obviously the laws of remote-hogging apply to male cats as well...



bless him...

if only he wasn't so cute.. then I'd be able to change the channel!

I'm so fast :)
( here's another one.. )

I've been working on that one for a while, using it as a little distraction during bigger projects (came in very handy when I was working on big piece that was all in one colour...)

and I thought I'd throw in a picture of Jemima... watching Mr Bean!! I don't know what attracted her, but she was glued to it for about 5 minutes! Can't blame her really, the man is a genius.

( awww )

Wow. I've been gone ages! and that just shows how exciting my life is that I have nothing new to report!! hehe.

Been good recently, busy, but good. Having a nice weekend to myself then next weekend I'm meeting a load of people off a forum that I use (well, used to.. not been on there in ages either!)

Just thought I'd share this, a little birth sampler I made for my boss, she had her first child last month :)

( pic behind here.. )

Am a little worried it's too big, but hobbycraft don't do a brilliant range of sizes in square frames, they did one that's just slightly too small, then one that would have been alright, but the inner mount for that would have been too small... and then there was this one. I like it, I mean, I would frame it like that for myself, it just looks huge as something to give to someone else, she might not like it taking up so much room!!

These are a few cross stitch finishes from the last couple of months :)

( 3 photos behind here.. )

now to choose my next piece.... erk. I have a few from HAED which I could start, having bought nice shiny new fabrics yesterday (yay for craft fairs!!) or I also bought this chart from Anchor's Maia collection which I'm also quite keen to start (although it totally goes against all my principles because I'm a DMC girl at heart)

... I got more kitties!!

they're so cute, and so good tempered...

( Jess & Boo )
YAY :)

hopefully they'll all get on eventually.. there's not too much aggro, just a few low growls and hisses, and Boo (the youngest) sometimes lashes out at jemima. Boo & Jess came from the same household, so they're really good with each other.

other than gaining kitties I've done nothing.. so I've got nothing to report!! life's a bit dull really. well, I went to a mate's 40th a couple of weekends ago, which was cool, although a little scary as it was back in wycombe and I really try to avoid the place these days!!!

then went to see a couple of mates (and my god-daughter) from school last weekend which was really good fun, went out for dinner and had a good catchup. shame we don't get to see each other more often, claire's living in norwich and christina's down in portsmouth so it's a bit of a trek whichever place we end up!

got a craft fair to go to this weekend at the g-mex. can't wait. mum's coming over for it and we're meeting my mate shital when we get there, so that'll be good. might loiter round in manchester afterwards as well. I told mum she can treat me to lunch :) (I thought that was very generous of me)

work is still.. work.. we've just been taken over by nike, which may or may not make a difference.. found out I failed my 3 exams (whoops), but that was expected, so resits in may. if I actually did some work for them and my case study after that, I could actually qualify this year and never have to take an exam again. what a nice thought! it's blatantly not going to happen, because I'm way too lazy. but just imagaine...

anyway, sorry I've not been around, hope everyone is doing ok!

I'm back! (and I'll pretend that at least one person said "HOORAY" just to make me feel wanted!!)

all is good, exams are over so I have 2 months to myself to chill before results come out. I'm pretty sure I'll be in resits so I should just carry on studying through but I'm gonna have a break for christmas and start again in january.

been at mum & dad's since thursday afternoon which was fun. had nice food and wine and went to see grandma & grandad, had a haircut and bought some sweets. not very exciting really but it kept me going!! took Jemima with me as well so she spent a few days being followed around by a big dog.

just worked out I have 17 working days left until christmas, huzzah!! and this week is pretty much written off anyway as it's monthend, and I've not been there all week, so the first couple of days should just fly by :)

started spring cleaning today but I'm too easily distracted, so it probably will take me till spring to finish up. have almost done the living room though. I've done the tidying part but I still need to clean. and admittedly a lot of the tidying ended up in big heaps out in the hall.

think I'll go to bed now. sorry I've been awol! I'll be around more often now I'm slightly less narky all the time!

Safe in the knowledge that she doesn't use LJ, more to the point, doesn't know I use LJ... I've made this for my old boss for her christmas present, they moved house this year so I thought they might like it :)

I finished the cross stich weeks ago, I've just been too lazy to put it together!


xst_blesshouse_carol
Originally uploaded by elizabub81



in other news.. today has mostly been spent slobbing and watching telly. slobbing to the extent that this morning after my shower, I put my PJ's back on... clean PJ's obviously.. but definitely a move that said "I will not be setting foot outside today".

I also wrapped some christmas presents.. TOOOO SOOOOOON! and did some hoovering. there's some serious study avoidance going on here...

Jemima appears to be asleep while clutching the telly remote. I think she's trying to steal it.

oooh it's been a while! I'm still alive! just in case you care.
absolutely nothing is happening, it's really rather dull! I have spent the last couple of days in a really quite grizzly mood, trying to think of something other than poking people in the eyes. it's not working.

it's also not been a good day for scary realisations... one being that my exams are in a month.. what happened to all that study I was going to do?? oops. the other being that it is now less than 6 months until I turn 27. another year gone, and I really don't have a lot to show for this one!!

in good news... ( these turned up on saturday.. )
notwelshman came up for the weekend, so we were dead exciting and... went to visit the parents. and the grandparents. still, better than the alternative, which would have been to sit around arguing about what might be an exciting thing to do..

am going to see the nightmare before christmas on thursday eve with mum YAY! can't wait!!

and why is it so COLD? it was lovely and sunny today but I was still frozen. I need a new scarf, I'm bored of mine. and a new hat, preferably one that doesn't make me look like more of a plank than I already do. although I do rather like my hat, for sentimental reasons :)

oooh I see I've not been here for a while.. oops! don't think I'm ignoring you though, I'm still reading, I just don't really have anything exciting to say! any facebook is neatly checking off all my addictions.. sending messages, playing addictive games, hitting refresh every 3 seconds in case it's changed.. all there on one little website! plus we can access it from work, always a bonus!!

yesterday I started on a new cross stitch piece, just a small one, which I think is going to go to mum and dad.. and then I've got another one that I think my friend nanda would like. need to get them done before college (possibly) starts again in august.

other than that I've been going to the gym a lot, pretty much every free evening that I have, except yesterday when I sat and scoffed pizza instead. and I started helping out a lady that mum works with to correct her written english. heh, I realise I'm not really the best english speaker, but it's only simple stuff, changing tenses and spellings and stuff. her husband is american so he decided he wouldn't be the right person to help, seeing as the exams are based on oxford english. that's a good deal for me, £45 for the 9 lessons up to her exam, plus I get fed dinner twice a week!!

I'm going to the aquarium with jaki and her little girl today :) I can't remember if I've ever been to an aquarium, I'm guessing I have, but that it was a very very long time ago and I just don't remember anything about it.. so that should be fun!

am shattered today, at least jemima wasn't up early early.. she got up when my alarms went off but I decided not to get up, so it was my own fault really. I think she's recovered from her little bout of cystitis, but it's hard to tell really, she still tries to wee in the laundry bin. grr. it's been fun getting her to take tablets every day though.. well, I say fun, what I mean is "an experience". I think we'll be having a manicure soon, I got clawed this morning.

better go and sort my hair out, it's looking distinctly fuzzy this morning.

I am SO annoyed!!

a couple of weeks ago, a contractor came round to do an assessment on my property, with regard to fitting a water meter. all goes well, he turns the water off then on again, and goes away. me & mum go out, then when we get back later, there's water streaming out of my external hatch.

so I call up the water people and they say they'll send someone out, which they did, and then they say they will book in a job to fix it.. which they also did, although a date for the work wasn't given, but that didn't matter because I didn't have to be here.

anyway, cut to today, I get home from work at 5.30, I notice there is a big hole in the pavement with some fencing around it, but big lumps of metal sat there for anyone to pinch.. and my water is shut off. no phonecalls, no note through the door, no workmen..

a guy has just been round to look at it, from united utilities, rather than the contract company, and you could see how fuming he was as well, apparently what they were SUPPOSED to do, was:
1. dig hole
2. turn off water
3. replace pipe, stop tap, valve
4. turn on water
5. clean up

what they actually did was:
1. dig hole
2. turn off water
3. bugger off

2 out of 5 not bad, and number 3, well that was an added extra!!

I have water again now, although when he first turned it on, part of the tap came off and it was gushing everywhere, so now he's kinda wedged and said "pray no one throws a brick down that hole overnight.."

joy!!

I can't believe they just buggered off and left me with no water though! surely that's not allowed?? apparently it was a really simple job too. he says he is gonna phone them tomorrow and tell them to get back here and finish it off, but we'll see!!

oooh ugly betty is on, must go watch!!

I decided it was time to start letting Jemima out today.. She was 9 months old when i got her and had never been let outdoors, so I wanted to make sure that I spent a bit of time with her outdoors and didn't just chuck her out and leave her to it.. by the time she'd had all her jabs it was close to exams and I didn't want to risk her not coming home and me having yet another thing to worry about.. now I realise that wasn't a problem, poor thing is so scared she barely made it off the porch!



I think the furthest away she got was about 2 metres, but that was just following the wall round so she could sniff at a leaf..

scared as she was, she went out a few times and then spent the rest of the day sat looking at the door, waiting for it to open! I think I'll try it again tomorrow.. in a way it's kinda nice having her indoors all the time because I know where she is and no harm will come to her, but she must get bored sat here on her own all day when, which is a bit mean when there's fun things to chase outside. unless of course I got her another kitty to chase indoors :)

how cute.. I can't actually drink a glass of water without her trying to put her paw in it or drink out of the glass.. but this is a new one to her.. water with BUBBLES in! she's been staring at it for a good 15 minutes..

( hehe )

this is why I hate exams, because, I freak out about some tiny thing, like not being able to find my spare calculator (and I thought I might have broken my usual calculator but actually you just have to do the sum differently). so I spend 30 minutes storming round my little flat (seriously, 3 rooms and a hallway=not many places it could be). in the process I've mortally offended my one and only friend (the cat), got myself in a big huff, and STILL haven't found the calculator.

I have worked out how to do the sum though, so that's a blessing, otherwise I'd still be storming round.

gah.

I suspect it's in the same place as my bluetooth widget, as I can't find that either. and they used to both be in the same place, sat next to me on the electric meter box. however, one day, in the recent past, I decided I'd "put them away" and they haven't been seen since..

still, tomorrow is my second exam, and then they're over till resits. woooo!

mum is coming over for pilates tomorrow night, and I might suggest a couple of bottles of wine (for me anyway!) and I think she's staying with me on friday as well and going to the boat with dad on saturday. I can't go far on friday as I have 2 appointments, so it'll be a day of chilling and nice lunches :)

right, I have a past paper to go through. it's the one I failed last time, oh joy!!


ooh I think kitty has come to make friends again! yay! and she found a bag of treats and brought that with her, that might explain things!!

this is the obligatory "behindthefool is wonderful" post. hehe

that's it northerners, you can relax, she's on her way back down south. for now anyway.. although I think she's planning on coming back sometime.

it's been nice having someone to chat to, makes me wish i had 2 bedrooms then I could have a lodger. oh well. back to me and Jemima. Jemima has been friendly and welcoming as always and even showed Lynne that she considered a special guest by biting her foot as well as mine. she doesn't normally bite guests..

and Lynne left me with scones and cheesecake, so guess what I'm having for lunch? :)

I suppose I should do some work now.. although I'm slightly concerned that I've just read my email and my brother is trying to sell me. or pay for me to leave.. I'm not quite sure which way round these things work.. I know he's poor, so he'd like the money, but I'm sure he'd also pay to be rid of me for life..

how strange.. 2 days running I've turned the telly on, and men in black has been on.. but I've turned it on at exactly the same point in the movie..

humph. I want to see the beginning!!!

How random..

I just got a letter from the blood people, as I booked an appointment.

so it says..


Confirmation of your donation appointment

Thank you for making an appointment for...

You can call us at any time to cancel or change...

Why not make an appointment? Our system now allows you the opportunity to specify a donation time to suit your lifestyle.. we highly recommend you take advantage.. call today..


ummm.. I did! that's why you're writing to me.. surely? to confirm that I made an appointment, using your appointment making service.

dozey people. they're worse than me! I hope that's not the same person who does the blood taking bit, otherwise I'm not going!

yay for no work today. really should be studying though.. I'm going to sort my hair out and then wander down and see what morrisons have for my lunch..

Jemima is having a crazy day.. she's been playing with her mouse and bringing it to me to throw for her, but she keeps attacking my leg in the process so now I hve scratches all over it. and if I don't throw it quick enough she sits and cries at me a couple of times and THEN attacks my leg. I seem to lose either way..

Mum & Dad adopted a dog at the weekend. how random. I know they've always considered having another dog, instead of a cat, because they can take the dog with them when they go to the boat, but they've not spoken about it recently.. dad told me to stop sending mum pictures of cats last week because she was getting ideas!! She a cross breed, border-collie with alsatian apparently.. I'm going to see her on wednesday when I go over to go to the gym :)

I've decided I need to win the lottery, then quite work for a couple of years to get this stupid qualification done and dusted. unless anyone has a long lost aunt with a large inheritance that they want to donate to me?? the inheritance, not the aunt.. i have enough of them.

so far so good..

woke up an hour earlier than my alarm went off, to discover a cat sat on my chest about to thump me in the chin. always a good start. despite her doing her normal wake up routine, I was actually pretty chirpy, so I decided to get up anyway.

Jemima's just had her last kitten jab, so that's all good. she's sussed out the vets office pretty well, considering she's only been there twice. basically, if you go in and look absolutely terrified, they say "I won't take her temperature today as she's a bit nervous.." and then they give her food! double bonus. food and no thermometer up your rear.

so that's it. she's a healthy kitty, she's had a fuss, got treats at the vet, got a free bag of treats to bring home (which she's discovered already, need a hidey place for them) and now she's back on the windowsill staring at people.

and I'm going to walk to morrisons and buy something nice for lunch. that's like multitasking, I get my little bit of exercise (and it really is only a little bit but never mind), fresh air (ish), food, and I get to listen to my mp3 player very loud. not that i can't do that inside but I feel a bit of an idiot.

bah and humbug. I decide to leave the flat and go buy some diet coke.. and I decide to make myself look human before doing so.. and as I'm getting ready, make-up on, straighteners warming.. it's bloody well RAINING.

grr.

so I'm gonna go and get wet, cos I'm refusing to drive the 3 minutes. so anyway, hair is now done (I thought I'd at least set out looking decent..), mp3 player is charged (enough to last the 30 mins or so that I'll be gone) and I'm going. as soon as I've found socks.

I made a birthday card and gift tag today for mum's birthday on thursday.. I'm quite pleased with how they came out :)

the buttons weren't quite the same as the ones the magazine used, but they would have required mail order which the website said "we try to dispatch within a week.." and that's not quick enough! I only got the mag on thursday or friday, and only opened it today, so I went to hobbycraft and found them. they're the same style, just the others had some proper flowers as well as hearts and circles.

I think it's cute anyway



Originally uploaded by elizabub81.

well, that's my good deeds done for today, I've ordered birthday presents for a couple of people, and sorted the Jemima's insurance out.. went with the RSPCA in the end as they gave me money off for adopting through them.

gotta go and pack up my gym bag for tomorrow. I'm assuming we're still going, although mum's not actually replied to my message, but that's quite usual.

right, best go and be productive..


EDIT: NOW I remembered what I actually had to say.. very helpful!! anyway, I got my walk pack for the 13 mile walk today, 2 things.. yay we got places, and boo I have to walk 13 miles. but last time we got bacon sarnies at the end (4am) and then went home and sat eating jammie dodgers and drinking tea at 5am.. and then had a bbq the next day, so it's good fun really. anyhow, it's not till mid June so I'll post my sponsorship forms up soon in case anyone is feeling generous :)

Jemima has a very strange obsession with jelly.. at first I thought it was the wobblyness of it.. but today I ate it straight out the pot and she knew what she had to do straight away.. ( and that is... )
is jelly good for cats?? she likes it anyway

and because I haven't posted lots of pics yet.. here's a couple more
( cut for the weirdos who don't like cats )

the quality is still rubbish because even though I have been and stolen mum's camera cable.. I still haven't put batteries in the camera.

she keeps bringing me the catnip mouse, and when I throw it she brings it back and puts it a little too close to my foot.. am very nervous of pouncing.

in other news.. there is no other news. good huh?

I think I've posted enough today for about 2 months by my standards..

Jemima is helping me use the laptop, because apparently I'm just not clever enough. so she's helping me. until something better comes along anyway, like a blob of dust on the carpet.

it's been a fun day, I won £10 on a lottery scratchcard, so yay! i'm gonna add that to the £30 grandma & grandad gave me for my birthday and put it towards buying something nice, a new top or something after my exams.

Don't really want to go back to work tomorrow. I wish I was a student again, but one who never had to go to lectures, or like, only a couple of hours a day. 4 at the most. and also one who had money.

or I could marry someone with money who didn't mind me staying home all day doing not very much. anyone know anybody?? location not a problem, the less i have to see them the better :)

I suppose I should go to bed soon. first I will go find out what that crashing sound was, I know it involved a certain kitty-kat, yay for bells on collars.

and p.s -why is that guy who walks down the road STILL wearing the same thick black hoodie and black woolly hat, even though it's proper sunshine today. It was hardly "cold" yesterday, but I'll admit, it wasn't sunny-sunny.. but I went to tesco and survived without a thick hoodie and a woolly hat. (though if I didn't overheat at the slightest glimpse of sunshine or a radiator, I think I would wear my hat and scarf all year round..)

I know he's trying to look, ummm, cool, or not-cool, or possibly "emo". but that effect seems kinda lost anyway when you've rolled your sleeves up BECAUSE IT'S PROPER HOT. I think it only works if every possible bit of normal looking human skin is covered up.

I think I've got old, teenagers have REALLY started to annoy me. even more than usual.

yay for mum, who sent dad round with a catnip mouse for jemima.. though it's not any old catnip mouse, it's a refillable catnip mouse, no stuffing in it, just pure catnip. so she's happy. dad turned up at the door, saying "your mother asked me to bring this" like it was rubbish, but she played with it for a good hour!! she's tired now and has gone behind the sofa for a rest..

yay for notwelshman who bought me "the prestige" on dvd for my birthday. dad also brought that round for me as I wasn't going to go pick it up until wednesday when I go to the gym, but he drives by here on his way to the boat so he stopped in.

and yay for me for being thick and not recognising dad or his car when he drove in!! haha oops. totally snubbed him, so that was funny!!

I was outside just finishing up my gardening (all looks v. pretty and green and healthy!!) and picked some stuff up to bring it back in, when dad pulls round the corner into the car park. I thought "I never see a blue car visiting anyone else" (everyone else, plus everyone else's friends, all seem to own silver cars, except my dad and me) so I went inside to put the stuff in. went back out to get more stuff, and it took me a good couple seconds to realise it was my dad stood there!! still, he was just as confused as to why my blinds were open, my car was there, and I was there!!

am glad I was out doing something productive and not flaked on the sofa watching telly!

next to do: have lunch, buy bread, put recycling stuff in car

I seem to have spent a rather large portion of this morning with a cat attached to my big toe. not sure what to make of that. still, at least she's had her claws cut, it's far less painful now.

she's left me for now though, we watched a squirrel and 2 pigeons going round the car park which kept her amused for a very long time.. and now she's making her own fun with a ball, the empty catnip box (still), and a sheet of bubble wrap. hmmm.

plans for today include study (maybe), and going out cutting dead bit off my flowers, and planting that other flower that mum bought me about 2 months ago.. that'll stop her nagging me on thursday, and it's so lovely outside :) and then I might walk down to morrisons and get a loaf of bread seeing as tesco didn't have the right stuff yesterday. I also need to take all my papers/magazines down to the recycling thing but I don't think I can be bothered to drive down. I might just load the in the car and then they are there ready for the next time I drive there. gets them out of my kitchen anyway. ooh and put more songs on my mp3 players, it turned up yesterday and is lovely and pink! and LOUD! muse sounds really good on there, much better than through the laptop. I might invest in a little cheapo radio for the bedroom so that I can move my proper stereo into here..

and then I'm having gammon for tea! it's slightly sad that the highlight of my day is going to be what i'm having for tea, especially seeing as it's not even 11 yet, but never mind.

and note-to-self: never buy special k bliss choc & strawberries again, it's very yummy, but you get about 2 mouthfuls for your 30g serving.

right, I'm going outside!

yay for days off!! although I will have to do some work later as that's what it's booked for

Jemima had her first visit to the vets this morning and she was very well behaved! no foaming at the mouth or anything. we went for the 2nd lot of booster jabs but when we got there he told me the rspca never do a complete lot of first jabs, as they don't do the leukemia one, so he did the first part of that and we have to go back in 3 weeks for the 2nd part. he gave her a quick check over but she was quite jumpy so there's a couple of bits he still wants to do next time. and he chopped her claws as well as they were getting really spiky, and she's already ripped a load of wallpaper off! oops.

so that's another 3 weeks that she will be stuck inside for.. I'm being overly paranoid and refusing to let her out until she's had all the jabs, too much watching animal hospital and seeing the poorly kittens!! she's starting to want to go out though, which she didn't at first, presumably because she had no idea what was outside having lived in an upstairs flat all the time, but now she sits in the kitchen window and watches the squirrels and the pigeons who sit on the fence and makes this funny noise, which I'm assuming means something like "fooooood"

we took a wander round pets at home (the vets surgery is in pets at home..) and got some catnip (the empty box has now become her new plaything, I wonder if they make the box that shape because they known cats will try and get their heads in there) and 4 more balls, as we've "misplaced" the other one.. I suspect it's behind the sofa again, but she's refusing to bring it back.

and now I'm sitting here with my cup of coffee, waiting for parceline to turn up with my mp3 player, according to their website, it's been checked onto the van! and I want to go food shopping but I'm not leaving the flat until it's arrived.. might have to postpone that until tomorrow, as I've got the day off then too.

what happened to the sunshine?? it was lovely yesterday :( I even went outside!!

yay for being let out of work early!! didn't think I would be let out that early, cos we're doing monthend.. the head sent out an email this morning saying we could all go at 12, but I figured we would be more like 3 or 4 and so did my boss...

and then at 12.10 she says I can go cos I've done all my bits :) don't think she will have been far behind me either.

gonna tidy up the flat and then I might go to mum's today instead of tomorrow.

meet the newest member of my family... ( surprise! )

in other news, dad came round and fixed my electrics yesterday as the cable that we drilled through and patched up when we were first doing the place up, well that broke again.. so he fixed it.. and now one of the plug sockets has blown up! hmm.. there's a big black smoke mark above it, so I switched it off but it was all gritty behind the switch and the plate has cracked. very reassuring. will ask dad about that tomorrow!

bed time soon I think, all this playing has made me tired!!

I am so very pissed off..

my cool news for tonight was SUPPOSED to be that I had adopted a cat, however, the woman is a muppet, and I was left really quite annoyed. I found this advert for a cat, 3 years old, needed to move because it kept attacking the other cat, rang up that evening, she said yeah sure, and we arranged for me to go pick it up at 7.30 tonight.

so I drive all the way over there, it's a 40 mile trip, get lost so many times, and about 10 miles away I ring her and ask for help as my directions weren't clear at all, and she answers the phone, i say "hi it's liz, I'm stuck can you help" and she goes "yeah hang on a tic" and hangs up! so I call back and she doesn't pick up. drive round a bit more and then stop in a pub about 10 mins later and ask for directions, and this guy tells me how to get there, so I probably set off again about 20 mins after calling her, by which time I've called another 4 times and she just lets the phone ring out.

I drive the other 10 miles, takes about 15 mins, and THEN she texts me when I've just reached the road before hers, and says "really sorry, got you confused with someone else and I've given the cat to her" i point out she could have told me that when I had called and she says "well I didn't realise until after we got cut off.." I have 2 things to say to that. one is cut off my arse, why didn't you answer the other 5 calls? and 2, it took you HALF AN HOUR to text me and say you'd given her away! HALF AN HOUR when I could have been heading home again instead of still driving towards you!!

SO SO SO angry.

and I really wanted a cat, I was so excited. back to the rescue centres then, but I know I'm at the bottom of the waiting list because my house isn't as big as everyone elses!! I thought it would be easier going private!

grrrrr

another very productive day.. I got up at 9ish (that's good for a sunday!!).. went to morrisons for bread and milk, and came back with ONLY bread and milk.. then got down to my study again..

wasn't quite as good as yesterday, I did slack off quite a lot.. but I still got to the end of the folder (just), and did an online test and scored 74%.. but they're just little questions.. I'm hoping to get to work early enough tomorrow to do some more questions before work starts, I need to do the home study bit for the final week, and the progress test.. then I'm going to start on the exam paper (Obviously not all tomorrow!!)

had a very bizarre dream last night, at one point I had just found out I was preggers.. and claire was there to comfort me (i'm guessing that's because there was far too much baby stuff going on last week!!) and then after that, I was in my flat making a huge chocolate cake for my aunt but all the frosting had gone so grandad was frantically making more, and there was chocolate frosting EVERYWHERE, and then we ended up in this really weird place where there was a bridge over a canal but it swung, and this really mean girl was jumping around when I was on it, and I cried lots and then woke up. so, what do we make of that? well, umm.. claire was pregnant (I'm not, although I'm fat enough!) and I like chocolate cake and don't like bridges.

and in the mean time I found the headphones that came with my phone, so I filled it up with cool songs (muse, elastica, skunk anansie, dresden dolls and the fratellis).. my new ring tone is elastica - connection, thanks to notwelshman for donating the album to my collection! and i ordered a memory card so I can have even more songs and use it as an mp3 player type thing, seeing as I can't afford a real one yet (not a nice one anyway!)

now, if only I could find some willpower to lose weight, or a magic diet, I'd be really happy!! I'm still tempted to go back to rosemary conley. I don't think I should be spending £5 a week, as I'm supposed to be trying to get out of debt etc.. but at least it would be going to something worthwhile.. I don't know. I do need to do something though. maybe I should weigh-in in front of a friend/family each week, that would give the same embarrassment factor but save me £5!

ooh, I met my new doctor on thursday. oh my god. weirdest guy in the history of man!! looks completely mental. has this big toupee thing going on, it's like, really dark, and long, and wrapped around his head about 3 times. very fetching. and he's huge! and has food stains down his shirt. thankfully, he's just referred me straight on, and most other things I can just see the nurse about!!

I've been so good today.. I studied from 10 till about 7!! I had a few breaks along the way of course, but I think I did some good work too.. I even got some of the test questions right! that can only be a good sign..

I was studying for my resit paper, which is P7, and I am going to do some more tomorrow as well, it would be nice if I could get the rest of my notes written up (which shouldn't be that hard as it's only one more college day's worth) because then I can try doing questions from the past papers during the week. I want to crack as much of this one as possible, then college for P8 (the new one) starts next sunday, so I'd like to just be practising this one by then, rather than still trying to learn loads of it. there's a couple of bits I'm going to have to go back over though..

I'm at college on 4 sundays this time, but they're alternate sundays which is good, so I have a totally free weekend in between each one, I'm going to make sure I use it to do my work from college this time!!

and I've been using my new study area which is sooo cool! I get to sit right in front of the radiator and be all snug which helps. I'm going to mum's next weekend to get my MOT done (because kwik fit here didn't have any free saturdays early enough), so if dad's around I'll get him to come help get some of my books down from grandma's attic.

nearly time for bed I think.. another early morning tomorrow!!

what a nice evening :) 3 girls from work came round for pizza, plus a 9 month old baby.. so that was nice, they left about 30 mins ago.

we had pizza, and a gorgeous chocolate brownie cake thing and I feel quite sick now!! was nice to have company though. Nic's baby is so cute, he was a bit grouchy as he hadn't slept in the day, and he kept looking at me funny then laughing, so he obviously knows something I don't.

am slightly concerned that I have a big rash spreading down my wrist.. and a little one starting on the other wrist.. I'm wearing the same jacket I wore all last week and yesterday, and not changed washing powders or anything.. the only thing is that I started on a different brand of multivitamins this morning!! so I won't take them tomorrow, and I'll ask the doc at my appt on thursday if he thinks they could have caused it.. annoying having it on my wrists though, it makes me want to play with it!!

yesterday was productive!! the bureau I wanted from ikea FINALLY came back in stock (I've been ringing at least once a week since the 10th November, when I first saw it!!) so off we went on friday night and bought all the stuff for my hallway, which was the bureau, 2 big bookcases, and one slim one. and then we bought loads of other crap that I didn't really need, like a curtain for the hallway, and plant pots, and candles and all the other usual ikea crap.

mum stayed overnight seeing as our ikea trips usually end up taking till 10pm, and dad was meant to pick her up and go to the boat, but when he found out they were delivering it all straight away he figured they should stay and help put it up rather than it taking me 2 weeks by myself!!

so we started at about 1.30, and finished at 9.30 :) my bones are killing me today.. I feel absolutely shattered! wasn't helped that by the time I thought about bed, I remembered my bed was covered in clean laundry that I'd piled on there to get it out of the kitchen, and toys that I had thrown off my old hallway table, so I got my popples quilt out and slept on the sofa, while the title scene of the new simpsons series went round and round and round. it's quite a nice little tune :)

and today, I am watching the new series instead of watching the titles. much more fun.

so this is my new hallway: ( how tidy.. )

i need food..

oh crap. just clipped someone's wing mirror on the way home, while driving past them where a lane splits to 2.. they'd stopped and I was moving into the other lane.. crap. I couldn't stop though as the lane was empty so if I'd stopped the guy behind would have gone straight into me..

I really hope I didn't do too mcuh damage, my wing mirror flipped forward so hopefully I just kinda scraped theirs..

feel really bad though!! but still, no one followed me home and tried to break my legs. I can only hope that if they did see my reg number, they appreciate WHY I didn't stop!!

so... project zombee.. I finally got round to posting it to it's rightful owner so I can now reveal!!

apologies for the rubbish photo, I really must dig out the lead for my digital camera, then I can start taking decent pics again.

so.. it all started with this:



I put it into my cross stitch program to make a chart.. I then totally rehashed their chart.. they had like, 129 different colours, most of which were very much the same, so I simplified it a lot. in fact, mostly I just used it for the outline, although even that I changed as they had managed to find about 6 shades of black and dark grey, and I got it down to 2. black, and dark grey. funnily enough.

I'm not entirely happy with the colouring, it should have been a lot more yellowy-creamy than it turned out, but it was hard getting a proper match, without going really really yellow. I'm pleased with it though :)

so.. ( I give you.. PROJECT ZOMBEE!! )

I've done 2 nights on Mia's new picture, it's gonna be really cute.. it's this one. I've done about 2/3rds of number 6. coming along nicely. it won't be done in time for her first birthday though because I'm going to be quite restrictive while I'm studying. she'll either have it for xmas or her 2nd birthday. I'm sure she won't mind, she can't count yet :)

wooo I have friends! yay :) Jaki came round this afternoon and took me into stockport for a couple of hours, so that was cool. it's nothing special but it's got enough shops to waste a day!

then she came back and stayed for a brew and had a natter which was nice. it's nice to have people pop round every now and then.

started making Mia's cross stitch today, I'm not sure what I do it for, maybe her 2nd birthday next year, as I won't be finished in time for her 1st birthday in March (I would if i wasn't going to study, but I am, so that means restricting my cross stitch!!). I wouldn't have the pennies to have it framed properly either, so I can save up this way..

so tomorrow, early morning study starts.. I have to start getting into work for 8am again and get a full hour in. that's providing my car starts in the morning, it's running fine, but it didn't want to actually start this morning, it was turning over really slowly, as if the battery was flat. and it did the same when I started it at morrisons (which is not very far away so it wouldn't have had charging time really..) but as soon as it actually started, it ran fine.. no shuddering, no jumping, no funny noises.. if it was flat, then hopefully the 30 mins to work will help it charge up a bit.. if that doesn't work, then I don't know. that's what it sounded like.. but then, there's no reason for it to have been flat.. it was fine on friday, and I used it on saturday morning, fine then.. I hadn't left the lights on or anything.. and it wasn't very cold this morning. so I don't know. I hate cars. they just go wrong all the time.

it's MOT is due in March so if it plays up again I will just take it down for it's MOT straight away and get them to look at that as well.

but yes, that still doesn't get me out of early morning study, so I had better get to bed!

what a fun day! quite appropriate for my last weekend of guilt free freedom!!

have been to the g-mex for a stitch and craft exhibition, with mum & her friend from work.. I got a nice new cross stitch kit to do for my goddaughter, and some hand cream, and some cocounut ice (yes, I know it's not a craft as such.. but the guy is always there!!). met michael powell again (he's a designer, sort of, he paints the pic but it's his wife who converts them to cross stitch) who tried to make me buy another one even though I haven't done the last one yet (but it's high on my list!!). it's just unfortunate that the one I REALLY want to do is a huge 3 part thing which costs over £100 to buy all 3..

oooh and we got free goody bags from buying our tickets on line, which we assumed would be rubbish, but they're really good!! we also assumed that they would be full of crafty bits that we'd never use, bit of felt and ribbon and card and stuff.. but no, full of food!! 2 jars of curry sauce, some low fat crisp things, dried cranberries (yum!!) and some tea bags.

not bad really..

then we ventured into manchester to find food (because there was a HUGE queue at the gmex and we'd finished shopping anyway) and I bought a couple of new tops from pineapple, and a bag to carry my study books in, and then I went and spent my £20 virgin voucher. was a pretty cool day really, I'd never really walked around manchester, will have to go in another day when it's not so busy.

found out I failed my exam, which I was pretty sure of anyway but it's always worse to hear it officially!! am not too worried as I only missed it by 9%, so I'm sure I can learn enough more on that to get it next time, without affecting my learning on the new course.

course starts again on feb 18th, so that was my last weekend of freedom that I didn't have to think "oh I really should be studying but.." so that's cool :)

notwelshman, mum says she's coming down to visit you soon, she was thinking about tomorrow, but not any more.. if it's on a non-college weekend I'll come down with her

it's been fun today! I went to mum's, in hope of going to northwich to see the market stall with the rugs.. only it was closed today because the guy has gone away (mum and dad didn't remember that he'd told them that last week until we got home..)

it was FREEZING in town so I decided to be in a mood with mum for making me get up early, drive all the way to hers and walk around in the cold for no reason, so to make it up to me she had to buy my lunch (bacon, sausage and egg toasted sandwich and a brew from a very nice cafe!!) and then take me to the garden centre and buy me candy canes :)

went to see grandma for a while, and gave her a yoyo to cheer her up (she was very disappointed that the one from her christmas cracker didn't work..). grandad immediately stole it and started playing with it though. was lucky really because she was really upset by the docs the other day so she needed perking up anyway! and took grandad another pair of trainers because he wears the other pair I gave him all the time. was nice to see them and I got to see my cat.

then we had chinese food and now I feel sick as usual! i always eat too much :(

am back home now, they did say I could stay but I have loads to sort out tomorrow, I need to wash clothes for work, and go food shopping and stuff so I figured best to be here earlier. and i like my little flat anyway...

and I checked my speed dating matches.. I had 3 people tick me as a yes, and 3 tick as a friend!! 2 of the yes votes were people I ticked no to, oops! and 1 was one of the 3 guys I stayed out with.. 2 of the friends votes were the other 2 I stayed out with, and 1 was someone I ticked no to (in fact, was the last guy of the evening who wouldn't get up after the bell rang, but wasn't actually saying anything much at all to me..)

so, I feel good enough anyway :) I was dreading having no ticks at all!!

yay for people who know me too well!! I got these through the post from kattiwampus today, how cool!!



I'm gonna put them up somewhere..

so I have decided I need to get out more and do things I don't normally do.. so on wednesday I looked up speed dating dates, and found out my age group was on thursday. decided I wasn't quite ready to do it and would wait for the next cycle, but then stupidity got the better of me and after checking that I had a clean outfit, I booked!!

getting into town was a nightmare because of the traffic, but I asked a lady on the bus where I was (i couldn't see past the guy stood in front of me!!) and it turned out I found the coolest woman in manchester, she got off the bus with me, walked me halfway down the town, pointing out landmarks on the way, telling me where I should arrange to meet people, where the buses go, all this stuff, and then set me off in the right direction for where I needed to be!

turns out, I wasn't using logic anyway when I was going mental about being late, because, if I couldn't get there because manc was at a standstill, then neither could anyone else!! so I was actually like, the 3rd person there.

I didn't go with any thoughts of meeting "someone" I just wanted to make some friends, so luck would have it that these 3 guys turn up, one of whom is dead funny (but loves himself a little too much) and they only live down the road.. I stayed out drinking with them till midnight and then they dropped me home! so yay for friendly people.

the only time it was really awkward was when a guy sat down at the table and said pretty much straight out "i'm here looking for that someone", which ok, is kinda the point in speed dating, but I don't think people really say that!! most people just kinda go "oh well I'm looking to meet new people.. if that leads somewhere then great..". not, "I only want to meet the one.."

so I've ticked all my boxes, a fair few got a no!! not being mean or anything, it was a cool night but I don't want to meet up with just them.. and I think I ticked about 5 or 6 for being friends.. 3 of who are the guys I was sat drinking with anyway.

quite frankly, I'd go again just for the night out! it was great fun, it got me out of the house for a night, I had loads of random conversations and a few drinks, what more could you ask for???

so. I think I've been impulsive enough for one month. February's task is to go to the cinema on my own. is anything good gonna be on?? if not, I'll have to postpone that one and think of something else. like, going ice skating on my own!! :)