, and Maggot the best.

I have achy period pains today quite low down, not too bad but I know the dam is about to burst. Sorry. that's gross.

Umm, nothing else has happened since yesterday. Nick went to gym and enjoyed it which is good. He wants to force me to come with him but I don't know about that.

G'Mornin

A nun just walked past my shop window. If I look out across the street I can see two african heads in the window opposite staring out at me.

I ran a finger over my desk yesterday and it had a cake of filth on it so I think I may have a wipe-round later on. I never really think how gross my desk actually is. My phone and mouse in particular get gunged up over time with this sort of grey paste which you have to scrape off with your fingernail. This is not something I generally worry about but it is kind of revolting.

Last night I played Chinese Checkers with Nick and beat him 2 out of 3 times. It is a simple and fun game to play and you can even watch TV at the same time. We also invented a new game of 'dragging Sam fast around the kitchen on the laminate while she's wearing skiddy socks' which made me very very dizzy and want to vom.

I was just reading the BBC news website and they are making a partical accelorater at CERN on the French/Swiss border just like the one in the Da Vinci Code. It's set to be tested Summer 2007. It's kind of scary that they're experimenting with dark matter, I hope they know what they're doing. Trying to recreate the Big Bang has got to come with risks aplenty.

Talking of scary things I was surfing the web yesterday about the Yellowstone Park supervolcano. The BBC docudrama about it was just so terrifying I couldn't sleep for a couple of nights but from what the park scientists are saying it's quite unlikely its going to erupt. (If it does erupt we will all die, basically, for those who didn't see the programme, and the world will be plunged into an ice age.)

Also have been thinking about the moon landings and if they were faked. I think they were, definitely. That's one conspiracy theory which just too much evidence behind it.

I am over half way through my Allan Carr book, it is getting soooooooooo repetitive but I am determind to finish it. It's been 5 days with no smoke and I don't intend to slip up.

I made up a dinner last night with chicken, mustard, honey and white wine and it worked and was yummy. I threw all the ingredients in a frying pan. Tonight it's good old spag bol with possibly some garlic bread. Nick really loves garlic bread so I might see if I can make some low fat alternative with M&S 'count on us' bread. I know it won't be quite the same but we both got to lose some weight.

Nick's off to the gym tonight so I'll be home alone and be able to watch Buffy and get some housework done. It's his first session so fingers crossed he enjoys it.

Liz, who sits opposite from me, has just brought a hot chocolate and brownie back to the office and is guzzling it in front of me. I did slip up and eat a mars bar earlier though so I can't have any more chocolate. I have a box of ferrero rocher at home which I was trying to ration but last night I polished off loads. Shit.

Mmmm

Anyone else lusting after David Tennant, the new Doctor Who? Or is it just me?

Tired Tired Tired

Bored Bored Bored

I found some Creaseys vouchers in my bag and bought some Clinique eyeshadow in my lunch hour. And had a session with the saleswoman to discuss which foundation I should use. I briefly met up with Catherine to give her the Monsoon jacket to take back to the UK.

That is my day so far. Apart from that I'm tired and bored. Clearly.

Christmas Presents

Before I forget, presents I got for Christmas 2005.

New Madonna CD (Dad)
DKNY Be Delicious (Dad)
Kitchen Bible (Dad)
Trivial Pursuits Pop Culture Edition (Nick)
Molton Brown hand lotion (Nick)
Leather knee length brown boots (Tony/Denise)
M&S undies (Tony/Denise)
Stripy scarf (Kirsty/Andy)
Dip & Chip whittards bowl (Eli/Ronnie)
Silver bangle (Eli/Ronnie)
Boots mega wicker basket of smellies (Suzi/Simon)
Camille Morton girlie book (Bob)
£50 B&Q vouchers (Bob)
Black cat ornament (Bob)
White/blue ceramic hanging orb (Holly)
Silver M&S oil burner (Penny/Tony)
Crabtree & Evelyn hand lotion (Jean)
Silver/amber stud earrings (Shirley/John)
Goodwill vouchers for poor people (Shirley/John)
Silver/black/purple bracelet (Maggie)

And some more stuff too but that is what I remember right now. Goodness me I did quite well looking back. Normally there's a rather large pile of stuff to take back/exchange/charity shop but not this year. So far the only dud I've exchanged was a really weird magic 8 ball in the shape of a giant fortune cookie that looked somehow like a giant vagina. That had to go back.

My favourite presents are everything from my Dad, the boots and the board game. Who would have thought it would keep us entertained for most of xmas afternoon and also Boxing Day! Utter brilliance, especially the DVD questions and I highly recommend playing in teams of boys v girls. Also, on Boxing Day evening, my aunt Shirley and Maggie devised a wicked and evil game of dare or forfeit involving a lucky dip box and lots of small presents. I had to act out the bedroom scene from Little Red Riding Hood with Nick as the Big Bad Wolf as one dare. I won some glow in the dark jumping beans for that! Wooo!

A Melee of good cheer

Hello my little New Year blinky eyed sproglings. It is back to having my bum on this chair at work and sneaking a few sentances off while my boss is out the office.

I am satisfied today because I allowed myself a wondrous day of tidying yesterday and locked myself inside the house until just after 3pm. I then went out for a cup of earl grey with Catherine & Damian in the afternoon then came home, cut Nick's hair and cooked a carbonara tagliatelli using a recipe from my new cookbook, Tamasin Day-Lewis' 'Kitchen Bible'. It really is a brilliant book and the bestest christmas present ever. I made some peanut cookies on Saturday using her recipe and they turned out lovely too. The carbonara recipe doesn't use any cream or milk, but lots of parmesan, egg and white wine which makes the pasta all gooey and gorgeous. Mmmmm. I am going to try her kedgeree recipe later this week with smoked haddock.

The main thing to say is that I have quit smoking. It was midnight New Years Eve and I stubbed out the last fag for good. I don't miss it, it feels really nice not to smell of stale smoke and not to have ashtrays round the house. What a good girl eh! I am reading the Allan Carr book to help me on my way, it is really amazingly helpful, if a little repetitive but that is what you need, to have it drummed in again and again and again how crap it is to smoke. Nick's incessant morning cough is dwindling as he's also given up. I think he's finding it harder because he isn't using the book.

I spent New Years Eve in the Cornerstone pub, it wasn't too hectic and we could hear ourselves speak, get served quickly and also sing kareoke. Although I didn't get a chance to but Nick managed some Englebert Humperdink. We slept the night in the new flat, even though its not really liveable yet we managed to make the downstairs spare bedroom nice and spent our very first night there. We also ate the most manky hawaiian burgers ever. And got soaked in the rain. But I slept like a log and it was really peaceful there, no traffic noise or anything which is incredible when it is so close to town.

I think I may be going for a meal out tonight becuase it's Rew's birthday plus several people have hinted they want to meet for a drink. Am feeling a bit tired tho becuase the nasty folk across the road made a right racket last night, it sounded as if they were dragging metal pipes across the road. Bastards.

Oh, Molly is back. We collected her a day late as we got our flights wrong and we turned up to collect her sans cat basket as well because we're stupid. So we put her in a small cardboard box which she promptly jumped out of and went mental in the car on the drive home. Its not much fun trying to drive with a cat miowing on your lap. She seems pleased to be home and hasn't been sick once, just very affectionate.

So as far as New Years resolutions go, I think I've got a lot on this year so I don't need to give myself any targets or anything, but I am going to try and lose the few pounds I put on over Christmas and maybe join an aerobics class. We'll see about that though because I am exceptionally lazy.




I'M GETTING MARRIED THIS HEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just a quick one...

To say Merry Christmas to one and all and all for one, (muskerhounds are always ready).

I am cosied up in Southampton at my future-in-laws watching christmas cack TV. Its Nick's little sisters birthday and we've just come back from a lunch out, so I'm feeling a bit full and burpy, and my fingers smell of onions because I ate a big burger. Looking forward to a day of booze and food tomorrow, and also I know that my present is the DVD edition of Trivial Pursuits so no doubt we'll be playing that at some point.

Still worrying about Molly, but at least she's got food & drink and can't run into any busy roads.

Lots of love and mistletoe kisses
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I'm leaving on a jet plane

don't know when I'll be back again...

I do actually, the 29th December. The Christmas sicks are back because I'm off later today, flying to Southampton. My mind is chock full of trying to remember things to pack and trying not to think of things that could go wrong. Passports - check. Phone charger - check. Eyebrow tweezers - check.

But! This is my last day of work, I'm not coming back until 3rd January! That's NEXT year! It's serious RDP today at work, I shall not do anything taxing. I may make people tea but that's about it. I had to pop out this morning and collect some property deeds from a sweet lady and she invited me in to her lounge where she had a gorgeous log fire burning. It felt soooo christmassy, I didn't want to leave. I can't wait until we get to Nick's parents house tonight, they always have a massive tree and Nick's Dad always plies me with alcohol and food.

My biggest worry is the amount of hand luggage we want to take on the plane: there's my massive 'doctors kit' handbag which is stuffed with small pressies, Nick's laptop bag plus two big carriers full of pressies and wrapping paper. Lets hope the check in staff are feeling festive.

I got home last night to an empty house, no Molly to greet me at the door and trip me up. I had to throw out her tin of food which was half open in the fridge. I'm ashamed to say I cried some more.

After work I went round to my cousins house with some mince pies and her two little boys were waiting at the dinner table with their little plastic plates at the ready. It was SO cute, she had told them I was on my way with pies. Then William said the burnt bit on his one tasted of poo, which I found very funny but his Mum didn't. Her smallest one, Tom, keeps pointing at me and saying my name which is just adorable. Not that I'm getting clucky!!! No way.

Poor Molly : (

I took her to the cattery in my lunch hour.

It is supposed to be the best cattery on the island, 2 people recommended it to me, but when I got there the runs were really small and she just has this little cold HUTCH to live in. She ran and hid inside her little carboard box they put in it for her. I put a towel in there for her to remind her of home. She howled in the car all the way and looked at me with such innocent uncomprehension when I handed her over to the lady... WAAAaaaahhhhhhhhh *sniff*

Must stop... welling up again

Fun stuff

Go and annoy yourself with this game. I think there are something like 74 different bands hidden in the picture. See how many you can identify.

Also, great fun to be had on this website! Command Santa to 'eat', 'dance' or whatever you like. Trying to make him 'fuck' is very funny. Enjoy!

Reeeeee !

How 'bout this for a wedding cake...

I think this is SO cute, my Dad's girlfriend is making my cake for me so I'm going to show her this photo and make her recreate it. Perhaps with a little less pink but still! Then everyone can have their own mini cake. And we can still cut the one on the very top layer.

Comments are most welcome I promise not to cry if you hate it.

A lunch hour frenzy

I snuck off early for lunch and have just come back after completing ALL my christmas shopping! Well just pat me on the back for being so brilliant. All I can say is good old M&S. I even ended up buying myself a cookery book as it was 3 for 2 in there on books. I bought some evil looking jalapeno pepper/chilli sauces for my brother in law as I know he likes spicy foods.
I just need to wrap them, pack them and get them on the plane.

Update on the christmas sicks: I managed to eat a sausage sandwich an hour ago and now I have the burps. I didn't sick it up though which has to be good.

Oh, shlop shlop shlop I have greasy hair and the burps.

Christmas Sicks

Oh great, I woke up this morning with a case of the Christmas sicks. This is when I get all nervy and anxious about stuff coming up, in this case going away for Christmas and having to sort out a load of stuff plus the excitement of seeing all sorts of people I haven't seen for ages.

ANYway, ...when this happens I find it really hard to eat anything, my stomach ties itself up in knots and I feel ready to vomit any second. So for some reason, even though I'm not going away for three days I am already having the sicks. As I sit here at my desk they have abated slightly but I can still feel em! Sods. The cup of tea I had earlier helped a bit.

Oh yeah and the weekend? We spent Saturday slaving on the flat, but managed to go out in the evening into town, for about the first time in two months. Spent the night at the Buddha Bar, which by the way has its music up WAY TOO LOUD for any type of conversation. Got wasted, then invited a couple of folk back to our house and promptly fell asleep on the sofa while watching the special features on 'The Shining'. I have absolutely no stamina. But we had a lovely day off on Sunday from DIY and really relaxed. I didn't get out of bed until noon. And! I made some gorgeous mince pies. So a good weekend in all.

What Molly did

Got home from work last night and she had vomited on Nick's work bag. I think she was showing her disaproval at him being away for a couple of nights.

The night before I was defrosting a bit of steak for dinner and then I hear a wet, squishy 'thud' from the kitchen and I run in to find a mess of bloody raw steak on the kitchen floor and her licking it like crazy. It doesn't seem right that a cat should want to eat a cow.

Sweaty Betty

Why is it that when I go into shops in town in my lunch hour I always seem to break out into a hot sweat?

I guess its cos I'm wearing my big red coat and they overheat the shops. I was trying tops on in Dotty P's and I had a minging sweaty back. I felt obliged to buy the top I sweated up... I also got my Dad'd girlfriend her christmas present in there. We have such opposite taste I hope she likes it. She wears a lot of gold jewellery and likes diamante, preferably the two mixed together. She buys a lot of jewellery on QVC... you get the picture.

I couldn't bring myself to buy anything too hideous and ended up with a nice pair of earrings and necklace that ARE gold but a dull gold, not too shiny shiny, and they have little discs of shell in them. They're quite funky. I wonder if she will ever wear them. She will probably try to polish them up or something.

Town was completely overrun with Ladies' College schoolgirls with their skirts hiked up and hair hanging loose. Hmmph. When I was there they were so strict about hem lines and your hair had to be up. Kids these days have it so easy! A lot of them looked really slutty actually. They must have really loosened up at that school.

mmmmmmmmmmm

I just had a raspberry and boysenberry smoothie from Boots. It was lovely, I have no idea what a boysenberry is.

Nick is in Alderney tonight, I will get to see him on the local news, mustn't forget to watch it this time.

I got to go to Creaseys toy shop today with the plausible excuse that I need to find a birthday present for my 2 year old 2nd cousin. I got a bit smitten with the fluffy Hedwig owls. I almost bought one for Nick before realising he really wouldn't appreciate a stuffed toy for a christmas present. They have a whole display of Narnia toys in there - not as bad as Clintons though, they have plastic models of Vicky Pollard!?? Truly bizarre.

Lame friends

I wrote about 40 christmas cards last night. Also, have purchased mincemeat, flour & butter and am going to make some mincepies at some point over the next few days just call me Samella Lawson, domestic goddess. Not tonight though becuase I have to collect Molly's record card from the vets then go and see my cousin and give her the plant I bought as a housewarming present. It has been rolling around my car for the last two days.

Nick is in Jersey filming some crazy local TV quiz show, its being aired next week so I'll have to phone round and make sure he is suitably embarrased. Also, he's off to Alderney tomorrow as they are having a big party. He said on the flight to Jersey yesteday he was sat in between the propellers, on those little planes the propellers whirl round at about a foot away from the windows, pretty scary if one were to spin off. Anyway the guy sat next to him had his hands clasped together and was praying the whole way. I know how he feels.

I was home alone last night and as a result watched Spiderman II (again) and then I tried to watch the Grudge but it was really pants and not scary so I gave up. The other day I watched White Chicks, which although I was expecting it to suck it was really excellent. I was in a pretty stupid mood when I watched it but I found it extremely funny. Lots of toilet humour.

I was supposed to be going out tonight but all my friends are ill. Bah humbug, sucks to it.

Nick just phoned, he missed his flight back from Jersey as he was 5 minutes late checking in. He got completely lost driving round the island. Bless, he's back now though.

Yay!

Did you know ...

Paul Daniels magic show?

Debbie McGee has an IDENTICAL TWIN SISTER.




Kind of ruins it, doesn't it.

Anyway, its time the world at large knew, and how did he keep it a secret for so long anyway? Crazy.

Pass me the philips head screwdriver...

I have spent the weekend kneeling on the floor putting together B&Q kitchen cabinets. I have a red mark on the palm of my right hand for all my efforts of putting screws in. Also, Nick made some headway with the kitchen electrics, drilling big chanelling holes and sorting which plug sockets go where. I like to be on hand when he does this sort of thing just in case he electrocutes himself, being that he's not trained or anything and just seems to have an innate sense of how to wire a house.

We also had fun mixing cement and spreading it into a big hole on the wall where the plaster had fallen off. That stuff is so messy! Its like making drippy sandcastles. We were getting it everywhere and didn't have gloves on, I don't think that stuff is supposed to be all that good for you but my hands don't seem to have suffered for it.

I have actually had a busy day at work as well, chauffering a University lecturer around houses and having really interesting conversations about how he used to be the engineer on Concorde and is it possible to get sucked out of an aeroplane toilet... (the answer is no because they put vents in the side so you don't get the full suction power, but in the old days, yes).

I have to go to the vets on the way home and get Madame Molly's record card filled in before she goes into the kitty hotel next week.

I went into town at lunchtime and felt very christmassy buying wrapping paper and cards. I put up some decs last night. I intend to write the rest of my cards tonight, we'll see.

Pom pom pom

It is Saturday, a cold wintery, breathe-and-you-can-see-your-breath Saturday and I am stuck at work until one o clock. As you can imagine the office is, like TOTALLY dead, only one phone call so far and a couple of people drooling in at the window and that is about it. So I have been playing again with this blog, changing my image on my profile to a Guztav Klimt tree that I found. I've got sick of SheRa, cool though she is. I think she may be a little obscure.

I watched 4 episodes of Lost last night, that's literally ALL we did, how sad. But they were so so good. But we stayed up late and now I am tired, my eyelids feel really puffed up and heavy. And I keep having to blow my nose.

I'm going to go look at bridemaid dresses when I finish up here and drop in my shoes to be dyed.

Good news though, I lost that pound. It must have been porridge-retention. I have been eating it every morning without fail. Its soooo warm and lovely and our house is SO cold in the mornings. Also, it really does fill me up in a way that toast and cereal never did. Amazing.

I think my Dad is going to come round the flat this afternoon and check on our progress. It has been such a long and tiring week 0f DIY. My cousin Karen & her husband have just finshed the house they've been doing up for the last 11 months, they are going to be moving in in time for Christmas which is fantastic. Our project pales in comparism to theirs, they've had to gut this old farmhouse. We just have a 3 bedroom maisonette to do up but God is it hard work.

I am wearing sexy tights

They are perhaps a little too whoreish for work, my boss said I should be wearing a miniskirt with them to complete the look, but what does he know? I try telling him about how fashionable fishnets and pencil skirts are but it falls on deaf ears to be honest. Luckily he didn't catch me surfing ebay for mukluk boots again, that is my favourite current pasttime. I am still the highest bidder on those funksome black boots, go me.

£150 is what the new ladies carpet is going to cost. The scrounger.

Another weekend of DIY is coming up. Also I put on a pound this morning and my period is just about due. Does anyone fancy a fight? Cos I'm in the mood.

Am just about to attempt drafting a letter of condolence to a company whose managing director dropped dead a week or so ago. Hmmm, not quite sure how to start it.

Oh! Lost arrived on DVD yesterday, the entire first series and first 5 episodes of series 2! We watched a few last night after working on the flat, I went to bed finally but Nick watched another 2 episodes so now I have to play catch up. We also got Batman Begins & War of the Worlds, they are all dodgy copies but play pretty well, just no special features.

Things I Like

Mark & Spencer's 'festive spice' smelly oil,
TKMaxx
Tea
Green & Black / Lindt dark chocolate
McVities dark chocolate digestives (Accept no alternatives!!)
The Sunday Times supps
Spaghetti Bolognese
Getting my hair washed by somebody else
The feeling of a clean house (ahhhhhhhhhhhhh)
Walking on my beach
Singing in my car
The sound of shoes walking on a stone pavement *clip clop*

Das Boot

Not a very good picture (squint, it gets better) but I just bid on these boots on ebay, they have slight heel, lace up the front and you can turn the top up or down depending on if you want the fur showing. There's fur also down the front bit.
I chucked in a cheap bid, we'll see what happens.

Cheers

I had a great start to the morning. Just after 9:00 I had a phonecall from a woman whose flat we're selling. About 6 weeks ago while on a viewing some spanner of a bloke walked a load of black tar type stuff onto her new cream carpet and left dirty marks behind.

I remember flipping out, making him take his shoes off and wait outside while I got down on my hands and knees to scrub it out with a combination of a hoover, kitchen roll, water and fairy liquid.

It mostly came out so I left her a note and then later on phoned to apologise, she seemed OK. My boss was away and I didn't even mention it because she seemed fine about it and said she would get the rest of the stain out herself.

But no! She called this morning demanding compensation, basically she's after a new carpet, my boss (who I had to tell) and I went around there and the carpet is totally stained up everywhere now becuase it is so damn pale and you can't even see where out marks are becuase so many filthy feet have tramped up it, but she's insisting we replace it so what can you do? Luckily my boss is relatively OK about this but she is really trying her luck and we all know it.

As Alan Partridge would say... "SOME PEOPLE !" He cheers me up I thought I would share this picture I found on t'internet. Makes me want a nice cup of tea. I am drinking Roobois Earl Grey at the moment, it is so very refreshing you should try it. You can drink it with milk and it tastes like normal tea but somehow lighter and utterly delightful.

She is thinking..

What the fuck are you looking at?

This is going to be a long day

bored already, It's 11:10am.

I went around to the flat last night but only stayed until 7pm. I had a good tidy up and filled in some holes while Nick carried on cutting tiles. Today he starts sticking down the tricky corner pieces. Once they've dried overnight be can begin to assemble and fit the kitchen units. I must say the room looks so much bigger with the floor tiles down. they are a light sandstone colour and look good.

I made chilli chicken noodles last night, it is becoming a bit of a favourite. Then we sat and watched Wimbledon, very predictable and good if you just want to switch off and not have to think. Quite enjoyable but nothing amazing, then we watched the end of Return of the Jedi and went to bed, me with a feeling of great satisfaction, I love the end of that film. Enough Star Wars, I went on about it too much yesteday. But since you're asking, 'A New Hope' is my favourite and 'Empire' my least out of the three, only because it has a depressing ending though and isn't a complete story in itself. The third one is very satisfying but not as good a story as the first.

I am feeling a bit snappy and annoyed, probably I'm tired you there you go. But it would help if my colleagues didn't treat me like an idiot. I am not an idiot and I feel I have to constantly prove this point. I probably have a better education than anyone here and also I am quite intelligent, not to blow my own trumpet but I know I am. I got a higher than average mark on Beat the Nation so it must be true.

I just feel a bit ratty and maybe its time I was doing something a bit more challenging, I have been looking in the paper but there isn't much around. Working here is good but it is like being sat in a comfy sofa, I kind of feel like my life is stagnating around me and my brain is running on almost empty. I have been selling property for three years now, a year of that in Guernsey the rest of the time in England. So with moving around all the time it has been constantly challenging and quite rewarding but it is so much slower and quieter here in Guernsey maybe I need to do something else. But what? I have an arty degree, not very helpful in the workplace. And all I know is selling houses, OK I've done plenty of office work prior to that but it was such a long time ago I'm going to be so rusty. Maybe I could go into the legal side of it and become a conveyancing clark but where would that lead? Or maybe surveying but I don't have any of the relevent qualifications so that would mean studying again. Bleh. I don't want to move back to England to do that, not when I've just bought a flat and am getting married and all the rest of it.

Or maybe I'm just having an off day. A cup of tea and a wee might help, I'm off to do that.

Deck the halls

I now have tinsel and two little golden bells around my PC . Today I have been decorating the office and putting the plastic tree up, I seem to be the only person bothered to do it but that is fine because I love it. I keep humming 'deck the halls' and have it badly stuck in my head.

I cooked a roast chicken last night and made Nick watch The Empire Strikes Back. I find it unfathomable that he has never seen the original Star Wars trilogy and I have been rectifying this. Tonight we're on to Return of the Jedi. I can't believe he missed out on something so fundamental to my younger life, I can sadly quote Greedo from the 'Cantina' scene in 'A New Hope'...

'Ooo da boota Solo?'
'So, bitta lay. Jabba wanichi cova, pakee cheeta'

quite badly translated as 'I have been waiting a long time for this Solo. Jabba is very unhappy with you'.

I know I'm a geek. Our sky dish was knocked out in the gales a few days ago so we're watching vids/DVD's every night.

Tonight I've got to do some more DIY. *sigh*. I really don't fancy it but them tiles aint gonna lay themselves unfortunately. Out granite worktop arrived from the UK yesterday and I got to see it today, it is so pretty and sparkles in the light. It took three men to bring it up the stairs, I'm glad I wasn't there cos I'd have been useless.

A grand occasion

Spang spang spangalishious.

The Jersey weekend was very good. Although we had to travel there in force 6-7 winds in the little 'shed with wings' they call the trilander. Spent Saturday shopping in St Helier, getting totally lost in the hire car driving around the north coast trying to find somewhere nice to have a coffee (unsuccessfully), spotted a few crazy surfers in the sea, eventually found a pub back in town.

Then back to the hotel to scrub up for the evening do. It was very swanky pants. There was a proper red carpet and a film crew (!) interviewing us as we arrived, then it was all champagne and glitzy glamness, nice food and awards given out and blah blah blah. Got drunk, got the hiccups, got put sat next to the Managing Director (Nick's big boss!), I suitably wowed him with my tipsy eloquence so there you go. Smoked far too many cigarettes and nearly lost the fur stole. Left it on a chair and came back to find some man wearing it, so growled at him and whipped it back. Don't mess with the stole!! So many people stroked it, it probably needs a wash.

The only hairy moment came on the Sunday when I somehow lost Nick in a multistorey carpark, he was driving round looking for me while I was on the wrong floor/outside panicing. I eventually found 2 boys who were sat smoking rollies who lend me a mobile. The thing was we had to get to the airport and ended up being late but we managed to phone them en route and tell them that we were running late. I was nearly in tears and Nick was grumpily hungover and it wasn't very nice. He disappeared again when they called the flight and everyone had to wait again for us because he was being ill in the toilets. Ahh well we got back in one piece. They even let us through with twice as much hand luggage as we were supposed to have.

I am going to cook a roast chicken tonight with lots of roast parsnips. Nick's taken the week off work to fit the kitchen so I'm going to play the good girlfriend and cook him some hearty food.

This one looks seriously unimpressed!

Arrrrr tis the wind blowin me hearties....

Crikey moses it's been blowing a hoolie out here today, and last night was a real 'batten down the hatches' night. The wind was whistling and making eerie sounds and the catflap kept flapping away to itself. I slept, as always, like a log though.

Tomorrow Nick & I are off on the old Rockhopper to Jersey, a tin can with wings so I hope the wind has died down by then.

I have been amusing myself by looking on this site, awwwwww! Maybe a bit cruel but very very funny. I wonder if Molly would let me dress her up...

Hooray for normality

I am back at work this morning, after arriving late in a fluster only to be told that my smart car had to be at the garage (I had totally forgotton) for its brakes to be done so I no sooner was back then I was off again to the garage. I now have a shiny silver hire car with heated seats - we're going up in the world you know.

Rash update - only slightly itchy and mostly disappeared. I risked a proper shower and hair wash this morning, the first since last Saturday! (I have just been taking oily baths in the meantime, probably great for my hair as it was left with these oils in it for a few days, it's super soft & shiny now!) I have returned to the land of the living, hurrah for me! **Trumpet fanfare**

People at work seem genuinely pleased to have me back, and there is quite a bit to do, poor Liz has been rushed off her feet. Tis lunchtime in 25 minutes and I am going into town to get a TV licence and put my pay cheque into the bank. More hurrahs! I also need to buy an advent calender ASAP as its the first today and Nick has bought a mega chocolate Lindt calender and took great pleasure in opening it in front or me this morning, knowing I didn't have one. Am tempted to steal the choc out of it to teach him a valuable lesson. Well, we will see what M&S and Thorntons have to offer - I'm determind to get a better one than his.

Did some xmas shopping on Amazon & Ebay last night, and also wrote a few cards, feeling quite smug and well organised. It won't last.

PS sorry have just read this back and it seems sickeningly chirpy. If I am getting on your nerves then I quite understand. If it makes you feel any better I just came back from lunch cold and wet and without an advent calendar, cos all I could find was Batman & Winnie the Pooh, both of which I refuse to endorse.