Bleugh

There really is only one word to describe it. Bleugh.

I have the extraordinary head cold that is making it's way round the country. My nose is blocked, my throat is sore and I am extremely deaf. I have also been to my god mother's today (and yesterday) and she has a cat so I am also in the throes of a extreme allergic reaction, and look quite like Rudolph. Sigh.

Enough moaning - I now have 4 fully functioning wheels on my car, after getting sick of flat tyres. I've had 6 flat tyres on this car in the last 18 months. Six. That's more than my mother has had in her lifetime. Now, hopefully, I've sorted it by buying a new wheel. Fingers crossed. And I've made an appointment to have my eyes tested next week - how very organised!! Only something I've been meaning to do for...um...a year now?

Back to work before auditions tonight. I am hoping Pete reads this before the auditions so he knows my head is full of cold!! Wish me luck....

Can't resist a quiz me...

You Are: 50% Dog, 50% Cat

You are a nice blend of cat and dog. You're playful but not too needy. And you're friendly but careful. And while you have your moody moments, you're too happy to stay upset for long.

Are You More Cat or Dog?

Goings on

Not a very productive weekend. Have got little work done, spent Saturday arguing in a very meaningless way with Phil, got a migraine, was stubborn and watched a film, took magic pink pills (Migraleve), went to bed. Got up today, went to Portsmouth, bought a dress for my friend's wedding in July (how organised am I? She's not even got her dress yet!) had a walk along the beach, came home, fell asleep.

I also appear to be an insomniac again, and am very very annoyed about it. My fingers are typing extraordinarily badly, so I must be tired, but my brain doesn't seem to agree. Hmm. Might read some Shakespeare. Ironically I also have a cold. Always at the same time!

Oh Liz! I had a wonderful time in the Cadbury Factory Shop at Gunwharf Quays (must be tired, originally wrote Keys) today - huge boxes of chocolate fingers, on a bogof deal. Made me think of you and then entertain the idea of posting them to "Liz and Harvey Hinds, Swansea, Wales".

Arguing was about summer holidays, as I am all fired up and travel-buggish, but have no money, and Phil is now training to be an accountant and so is careful and sensible with money, so we argued about where to go. I am slowly working on him though, and am hoping to go to Morocco at the end of June... Fingers crossed...

2006

I made a whole list of things that had happened last year yesterday, but I've forgotten the list, so I might have to do this from memory. The point of this post is that I had a fairly mixed year, with being ill a lot and other things. So I decided that I would think of all the good things that happened in 2006 instead.

Here are a selection of the ones I remembered:

• Still being with Phil
• Being involved in Ottershaw Players again
• Travelling: Japan, Paris, Madeira, Italy, Greece and South Africa
• Anna getting a distinction in her MSc
• Becky qualifiying as a teacher (and others, but Becky's was the most important :) )
• Teechers coming off and not being a disaster
• Meeting nice people in "blogworld"
• Working at MMR for a year and meeting new friends because of it
• Starting my MSc (even though it's caused no end of trouble so far)
• Dancing again and going to tap classes
• Sorting some stuff out with an friend who I had fallen out with so that now it's all better.

Lots of good things, which definitely counteract the bad stuff. But yet another list. I promise, no more lists from now on...

Happiness is...

Happiness comes in many forms. Whilst the last week has been super-stressful, I am now at home on a Friday, reading a relatively interesting paper on Conversation Analysis, whilst also in bed.

Happiness is:

• Covent Garden Soup when you're feeling unwell
• An electric blanket
• Not having to do statistics again
• A new play on the horizon - even if I don't get in, it's still exciting!
• A new dressing gown.
• Being able to work from bed (even though I really shouldn't be)
• Three weeks til my next essay is in :)

My blogs seem to have taken the form of lists lately. I really must start writing in sentences again...

Guiding

I'm currently planning what to do with my Brownies tomorrow. As usual I've not been organised enough to actually have anything planned a term in advance like some Guiders do, but me and Deb (Little Owl, if you will), find that the "play it by ear but look like we know what we're doing" approach normally works well. We spent most of the summer turning up, making something up on the spot and then having a great time - the girls were none the wiser. I'm thinking of something on a spring theme - making a "Spring Watch Diary" where the girls monitor a "new thing" that's growing in the park, and also note down what birds they see, that sort of thing. And also trying to grow something - cress, or orange seeds or something. I love the creativity of Guiding, and inspiring girls to learn new things.

Whatever mood I'm in when I get there I always leave with a smile on my face. I tell you what, if you've got no self confidence at all, spend some time with 7 year old girls and you'll soon feel like the cleverest, "most bestest" person ever. They don't care if I'm fat, spotty, stupid and uncool - to them, I rock. Me and Deb make a good team because we have similar ideas and are similarly laid back. I've really missed working with the girls regularly while I've been living in London, and one of the best things about moving home again is that I get to go to Brownies again and get my weekly dose of self confidence. They're great and I love 'em all :)

A short post about a long holiday

I don't want to bore you with the ins and outs of my recent trip abroad, but here are some of the highlights...

• Swimming with penguins on Christmas Day
• Cape Town - amazing city, loved it lots.
• Feeding an elephant at the Knysna Elephant Park
• Seeing the sunrise (and set) whilst on safari
• Seeing a whole herd of elephants (including a 2 month old) in the wild
• Getting out of the jeep and walking towards wild cheetahs.
• Swimming in the shallows in Mauritius and seeing baby fish (only 1cm long!)
• My youngest brother telling me that "he has just the right amount of brothers and sisters".
• Coming into a hotel room when feeling ill to find beautifully soft linen and pillows to welcome you.
• Wearing a sari
• Eating dinner with our safari guide and learning about his life as a ranger
• The thrill of spending 4 hours looking for elephants and then to find them
• Going to Robben Island and feeling guilty for being there, but also grateful that there are no more prisoners there.
  

It was all pretty cool (except the being ill part) and amazing. Strange to be away in a hot country for Christmas, and I missed mum and Phil, but it was still an amazing experience! Photos are up on my flickr page since Blogger seems to have eaten my button...

Apparently...

Clare Groome -- [adjective]: Like in nature to a train-riding hobo 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

I'm back!

I got back from a rather manic holiday yesterday... Dad, his girlfriend, their son (my half brother) Daniel and my other brother Patrick flew to South Africa on the 22nd December...We were there for two weeks, dashing around the country like mad things, and then flew to Mauritius for 6 nights, where we did the opposite of dashing, and just lazed around in the sun. Needless to say, it was amazing, and there will be a long blog to follow, but first I have three journal articles to read and 2000 words to write for an essay that is due on Wednesday...

It's oh so quiet

As Chux has pointed out, I have been quiet recently. This is just a "checking in" blog to say that I am still here, but I'm currently in Mauritius on a family holiday. More to follow as I have a lot to say and not a lot of time to say it, but look out for a long blog soon!!